Psalm 22 – Amid Our Cries Never Lose Faith
St. Margaret of Castello, Pray for Us!
(Be sure to see artist’s note at the end of this story)Psalm 22. The psalmist cries of abandonment –isolation and desperation – followed by descriptions of mockery, taunts, and physical pains. However, it transitions to a proclamation of praise and hope as it assures of God’s promise of salvation through the Messiah.
This, the Responsorial Psalm for Palm Sunday, is poetically parallel to the life of St. Margaret of Castello, whose memorial we honor on this day, April 13.
She was abandoned, shamed, and suffered not for what she did or didn’t do, but for just being born. To make her story even more horrific it was at the hands of her parents.
The year was 1287. A child was born into a noble family of Metola castle southeast of Florence, Italy. Her parents had wanted a son. More devastating to the sadly narcissistic couple was the news that their daughter was dwarf, hunchbacked, deformed, and blind. They were ashamed and rejected her. A kind and loving maid took care of her, naming her Margaret.
The noble family had Margaret hidden away in a secluded section of the castle to be kept secret. When she turned six, Margaret was seen outside her living quarters by a guest. This mortified her parents. Her father then had a room built, attached to the parish. Inhumanely it had no door to which anyone could enter or exit, only a crude window to allow food and essentials to be exchanged. For ten years she lived like that. She could hear Mass being celebrated every day and thanks to the devoted maid and a very empathetic priest, Margaret’s education was founded in faith. The dear priest impressed upon her the infinite love God has for all of His creation. He did not teach bitterness or entitlement.
Margaret was able to receive Holy Communion. Her appreciation of their compassion, as well as her spiritual understanding were described as nothing less than amazing by the pastor.
When Margaret 16, her parents let her out of her crude room to take her to a shrine known for healing the sick in Citta di Castello, Italy. After two days there, wanting her to be cured, nothing happened. They left. They left without her, abandoning her in Castello with nothing.
Eventually after much suffering and humiliation, Dominican laity and nuns took great pity on her and took her in.
“Her cheerfulness, based on her trust in God’s love and goodness, was extraordinary,” Father William Bonniwell, O.P., wrote in his book The Life of Blessed Margaret of Castello.
She died on April 13, 1320.
More than 200 miracles have been attributed to her – some when she was alive just at the touch of her hand and others more notable on record since the day of her funeral when her coffin was carried by a cripped and deaf girl – the child was completely cured.
“Margaret was born blind, so as to see You more clearly;
a cripple so as to lean on You completely;
dwarfed in physical posture, so as to become a giant in the spiritual order;
hunch-backed, so as to more perfectly resemble the twisted, crucified body of Your Son.
Margaret’s whole life was an enactment of the words expressed by Paul;
‘So, I shall be very happy to make my weaknesses my special boast so that the power of Christ may stay over me and that is why I am content with my weaknesses, and with insults, hardships, persecutions and agonies I go through for Christ’s sake. For it is when I am weak that I am strong.’ (2 Cor. 12:10).”
– an excerpt from a Novena to St. Margaret of Catello (available at: https://stlb.org/shrinemargaret)
She was canonized by Pope Francis on April 24, 2021. Her incorrupt body is beneath the main altar of St. Dominic Church in Castello.The portrait of St. Margaret of Castello is by Matthew J. Watters of Lancing Michigan. For this and other portraits go to Matthew Watters Art at: https://www.etsy.com/shop/MatthewWattersArt
Matt Watters is an artist and graphic designer based in Michigan, where he lives with his wife, Toni, and their four children: Joseph, Lucy, John, and Mary. At FAITH Catholic Magazine, Matt designs several diocesan publications distributed across the United States, blending creativity with a deep sense of purpose. His work reflects a commitment to enriching spiritual narratives through visual storytelling. A standout aspect of his artistry is his illustrations of the saints, where he strives to capture their humanity, bringing relatability and warmth to sacred figures. Matt’s professional passion and family life harmonize in his pursuit of meaningful, impactful design.
