St. Margaret of Cortona - The Saint for Those Who Feel Forgotten

St. Margaret of Cortona - The Saint for Those Who Feel Forgotten

By: a.d. elliott | Take the Back Roads - Art and Other Odd Adventures

Dear Henry,

A little while ago, I read The Life and Miracles of St. Margaret of Cortona by Father Giunta Bevegnati, and I was struck by how underrated she is among the saints. For an incorruptible—one whose body did not decay after death—she is surprisingly unknown. And yet, I cannot think of a saint more perfectly suited for our time.

Margaret was born in 1247. Her mother died while she was still young, and her father remarried. The relationship between Margaret and her stepmother quickly became strained, and as a teenager, Margaret left home. For the next ten years, she lived as the mistress of a nobleman and bore him a son—choices that would shape both her suffering and her sanctity.

One day, the nobleman failed to return home. His dog eventually led Margaret to his murdered body. In the face of that brutal discovery, she left immediately, taking her son with her and walking away from the life she had known.

When Margaret attempted to return to her father’s home, she was refused shelter. Instead, she arrived in Cortona with nowhere to go, placing herself at the mercy of the Franciscan friars. Even then, her intentions were questioned. It took three years of repeated petitions before she was finally admitted into the Third Order of St. Francis. Her past followed her relentlessly; she would struggle with her reputation for the rest of her life.

Still, Margaret persevered. Her life became one of radical repentance, prayer, and service—especially to those on the margins. She is now known as the patron saint of the homeless, stepchildren, single mothers, and the mentally ill. In other words, she is the patron saint of the forgotten. And today, so many feel forgotten.

Margaret’s prayer reflects the humility and longing that defined her conversion: a plea not for comfort, but for correction, guidance, and truth. Hers is not a saintly story polished of its rough edges, but one that honors the cost of transformation.

I have added the Basilica of Santa Margherita in Cortona to my growing list of pilgrimages. Saints like Margaret remind us that holiness is not reserved for the unbroken, but for those willing to be remade.

xoxo a.d. elliott

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About the Author
a.d. elliott is a wanderer, photographer, and storyteller traveling through life

She shares her journeys at Take the Back Roads, explores new reads at Rite of Fancy, and highlights U.S. military biographies at Everyday Patriot.

You can also browse her online photography gallery at shop.takethebackroads.com.

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