We all know people who have been betrayed. We have all seen people act carelessly, without any concern for the hurt they cause others. Perhaps we wonder to ourselves: How could someone behave so carelessly?

If you have ever been on the receiving end of betrayal, you know it changes you. When people are careless with our safety, or careless with our trust, or careless with our hearts, it hurts. This pain is real.

The pain of betrayal has the potential to make us cynical, jaded, untrusting, and miserable. But there is another path.

Saint Margaret of Castello had more reason than most to become cynical, jaded, untrusting, and miserable. But she didn’t. She lived a life of loving kindness, service, and joy.

Margaret was born blind and with severe physical disabilities. Her parents, ashamed of her condition, kept her hidden for many years in a childhood of neglect and isolation. At the age of six, her parents confined her to a small cell attached to a chapel in Castello, Italy, and then abandoned her.

How did she respond? With immense kindness toward the villagers of the town she now found herself in. The community took her in, and when she was of age, she joined the Dominicans as a lay woman. Her profound betrayal at a young age did not embitter her, but deepened her compassion and commitment to those in need, particularly the sick, the poor, and the marginalized.

Saint Margaret of Castello testifies to the truth that no matter how terribly and carelessly we have been betrayed, there is a path that leads to light rather than darkness. When you experience betrayal or a loss of trust, remember that two paths lie before you: You can allow your pain to turn to bitterness and resentment, or you can let that pain guide you to greater compassion and care for others.

Which path will you choose?

Patron Saint of: Pro-Life Movements, Disabled People, Blind People

Symbols: Lilies

Feast Day: April 13

Feast Day Shared By: Saint Martin I and Saint Hermenegild

Canonized: April 24, 2021

Canonized By: Pope Francis