Blessed Margaret of Castello Guild
Shrine of Blessed Margaret of Castello
St. Patrick Church
262 North Grant Ave.
Columbus, OH 43215-2653
http://home.catholicweb.com/MargaretofCastello
Life of Blessed Margaret of Castello
Blessed Margaret of Castello was born of a wealthy, noble Italian family near Florence, Italy in 1287. Born a hunchback, dwarf, blind and lame, her family was ashamed of her and kept her hidden in virtual imprisonment for nine years in a tiny cell attached to a forest church. It was only through the family chaplain that Bl. Margaret came to know God. Seeking a miracle, her parents took her to a Franciscan Shrine. When she wasn’t cured, they abandoned her. Bl. Margaret’s faith and courage inspired others in the community to take pity on her and to help her survive. Eventually she became a member of the Dominican Third Order of Castello, where she lived an exemplary life of prayer, penance, and charity. Despite her miseries, Margaret was serene, cheerful and courageous. She never became bitter, never complained, never reproached others or lost heart. Discouragement was a word she did not know. She found strength in prayer, in daily Mass, in Holy Communion and sought help from Jesus, Mary, Joseph and St. Dominic. Margaret was courageous because she looked at the suffering with the eyes of faith. She did not know why God permitted her to have so many afflictions. She did know that He was an infinitely loving and kind Father, who never permits one single misfortune without good reason, who always turns 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 a way to heaven. Pain made Margaret sympathetic and understanding towards others. She visited prisoners, helped the sick and comforted the dying. Since her death, at age thirty-three, she has kept on helping those who pray to her. Many cures have been attributed to her intercession. Bl. Margaret of Castello was declared Blessed by the Catholic Church on Oct. 19, 1609. Bl. Margaret 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, and has become an inspiration for the Pro-Life Movement. She is a help for those who are unwanted and abandoned. Her incorrupt body lies under the main altar in St. Dominic Church, Castello, Italy. Many visit her Shrine to seek her powerful intercession.
A History of the Shrine
There has been a special devotion to Bl. Margaret of Castello at St. Patrick Church in Columbus, OH, since the 1930’s. A special Shrine to Bl. Margaret was established in the Church in the late 1950’s, with an expansion of the Shrine as a separate chapel in the church done in the renovations of the 1970’s. The Blessed Margaret Guild was established for a number of purposes: (1) to promote the canonization of Bl. Margaret and (2) to raise money for various programs to benefit “The Unwanted,” especially the poor and underprivileged; to promote social justice; to further the cause of Respect for Life; and to promote the principles and ideals carried out by Bl. Margaret in her work as a laywoman of the Dominican Order. Each Wednesday, the Bl. Margaret Novena and Canonization Prayers are prayed at the Masses, as well as the veneration of her heart. A special Mass is celebrated monthly for the intentions of the Guild members. The Dominican Friars remember the intentions of the Guild in their daily recitation of the Divine Office. The Shrine of Blessed Margaret at St. Patrick Church is one of three in the United States, the other two being in St. Louis Bertrand Church in Louisville, KY, and Holy Name Church in Philadelphia, PA.