Margaret of Castello

Margaret of Città di Castello

Margaret of Città di Castello (1287 – April 12, 1320) was an Italian Catholic educator and a Dominican tertiary, venerated for her profound faith and holiness despite significant physical challenges. Born blind and with other disabilities, including a severe curvature of the spine and growth restriction, she was abandoned by her parents in a church at the age of thirteen. The town's poor took her in, and she later found refuge in a convent, though her intense faith led to her expulsion. Subsequently, she resided in the town, where she became a Dominican tertiary and established a school to teach children about the faith.

Life and Historical Context

Born in Perugia in 1287 to nobles Parisio and Emilia, Margaret was hidden by her parents due to her disabilities. A maid named her Margaret, inspired by the Greek word for 'pearl.' For about a decade, her parents kept her imprisoned in a room attached to their chapel. When an invasion threatened their castle, they moved to another castle, where she was again confined. Her mother suggested taking her to a shrine in Castello, where miracles were rumored to occur, in the hope of a cure. When no miracle happened in 1303, her parents abandoned her there.

Despite this abandonment, Margaret harbored no resentment. She was taken in by the town's poor and later found temporary shelter in a local convent. Her fervent piety contrasted with the nuns' laxity, resulting in her expulsion. Following this, she lived among the townsfolk, who continued to care for her. In gratitude, Margaret opened a small school, teaching children the faith and psalms she had learned. She also cared for children while their parents were at work.

In 1303, she encountered the Dominican friars who had recently settled in the town. Under their spiritual guidance, she became a member of the Third Order of Saint Dominic. Margaret died on April 12, 1320. Her funeral procession was so large that crowds demanded her burial within the local church, an honor typically reserved for a select few. The parish priest eventually relented after a disabled girl was reportedly cured at her funeral, allowing for her burial inside.

Veneration and Legacy

Margaret's remains were transferred on June 9, 1558, and were found to be incorrupt. Her physical description noted her small stature with a disproportionately large head, a broad forehead, and a right leg shorter than the left. Her longstanding veneration led Pope Paul V to grant her equivalent beatification on October 19, 1609. Pope Clement X later extended the privilege of a Mass and Divine Office in her name to the entire Dominican order. In 1988, she was named a patron for the blind. Pope Francis formally declared her a saint through equipollent canonization on April 24, 2021.

Margaret of Castello is remembered for her unwavering faith, her dedication to educating children, and her charitable spirit. Her life serves as an example of spiritual resilience and devotion in the face of profound personal hardship and societal rejection. Two Dominican parishes in the United States bear shrines in her honor, in Louisville, Kentucky, and Columbus, Ohio.