“It is time”, Captain Parisio thought to himself. “Today, a son shall be born to me.” He long anticipated this day when an heir would be born, and his hope was dashed in finding out that not only was he not the father of a son, but that the daughter born to him was badly malformed, one leg shorter than the other, her head grossly disproportionate to her body, and blind. There, on a day of anticipated joy, Parisio’s heart was hardened, and no name was even given to this poor baby girl. One of the servants took pity on her, and named her Margaret, which means ‘pearl’.
Margaret was hidden away by her parents. Those who came inquiring about their new child were told that she was stillborn. At the age of six, she was locked away in a one-room cell added on to the small parish church. For the next fourteen years she remained there, hidden away from the world, with only the kind maid-servant who named her and the parish Priest for company. When Margaret was about twenty years old, her parents took her to a church in Castello, where they heard miraculous healings were taking place. Toward the end of the day, as they came to collect their healed daughter, seeing no change in her, they abandoned her there at the Church and returned home.
Margaret, after being hidden away for twenty years, was left to fend for herself. I recommend reading her whole story here.
* * *
The idea of parents hiding their children happens today. It is just as tragic now as it was in 1287. But something beautiful happened to Margaret while in captivity, hidden from the world. Through the kind family Priest, she learned of God, and the great love God had for her. She nurtured her heart with this truth, and made room to believe that even she, in all of her suffering and deformity, there was a purpose. In faith, she accepted this, and in being thrown out into the streets to fend for herself, her faith was tested. All who met her were struck by her kindness and her great love, even deep love she professed for the parents who abandoned her!
Margaret’s parents hid her away, ashamed that they could produce such a horrific looking child. Today, we think their actions as cruel. How cruel would they be, if Margaret was conceived in today’s climate, would she have been born at all? How would a doctor, seeing in the womb the malformed child, counsel his patient? Our society is impoverished. With all of its technology, and modern means, it chooses to embrace another kind of cruelty masked as compassion. Margaret’s life most likely would have been aborted.
Fortunately, the world has known such a kind heart as Blessed Margaret of Castello, who has given us a model of love with which to love those who wished she didn’t exist at all. She in her deformity truly is a pearl of great treasure.
nunspeak 
I am left after reading this with one word…wow. I always wonder what is behind people’s thoughts when wanting to hide away a child, or not have the child. This is quite the story and I am glad I stumbled upon it.
I had never heard of Blessed Margaret Of Castello. What is so amazing is that she could overcome the cruelty of her parents without bitterness. Hopefully pro-abortion people will read this. It might convince them of the sanctity and the usefulness of all human life. God has his own plan for each and every one of us.
It is highly likely that today she would have been aborted.
One of the major reasons for the decline of the Roman Empire was infanticide. We have been warned.
How long before the wrath of God comes down on the world for the slaughter of the innocents?
The pro-life movement can use Blessed Margaret of Castello as a powerful intercessor.
[…] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Anthony Lilles, Sr Lisa M Doty. Sr Lisa M Doty said: Who are the hidden pearls of our society? Those who seem of no worth. http://is.gd/ghSO7 #life #family […]