April 13 – Born blind, lame, deformed, hunchbacked and dwarfed
Blessed
Margaret of Castello (1287–1320) is the patroness of the poor,
crippled, and the unwanted. She was born blind, lame, deformed,
hunchbacked and a dwarf, into a family of nobles in the castle of
Metola, in southeast of Florence. As a child, her parents Parisio and
Emilia imprisoned her for 14 years so no one would see her, though she
could attend Mass and receive the sacraments.
Her parents took her to the tomb in Citta di Castello of a holy man
named Fra Giacomo, where miracles were reportedly being wrought, to pray
for a cure for her birth defects. When no miracle happened, they
abandoned her. She lived in prayer and charity, helping the poor. When
she died at the age of 33, crowds at her funeral demanded she be buried
inside the church. After a crippled girl was miraculously cured at the
funeral, the priest allowed Margaret’s burial inside.
In 1558, Margaret’s remains were transferred because her coffin was
rotten. Her clothes were also rotten, but her body was preserved. She
was beatified on October 19, 1609 by Pope Paul V.
There was a Notre Dame nun, Sister Mary Immanuel, who taught at Messmer High School for many years - was in her class for Geometry and French - who though she was crippled much like St. Margaret of Castello, nevertheless, was accepted into the Order, proving herself an asset to the Community. She was very bright with a playful sense of humor as well. I pray she saved her soul!
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