KIDS’ CORNER

from The Catholic Telegraph July 2022

by The Catholic Telegraph

DID YOU KNOW?

St. Margaret

In the third or fourth century, Margaret was born in Antioch, Syria, and her mother passed away soon after. Her father, a pagan priest, sent her to live with a caregiver who treated Margaret as if she was her own daughter. Margaret found Jesus and Christianity through her caregiver, but when she was older and returned home, her father was furious that she did not worship his idols. He locked her in her room for days as punishment, but Margaret was steadfast in her prayer, and God protected her. When her father realized she would never renounce her faith, he banished her from his home.

Returning to her caregiver, Margaret committed her life fully to Jesus, but still faced many trials. She was beautiful and many men noticed her and asked for her hand in marriage. She always declined, saying that her spouse was Jesus. When Margaret rejected the engagement of a royal named Olybrius, he ordered that she be tortured and thrown in a dungeon. According to legend, the devil in the form of a dragon was also in the dungeon and swallowed her whole. However, her prayer never ceased and she held tightly onto a cross. This irritated the dragon and caused his belly to burst, releasing Margaret unharmed. The next day, Olybrius’ men tried to kill her numerous times, but God protected her, which caused many people who witnessed it to convert to Christianity. After multiple execution attempts failed, Margaret was beheaded.

Nothing about St. Margaret is known for certain, but St. Joan of Arc claimed to hear St. Margaret of Antioch’s voice. She is the patron saint of childbirth, especially for mothers facing difficult labor. Her feast day is July 20.