A member of the princely Roman family of the Colonna, Margaret was born in Rome, the capital of Christendom, in 1210. Very early in life she lost both her parents. She was then placed under the guardianship of her two brothers, John and James. When she had grown to womanhood, her older brother insisted that she enter a brilliant marriage. But Margaret, whose name signifies pearl, held her virginity in such high regard that she was willing to sacrifice all the glamour of the world in order to retain it. She firmly refused to yield to her brother’s plan, declaring that she would be espoused to none other than the immortal Spouse of souls. Her younger brother championed her resolution.
With two maids, Margaret withdrew to a quiet country house belonging to her family and situated in the mountains near Palestrina. There the group devoted themselves to practices of piety and penance, as well as to works of charity. They wore coarse garments, similar to those of the Poor Clares, and mapped …More