St. Margaret of Cortona

St. Margaret of Cortona was born in Loviana, Tuscany, to a poor farming family. When she was only seven years old, her mother died. Her relationship with her stepmother was strained, and feeling unloved and rejected at home, Margaret left with a young man from Montepulciano. She lived with him for nine years and bore him a son, though they were not married.

Her life changed suddenly when her companion was murdered. Shocked and filled with remorse, Margaret saw this tragedy as a wake-up call from God. She left Montepulciano and returned to her father's house in repentance. But when her father refused to receive her and her child, she sought refuge with the Friars Minor in Cortona. There, she was given shelter and spiritual guidance.

Margaret's conversion was intense and sincere. She publicly asked forgiveness for the scandal of her past, once appearing at Mass with a cord around her neck as a sign of penance. Her sorrow for sin was so deep that she even tried to disfigure her own face, but Friar Giunta, her confessor, stopped her.

Determined to live a life of reparation, Margaret first supported herself by caring for wealthy sick women. Eventually, she gave up paid work and dedicated herself entirely to serving the poor and the sick, living only on alms. She joined the Third Order of St. Francis, and some years later her son also entered the Franciscan Order.

Margaret grew rapidly in holiness and prayer. She experienced mystical ecstasies and was believed to receive messages from Jesus. Friar Giunta carefully recorded many of these revelations. Courageously, Margaret shared messages that called others to repentance and conversion.

In 1286, she received official permission to continue her charitable work permanently. Other women joined her, and together they formed a group of Franciscan tertiaries known as the Poverelle, or "Poor Ones." She also founded a hospital in Cortona and established the Confraternity of Our Lady of Mercy.

Despite her holiness, Margaret faced opposition. Some people in Cortona criticized her and even falsely accused her of improper conduct with Friar Giunta. Through it all, she remained steadfast, preaching repentance and calling people back to the sacraments. She had a deep devotion to the Eucharist and a profound love for meditating on the Passion of Christ.

Forewarned by God of the day and hour of her death, Margaret died on February 22, 1297, after twenty-nine years of heroic penance and charity. She was canonized in 1728. Her feast day is celebrated on February 22.