Saint Margaret of Cortona
Franciscan Tertiary, Penitent
(Around 1247 – 1297)

Saint’s Life Story

Her Early Life

Margaret was born around 1247 in Laviano, Tuscany, Italy, a small farming village about 8 miles from Cortona, Italy. She was baptized in the parish church of St. Peter at Pozzuolo, a village on the hill which rises above Laviano. As soon as Margaret could speak, her pious mother taught her to pronounce the sweet names of Jesus and Mary, and to love Jesus crucified.

When Margaret was seven, her mother died. Two years later, her father remarried a woman who had little care for Margaret. Her new stepmother treated her harshly and made her home unbearable to Margaret.

A Teenage Beauty

As Margaret grew in age, she grew also in beauty. All who knew of her unhappiness at home felt a sympathy for. All admired the beautiful girl of sixteen years of age.

Swept Away by Riches

About this time a young nobleman, Arsenio, from Montepulciano came to reside at the country seat of his family, the Palazzo as it is now called, not far distant from Laviano. He heard of Margaret and desired to see the village beauty. One day when riding to Laviano, Arsenio caught sight of Margaret. He was smitten with her charms and repeated visits to see her. Eventually, he told Margaret of his love while also speaking of his palace at Montepulciano that he wanted to share with her. If Margaret consented to leave her current path of virtue, Arsenio also promised her fancy dresses and jewels. Unhappy at home, Margaret desired to exchange ill-treatment for affection, her poor cottage for a grand house, splendid attire for her humble garb. So, she yielded to the persuasions of Arsenio and went to live at his palace.

Lived in Sin for 9 Years

Margaret lived with Arsenio for nine years in a handsome castle not as his wife but as his mistress. There, she dressed expensively, plaited her hair with gold ribbons, ate dainty food, rode about on a beautiful horse and wearing jewels. Notwithstanding her sinful life, Margaret was always kind and liberal. She still had a respect for religion. Often during her rides, Margaret came to a lonely place, where she said, “It would be nice to pray here.”

Unwed Mother

During this time, Margaret had a son. She hoped that Arsenio would marry her to legitimize his child. However, he kept putting it off.

Murdered Lover Found by Her Dog

One day, Arsenio went out to try to settle a disputed claim about the boundaries of his property. However, as he did not return that day nor the next, Margaret became very anxious. At the same time, her little pet dog disappeared. In vain, she sent servants to look for him. His absence had continued for some days while she looked up and down the road. Suddenly, the spaniel rushed to her, seized the end of her dress in its teeth showing great eagerness to lead her on. Margaret followed the dog who led her to a thicket. The faithful dog scraped with his paws and tried to remove the earth. Now, Margaret more alarmed than ever, fetched a spade and called a man to help her to dig. Soon, they discovered the murdered body of her lost lover, in a horrible state of decay.

Margaret thought about where his soul had gone. She knew he had been called away from a sinful life without time for a repentant prayer, certainly without being absolved and reconciled by the rites of the Church. So, he had only too probably been condemned to that Hell which would be where Margaret would be headed also unless she repented. Her grief and her horror were extreme. These thoughts, by God’s grace, penetrated into her heart and converted Margaret. She who had fallen to the ground a sinner, arose a penitent.

Returned Home

Margaret returned all the gifts her lover had given her to his family. She took her little son and returned to her father’s house in Laviano. Margaret threw herself at her father’s feet, weeping and begging for his forgiveness a scene quite similar to the prodigal son. But, at the urgings of his wife, Margaret’s father refused to allow her to return to his house and cast her off.

Off to Cortona

Lost and abandoned, Margaret wandered about Laviano trying to figure out what to do for her and her little son. After a while, she heard an inner voice urging her to go to Cortona to seek refuge. So, Margaret and her son walked miles to Cortona.

Taken in By Two Sisters

There, they met two sisters who welcomed them and took them in. These sisters presented Margaret to the Friars Minor of St. Francis (Franciscans), who finally gave her much-needed spiritual guidance. Margaret sent her son to school in Arezzo, where he later entered the Franciscan Order and became a monk.

In Laviano, Margaret appeared at Mass with a rope around her neck in penance for her past scandals. She was always fighting temptations to return to her old flesh-loving ways. She even wanted to disfigure her face with a knife, but her confessor, Friar Giunta, persuaded her not to do so. Even so, Margaret continued her intense self-mortifications, not eating meat, and sleeping on the ground.

Franciscan Tertiary

After three years of intense purification, Margaret was allowed to receive the habit. She joined the joined the Third Order of Saint Francis. Following the example of Saint Francis of Assisi, Margaret begged for sustenance and bread. The food she begged she gave to the poor, while keeping only the broken scraps for her and her son.

In 1277, while praying in the Church of the Franciscans, she heard these words: “What is thy wish Poveralla?” (“little poor one?”).

Margaret replied, “I neither seek nor wish for anything but You, my Lord Jesus.”

From this moment on, Margaret lived in deep communion with Christ Crucified, spending more and more time in seclusion. She was favored with visions of Christ and divine communications, some of which pertained to others. Margaret pursued a life of prayer and penance at Cortona.

Built a Hospital

With the help of the charitable Cortonese. Margaret built a hospital of St. Mary of Mercy, called the Misericordia for the sick, homeless and impoverished. It is still standing today.

To secure nurses for the hospital, she instituted a congregation of Tertiary Sisters, known as “le poverelle” (Italian for “the little poor ones”). Even while she communed deeper with Christ, Margaret still remained active and helped all who came to her. Many people returned to the Sacraments because of her direction. She gave up her former cell to her sister Adriana to serve the destitute and the sick, begging from door to door for them.

Gossip

Though Margaret had progressed a long way from the sinful girl of her past, there were those gossips who did not believe Margaret could convert so completely. Rumors were spread that she and Friar Giunta were involved. These stories were so severe that Friar Giunta was sent away to Siena, and was not able to return to Cortona until Margaret was near death. In the end, the stories were proven false, and Margaret’s sanctity increased.

As the fame of her sanctity began to spread abroad, strangers from all parts of Italy, France, and Spain came to see Margaret and take her counsel.

Her Death

On February 22, 1297, Margaret died in in Cortona, Tuscany Italy. She spent 29 years of her life in penance for the sins of her youth. Now, her incorrupt body is preserved over the altar of the church that now bears her name in Cortona.

Today, Saint Margaret of Cortona serves as inspiration for all those who feel that they are such terrible sinners that God could not possibly forgive them.

Born:                   Around 1247 (exact date unknown) in Laviano, Tuscany, Italy

Died:                   February 22, 1297 in Cortona, Tuscany Italy

Beatified:           March 17, 1653 by Pope Innocent X

Canonized:        May 16, 1728 by Pope Benedict XIII

Feast Day:         February 22, May 16 on some calendars

Patron Saint:    Against Insanity; Against Mental Illness; Against Sexual Temptations; Archdiocese of Cortona, Italy; Cortona, Italy; Falsely Accused People; Hoboes; Homeless People; Loss of Parents; Midwifes; Penitent Women; Reformed Prostitutes; Single Laywomen

Source:

• • A Dictionary Of Saintly Women, Volume 2 : Dunbar, Agnes Baillie Cunninghame – St Margaret of Cortona
  • All Saints and Martyrs: Saint Margaret of Cortona – Tender of Sick
  • Saint of the Day – 22 February – St Margaret of Cortona TOSF (1247–1297) – AnaStpaul
  • CatholicSaints.Info » Saint Margaret of Cortona
  • St. Margaret of Cortona – saintmargaretofcortona.org
  • Margaret of Cortona – Wikipedia

Prayers

Video Link

Saint of the Week: St. Margaret of Cortona – YouTube (The True Enlightenment!)