_-_Blessed_Margaret_of_Castello_statue.jpg)
Statue de Marguerite de Castello, sanctuaire de la Saint Patrick
Catholic Church
(Columbus, Ohio)
Marguerite de Castello
Dominicaine,
Bienheureuse
+ 1320
Marguerite
était native de Metela, citadelle sur le fleuve Metaur, non loin d'Urbino et de
Citta-di-Castello. Elle naquit aveugle, mais elle supporta ce malheur, dès son
enfance même, avec une patience et une résignation héroïque, persuadée que Dieu
le lui avait envoyé, pour qu'il procurât le salut de son âme.
Vers ce
temps, se répandit partout le bruit de la sainteté et des miracles du B.
Jacques du tiers-ordre de saint François, une foule d'infirmes venaient en
pèlerinage à son tombeau, afin de recouvrer leur santé par son intercession. La
jeune Marguerite aussi y fut conduite par ses parents, mais Dieu ne voulut pas
qu'elle fut guérie. Ses parents, qui ne regardaient pas cet événement avec les
yeux de la religion, ni dans l'esprit d'un vrai chrétien, en furent
très-affligés, et laissèrent leur fille à Citta-di-Castello, dans le couvent de
sainte Marguerite, qui maintenant n'existe plus. Mais comme on ne voulut pas la
garder , à cause de sa cécité, deux époux pleins de piété, Venturino et Grigia,
la reçurent chez eux, et lui donnèrent les soins les plus affectueux. Quoique
jeune encore d'années, elle était très-versée dans la doctrine chrétienne, et à
même de donner aux autres sur ce point l'instruction la plus solide. Elle
savait par cœur l'office de la Sainte-Vierge et le psautier, qui lui
fournissaient souvent matière aux plus sublimes réflexions. Cette rare vertu et
cette notion de la plus sainte de toutes les sciences inspirèrent la plus
grande admiration à toutes les personnes qui la connaissaient ; on ne
pouvait s'empêcher de la regarder comme particulièrement favorisée du ciel.
Sa vertu
ayant été éprouvée de la manière la plus éclatante, elle reçut le voile dans le
tiers-ordre de saint Dominique, dans l'église duquel elle avait fait tous les
jours ses exercices de dévotion. Les actes de la bienheureuse Vierge rapportent
beaucoup de miracles opérés par son intercession, avant et après sa mort. Elle
quitta ce monde le 13 Avril 1320, et c'est à ce jour qu'appartient proprement
cette notice. Les uns la nomment Sainte, les autres Bienheureuse.
Bienheureuse Marguerite de Metola
vierge (✝ 1320)
Marguerite de
Metola ou de Città di Castello est née à Metola (Italie). Sœur de la
Pénitence de Saint-Dominique. Née aveugle, naine et difforme, abandonnée par
ses parents, elle fut recueillie par la charité publique où plusieurs familles
s'occupèrent d'elle. Elle garda toute sa vie un cœur confiant dans le nom de
Jésus. Elle vécut ainsi 33 ans à Città del Castello. Culte approuvé en 1609.
Martyrologe
romain
à
lire : Une petite sainte de rien du tout
par William R. Bonniwell, o.p. traduit de l'américain par E. Aimont, Paris,
Imprimerie Maison de la Bonne Presse (5, rue Bayard, Paris - 8ième), 1953.
Blessed Margaret of
Città di Castello V (AC)
(also known as Margaret of Metola)
Born in at Meldola (or Metola, diocese of S. Angelo), Umbria, Italy, in 1287;
died 1320; cultus approved in 1609.
Margaret was born blind
into a poor, mountain family, who were embittered by her affliction. When she
was five years old, they made a pilgrimage to the tomb of a holy Franciscan at
Castello to pray for a cure. The miracle failing, they abandoned their daughter
in the church of Città-di-Castello and returned to their home.
Margaret was passed from
family to family until she was adopted by a kindly peasant woman named Grigia,
who had a large family of her own. Margaret's natural sweetness and goodness
soon made themselves felt, and she more than repaid the family for their
kindness to her. She was an influence for good in any group of children. She
stopped their quarrels, heard their catechism, told them stories, taught them
Psalms and prayers. Busy neighbors were soon borrowing her to soothe a sick
child or to establish peace in the house.
Her reputation for holiness
was so great that a community of sisters in the town asked for her to become
one of them. Margaret went happily to join them, but, unfortunately, there was
little fervor in the house. The little girl who was so prayerful and
penitential was a reproach to their lax lives, so Margaret returned to Grigia,
who gladly welcomed her home.
Later, Margaret was
received as a Dominican Tertiary and clothed with the religious habit. Grigia's
home became the rendezvous site of troubled souls seeking Margaret's prayers.
She said the Office of the Blessed Virgin and the entire Psalter by heart, and
her prayers had the effect of restoring peace of mind to the troubled.
Denied earthly sight,
Margaret was favored with heavenly visions. "Oh, if you only knew what I
have in my heart!" she often said. The mysteries of the rosary,
particularly the joyful mysteries, were so vivid to her that her whole person
would light up when she described the scene. She was often in ecstasy, and,
despite great joys and favors in prayer, she was often called upon to suffer
desolation and interior trials of frightening sorts. The devil tormented her
severely at times, but she triumphed over these sufferings.
A number of miracles were
performed by Blessed Margaret. On one occasion, while she was praying in an
upper room, Grigia's house caught fire, and she called to Margaret to come
down. The blessed, however, called to her to throw her cloak on the flames.
This she did, and the blaze died out. At another time, she cured a sister who
was losing her eyesight.
Beloved by her adopted
family and by her neighbors and friends, Margaret died at the early age of 33.
From the time of her death, her tomb in the Dominican church was a place of
pilgrimage. Her body, even to this day, is incorrupt.
After her death, the
fathers received permission to have her heart opened. In it were three pearls,
having holy figures carved upon them. They recalled the saying so often on the
lips of Margaret: "If you only knew what I have in my heart!" (Attwater2,
Benedictines, Dorcy).
In
art, Margaret is pictured as a Dominican tertiary holding a cross, lily, and
heart with two flames offered to the crucifix (Roeder).
Blessed Margaret of Castello
Memorial Day: April 13th
Profile
Margaret was born blind into a poor, mountain family, who were embittered by
her affliction. When she was five years old, they made a pilgrimage to the tomb
of a holy Franciscan at Castello to pray for a cure. The miracle failing, they
abandoned their daughter in the church of Città-di-Castello and returned to
their home.
Margaret
was passed from family to family until she was adopted by a kindly peasant
woman named Grigia, who had a large family of her own. Margaret's natural
sweetness and goodness soon made themselves felt, and she more than repaid the
family for their kindness to her. She was an influence for good in any group of
children. She stopped their quarrels, heard their catechism, told them stories,
taught them Psalms and prayers. Busy neighbors were soon borrowing her to
soothe a sick child or to establish peace in the house.
Her reputation
for holiness was so great that a community of sisters in the town asked for her
to become one of them. Margaret went happily to join them, but, unfortunately,
there was little fervor in the house. The little girl who was so prayerful and
penitential was a reproach to their lax lives, so Margaret returned to Grigia,
who gladly welcomed her home.
Later,
Margaret was received as a Dominican Tertiary and clothed with the religious
habit. Grigia's home became the rendezvous site of troubled souls seeking
Margaret's prayers. She said the Office of the Blessed Virgin and the entire
Psalter by heart, and her prayers had the effect of restoring peace of mind to
the troubled.
Denied
earthly sight, Margaret was favored with heavenly visions. "Oh, if you
only knew what I have in my heart!" she often said. The mysteries of the
rosary, particularly the joyful mysteries, were so vivid to her that her whole
person would light up when she described the scene. She was often in ecstasy,
and, despite great joys and favors in prayer, she was often called upon to
suffer desolation and interior trials of frightening sorts. The devil tormented
her severely at times, but she triumphed over these sufferings.
A number
of miracles were performed by Blessed Margaret. On one occasion, while she was
praying in an upper room, Grigia's house caught fire, and she called to
Margaret to come down. The blessed, however, called to her to throw her cloak
on the flames. This she did, and the blaze died out. At another time, she cured
a sister who was losing her eyesight.
Beloved
by her adopted family and by her neighbors and friends, Margaret died at the
early age of 33. From the time of her death, her tomb in the Dominican church
was a place of pilgrimage. Her body, even to this day, is incorrupt. More than
200 miracles have been credited to her intercession after her death. She
was beatified in 1609. Thus the daughter that nobody wanted is one of the
glories of the Church
After
her death, the fathers received permission to have her heart opened. In it were
three pearls, having holy figures carved upon them. They recalled the saying so
often on the lips of Margaret: "If you only knew what I have in my
heart!" (Attwater2, Benedictines, Dorcy).
Born: in 1287 at Meldola, Vado, Italy
Died: April 13th, 1320 of Natural Causes (Her body
is incorrupt)
Beatified: October 19th, 1609 by Pope
Paul V
Patronage: Against poverty, disabled people,
handicapped people, impoverishment, people rejected by religious orders,
physically challenged people, poverty.
Prayers
Compassionate
God, you gave your divine light to Blessed Margaret who was blind from birth,
that with the eye of her heart she might contemplate you alone. Be the light of
our eyes that we may turn from what is evil and reach the home of never-ending
light. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and
reigns with you and the Holy Ghost, one God, for ever and ever. - General
Calendar of the Order of Preachers
