Patti Burris

I was astonished to find that there are saints that were single moms. I was more astonished to find that not all single mom saints were widowed. Saint Margaret of Cortona (1247-1297) is called the Patron Saint of single moms. Even today, she is a woman that single moms can look up to as an example of a devoted mom and a Godly woman.

Margaret had a troubled home life. Margaret’s father remarried after the passing of Margaret’s mother, when Margaret was seven years old. Margaret never got along with her step mom. Because of her relationship with her step mom, Margaret spent more and more time away from home. The older boys began to pay attention to young Margaret and she liked the attention.

When she was 13 or 14 years old, she met Arsenio, the 16 year old son of the local baron. Arsenio invited her to come live with him, as his mistress. Even though Arsenio had told her that he would never marry her, Margaret felt confident that she could change his mind. The couple lived happily together for nine years. Margaret gave birth to a son. Arsenio never married Margaret.

Tragedy struck, when Margaret discovered Arsenio’s body in the forest, near his castle. He had been murdered. This was Margaret’s darkest hour. It was also the moment she found Jesus.

Margaret and her son found a home in Cortona with two unmarried christian sisters. Two priests were assigned as Margaret’s spiritual advisors and the friars arranged for the boy to study at an academy in a nearby city.

Margaret was admitted to the Third Order of Saint Francis and began to care for the poor. She voluntarily lived in poverty and spent the rest of her life caring for the poor in hospitals, churches and elsewhere. She gave her services freely to anyone in need and often had to beg for her own food.

Saint Margaret is a woman that I look up to as a role model. She was a single mom, but she also loved the Lord, the poor and the lost. She did not wallow in self-pity when abandoned with her young son. She turned to God and He became her husband and shepherd. Saint Margaret is truly the Patron Saint of single moms.

I took most of this information from http://catholicexchange.com/a-patron-saint-for-single-mothers/. There are other websites that have differing information. I did find a website that claimed that the name of Margaret’s lover was never known. There is so much more to the story of this remarkable woman. I encourage you to do your own research and see how great she really was.

Don’t ever think that God can’t use you because of your past. If He can use Saint Margaret, He can use you! If you have been inspired by this portrait of a single mom, leave a comment below and let me know. If you know of other christian single moms through history that I could write about, leave a comment and let me know. God Bless You, Single Mom!