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Saint of the Day, Nov. 6
by Gerelyn Hollingsworth on Nov. 06, 2009
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Printer-friendly versionSend to friendPDF versionToday is the feast of Blessed Margaret of Lorraine.
Margaret was born to Frederick II of Vaudémont and his cousin, Yolande d'Anjou, in 1463, at their castle in Lorraine.
She married René, Duke of Alençon in 1488. When he died four years later, Margaret was already the mother of three children. "The first thing she did was to secure her right to the guardianship of her children. . . . Having done this, she settled down in her castle at Mauves, where she brought them up. . . . she showed herself to be a most capable administrator. . . ."
--Butler's Lives of the Saints
When her son reached his majority, and Margaret was no longer needed as administrator of the duchy, she retired to a convent in Mortagne in Brittany. Later, with some of the nuns, she founded at Argentan in Brittany a new monastery of Poor Clares. She made vows in 1520 and died in 1521. In 1793, her burial place was desecrated and her body thrown into a common grave.
Margaret of Lorraine -- daughter, wife, duchess, mother, grandmother, foundress -- was beatified in 1921.
"In 1793, her burial place
"In 1793, her burial place was desecrated and her body thrown into a common grave". This was done during the days of the totally secular, anti-Church, anti-religious, French Revolution. I fear that this is what some on the far-left in the US want to do today...
Excellent research by Gerelyn
Excellent research by Gerelyn here, which raises nevertheless more questions than answered.
Why Blessed and not Saint? Recently here we have seen some insight into the difficult process of canonization and what is required to see it through, and even some doubt thrown upon its justice and even, amazingly, validity. Apparently political unrest in France interrupted the process long past, and it was revived hundred years ago, reportedly now "well under way."
More research is required and gratefully rewarded into this aspect of this great religious woman, widow, nun, and administrator.
Plea has also appeared here for the history of our married saints. This might be partially resolved with a visit to a book addressing this very question,Ferdinand Holbock's Married Saints and Blessed: through the centuries, of which the pages relevant to the Blessed Margaret of Lorraine may be found at:
http://books.google.com/books?id=MpDiGKG4FSsC&pg=PA309&lpg=PA309&dq=Marg...
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