| Margaret of Scotland (November 16th) is one of the greatest examples of several women who exercised powerful influence in the medieval Church. Born in Hungary (ca.1046), she was actually an Anglo-Saxon/English princess. Her royal father had taken refuge, fleeing hostile rule in England, and had married the sister of the Hungarian king. They returned to England just before the Norman Conquest.
With William the Conqueror taking power in 1066 they, as the few remaining Anglo-Saxon royals, were forced to flee to Scotland. There, they were welcomed by King Malcolm III (the Malcolm in Shakespeare's Macbeth). Malcolm married Margaret (who was said to be "as beautiful as she was good") ca. 1070. As Queen, Margaret
promoted Church reform in Scotland, chiding the Scottish clergy for their carelessness and bringing their old-fashioned liturgical practices into conformity with Rome.
She founded monasteries, schools, hospitals, and ,orphanages, and restored the famous abbey at lona. She was passionately devoted to the poor. Herself an exemplar of a rich personal prayer life, she saw to it that the servants of her large households were provided with opportunities for regular worship and prayer. Remarkably, she argued with vigor against the Scottish tendency to have an exaggerated sense of unworthiness that made pious Scots unwilling to receive Communion regularly.
Beyond the Church, Margaret steered King Malcolm to improve the quality of life for isolated Clans. Malcolm (notoriously stubborn) came to trust her judgment even in matters of State. After Margaret's death on Nov. 16, 1093, the popular movement to canonize her as a saint began immediately (this was dons in 1250). Sharing with St. Andrew the status as Patron Saint of Scotland, Margaret remains their most beloved saint. |
