St. Margaret of Castello is the patron saint of children with disabilities. St. Margaret's noble parents rejected her because she was born blind, lame and with a spinal problem. They had her walled up beside the chapel when she was six years old so that no one would see her and kept her there for fourteen years. They then brought her to a shrine to pray for a cure. When none occurred they abandoned her. St. Margaret became much beloved by the people of Castello, known for her kindness and patience and her service to the poor, the sick, and to prisoners.
St. Margaret of Castello is shown here with the sunshine on her face, surrounded by beautiful flowers, particularly the orchid, which symbolizes perfection. To paraphrase my brother Wally Wojtowicz Jr., who was born with autism, "God made all of us, and he didn't make anyone less than." William Stillman, author of the wonderful book "Autism and the God Connection", points out that some of us are born "whole souls inside a broken body", while others of us are born "broken souls inside a whole body".
St. Margaret is also shown here with fairy God-mother wings because she is the patron saint of people, and particularly children, with disabilities. I like to imagine her as the protector of children who's differences are met with rejection, anger, scorn or misunderstanding.
St. Margaret is shown with these symbolic flowers:
orchids = perfection
red lotus = love, compassion, passion, activity and all the qualities of the heart, birth and rebirth and the enlightenment to which we aspire.
violet = faithfulness, humility, and chastity
daisies = innocence, purity and love
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