Saint Margaret of Castello

"They called names and shot confetti and they did each house three times, and I was really tense all through this because I wasn't called until the end..."

I distinctly remember finding out which "house" I had been placed in at my current high school. I was sitting on the bleachers with two good friends of mine, and I was very, very tense. I wanted so very much to end up in the same house with at least one of these friends, and I sincerely hoped it was a "good saint" (you know, the ones you are already connected to in a particular way - all saints are good, of course!). Every few minutes, twelve or so kids would be called to one section of the bleachers and they would sit there in the suspense before a shot of colored confetti would be blasted into their faces. The color corresponded to their house...that's how you would figure it all out. 

When they finally called my name - the last of my friends to be called, and completely alone (plus, they pronounced my last name wrong, which I saw as some kind of bad omen) - I made my hesitant walk to the bleachers in the far right corner. I sat down and waited, waited, waited. It was agony. 

And then, after a little drum roll, the air above me exploded into fluttering yellow, and the words "Castello!" boomed at me from the student leaders. 

A few things exploded inside me as the confetti exploded over me. To begin, I had never even heard of this Margaret of Castello person...I had zero connections to her. Secondly, I knew no one in my house. It was a total nightmare, and I dragged myself back to my two friends with a very heavy heart. All was lost!

Reading through my journal entry from that day, you would've thought the world was ending (well, I mean it was 2020...)! But despite my, well, unflattering acceptance of my new patroness, Margaret was not ready to give up on me! Over the past year and some change, I have realized that Margaret and I have some blessed connections, including a love of the Dominican tradition. 

I've learned a whole lot more about Saint Margaret since I joined the House of Castello almost two years ago, and she really has guided me through the stress of high school (*groan*). I was even able to celebrate her canonization late last year with the members of our house...and through her intercession we were able to win house of the year (top lockers aren't all they're cracked up to be, though...)!

Maybe you haven't fallen deeply into connection with dear Saint Margaret yet, but perhaps you can foster a relationship with her by recognizing similarities between your life and hers...

Margaret was born into an opulent Italian family in 1287. Immediately upon looking at her crippled form, her parents were disgusted by her. The child was extremely small, and she was hunchbacked, blind, and lame. One leg was shorter than the other, and her face was abnormally large. 

Ashamed of their daughter, Margaret's parents hid her away and forced her to live as a prisoner - only the local parish priest showed her any kindness as a child. Margaret clung to the sacraments and grew in her love for Jesus, always reflecting the love of Christ to the handful of people she interacted with. 

She lived in this way for years, until, as a teenager, her parents heard of a Franciscan shrine linked to miraculous healings. Hopeful for a cure to their "terrible misfortune", Margaret and her parents travelled for miles to the shrine, praying profusely all the way throughout their journey. 

But G'D had greater things for Margaret. When she was not healed, her parents abandoned her in their grief, leaving her to die on the streets of Castello. Margaret, frightened and alone, turned to G'D in prayer, knowing He would provide for His little daughter. 

G'D answered her desperate prayer through the citizens of Castello, who bent over backwards to help her. At first, she only knew homeless people, who taught her how to effectively live out the core of their rigorous lifestyle - begging. Margaret, reduced to this, did not complain, but continued to offer up joyful praises to her Heavenly Father. 

As a young woman, Margaret began to interact with members of the Dominican Order. In time, she herself became a Dominican tertiary. They prayed together and cared for all people - the homeless, sick, and dying, prisoners, and children. Soon, everyone knew Margaret, but not as the crippled curse her parents saw her as - no! They saw her as a beautiful child of G'D...in fact, they looked up to her!

Beautiful Saint Margaret died at the age of 33, just like Jesus. A great many people attended her funeral, as though a great military hero had died instead of the tiny lay Dominican who simply wanted to love G'D. Years later, her body was exhumed and found to be incorrupt - this means it did not deteriorate after her death, and so she appears to be only sleeping. 

In this world, people are too quick to resort to abortion to rid themselves of children with disabilities. If Margaret had lived in this modern era, perhaps she would not have been born. What a thought! We would have lost a great saint! Surely, Margaret is guarding these beautiful lives in danger of death, so as to bring into the world new saints. 

May G'D go with you!