About Saint Margaret of Castello:
Born into a wealthy family in 1287, Catherine had many physical deformities. She was a dwarf, had a curved spine that left her hunched over, was blind, and as she grew it was discovered that she was lame to the point that she could barely walk.
Her family was embarrassed by her, and kept her hidden away for many years. As young as age 6, she was walled up in a room in their house beside a chapel. A family chaplain taught her about God. Seeking a miracle, her parents took her to a Franciscan shrine.
Disappointed that their prayers were not answered, they abandoned her. Some in the community took pity on her, and gave her the help she needed to survive.
She became a member of the Dominican Third Order of Castello, developed a deep prayer life and devoted the remainder of her life to performing acts of penance and charity.
Despite her suffering, Saint Margaret remained serene, calm, cheerful and courageous. She never became bitter, complained, criticized others or became discouraged. She went to mass daily, and prayed fervently to Jesus, Mary, Joseph and St. Dominic. St. Margaret accepted her suffering with the eyes of faith. She did not know why God allowed her to suffer from so many afflictions, yet she did know that He was all-good, did not allow evil without a good reason and always turned evil into good for His children. She wondered why people pitied her; was it not a privilege to suffer with Christ? Suffering for her was her way to heaven.
One benefit of her suffering was that it made her more sympathetic to the trials of others. She visited prisoners, helped the sick and comforted the dying.
She died at the age of 33, and the crowd at her funeral demanded she be buried inside the church rather than the courtyard. Her remains still lie beneath the altar of the Church of St. Dominic in Castello. Margaret of Castello has been a great intercessor: many cures have since been attributed to her intercession. She is an inspiration to those who are discouraged and tempted to self-pity. Her intercession is most powerful to those who suffer from eye and muscular diseases.
She has also become a patron for pro-life groups, and those who are unwanted and abandoned.
We have to wonder….how many potential saints have we aborted due to their physical infirmities? It reminds us of the question that Hillary Clinton once asked Mother Theresa: “Why do you think we haven’t had a woman president yet? Her reply: “Because you probably aborted her”.
About the tomb of Saint Margaret of Castello in the Church of Saint Dominic:
St. Margaret was declared Blessed in 1609. St. Margaret of Castello is the patron saint of the disabled, blind, and unwanted, and is also associated with pro-life movements. She is also a patron saint for those living in poverty and for those rejected by religious orders.
incorrupt body lies under the main altar of St. Dominic Church in Castello. Many visit her shrine here. She was canonized a saint by Pope Francis on April 24, 2021 by a process called equipollent (equivalent) canonization:
Equipollent Canonization means that the requirement for a second officially documented miracle is waived. Candidates for equipollent canonization must meet three criteria: (1) there must a long-standing cultus or history of devotion to the candidate; (2) the candidate must have a solid and enduring reputation for virtue; and (3) the candidate must have a long association with miracles.
While there were few equipollent canonizations in the 20th century, Pope Benedict XVI declared Hildegard of Bingen a saint by this process in 2012, and Pope Francis has used this process as well, such as in the cases of St. Angela of Foligno and St. Peter Faber in 2013.
We celebrate the Feast of Saint Margaret of Castello on April 13.
Other churches with shrines to Saint Margaret of Castello:
There two churches in the U.S. that have shrines to Saint Margaret of Castello: Saint Patrick’s Church in Columbus, Ohio and Saint Louis Bertrand Church in Louisville, Kentucky.
Traveling to Castello (citta di Castello), Italy:
Castello is roughly 96 miles (155 km) north of Rome in the Province of Perugia and 70 miles (115 km) southeast of Florence. There is no train service to Città di Castello.