Saint of the Day – 2 November – Blessed Margaret of Lorraine OSC (1463-1521)

Saint of the Day – 2 November – Blessed Margaret of Lorraine OSC (1463-1521) Duchess of Alençon, Mother, Widow, Nun of the Poor Clares, Apostle of the sick, the poor and those suffering under unjust feudal lords. Born in 1463 as Marguerite de Lorraine-Vaudemont in Vaudemont Castle, Lorraine, France and died on 2 November 1521 at Argentan, Brittany, France of natural causes. Also known as – Margaret Lotarynska, Marguerite de Lorraine-Vaudemont, Margarita, Margherita, Marguerite. Margaret was Beatified on 10 March 1921 by Pope Benedict XV (cultus confirmed).

Blessed Margaret of Lorraine was born of the ancient noble family of the Dukes of Lorraine. Her earnest efforts to lead a virtuous life attracted attention very early in her life. After the death of her husband, Duke Rene of Alençon, she assumed the government of the Duchy. In this, she was guided solely by Catholic principles and by means of prudent economy, she managed to save a significant amount of materials which she used to render aid to the poor and the needy. She took particular pleasure in nursing the sick and the lepers. She built Churches, Convents and hospitals everywhere.

The subject matter taught in the schools and the instruction of the people were objects of particular solicitude to her. Hard-hearted landlords and selfish officials were dealt with by her, with the greatest severity.

Still, she remained very humble and spent a great part of her day in meditating on the sufferings of Christ and in performing works of penance.

In later years, after she had turned the government over to her son, she was invested with the habit of the Third Order. And when that no longer satisfied her desire for perfection, she entered the Convent of the Poor Clares at Alençon, which she herself had founded. Blessed Margaret aspired to perfection as a child, a woman, a ruler, a widow and finally as a religious and she succeeded in achieving her goal.

Every Christian is obliged to strive for perfection. It is not without reason that Our Lord says: “Be you, therefore, perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Mt. 5,48).

This obligation does not require the impossible of us. Everyone can love his neighbour, do good and overcome himself. We must, above all, bear in mind that perfection does not consist in external practices but rather, in the disposition of our heart. The motive must be the love of God. All for the love of God!

Blessed Margaret of Lorraine died a saintly death at the Convent at Alençon in the year 1521. Pope Benedict XV approved her veneration.

In 1792 the body of Blessed Margaret was exhumed and found incorrupt. Inside the casket was found a small reliquary which contained her heart.

During the French Revolution a group of Jacobins disinterred the saint’s body to profane it, later placing it in a common grave. Only the bones and the saint’s heart remain and are now at the Monastery of Clarisses at Alençon