Fast, concise facts and information about Saint Margaret The following provides fast and concise facts and information: - The patron of Pregnancy and Women in childbirth
- Memorial Day / Feast Day: July 20th
- Date of Death: Saint Margaret died in A.D. 306
- Cause of Death: Beheaded
Who or what is Saint Margaret the patron saint of? Saint Margaret is the patron of Women in childbirth. Meanings, definition and origins - a patron is considered to be a defender of a specific group of people or of a nation. There is a patron for virtually every cause, profession or special interest. Prayers are considered more likely to be answered by asking a patron for intercession on their behalf. She is the patron Saint of pregnancy and expectant mothers Why is Saint Margaret the Patron Saint of Expectant Mothers? Because she prayed at her death that women in childbirth would, upon calling on her, be safely delivered of the child as she had been delivered from the belly of the dragon. The Story and History of Saint Margaret The story and history of Saint Margaret. Margaret was born in Antioch, the daughter of a pagan priest named Aedesius. Antioch was a Roman province under the rule of the Roman Emperor Diocletian (r.284-305). Emperor Diocletian mounted some of the fiercest persecutions of the early Church especially in the East of the Empire. Margaret converted to the Christian faith and became a devout Christian and had taken vows of chastity. The Governor of Antioch had Margaret arrested and she was thrown into a dungeon. According to legend whilst she was in the dungeon, the devil came and tempted her in the form of a dragon, but as she made the sign of the Cross the dragon at first fled. He then returned and swallowed her up but she was able to burst out. When Margaret was led out to be beheaded, she thanked God that the end of her travail had come, and prayed that in memory of her miraculous deliverance out of the womb of the dragon, women in labour who invoked her might find help through her sufferings. Death of Saint Margaret There are two categories of saints: martyrs and confessors. A Christian martyr is regarded as one who is put to death for his Christian faith or convictions. Confessors are people who died natural deaths. Date of Death: Saint Margaret died in A.D. 306. Cause of Death: Beheaded. How Saint Margaret is represented in Christian Art It is helpful to be able to recognise Saint Margaret in paintings, stained glass windows, illuminated manuscripts, architecture and other forms of Christian art. The artistic representations reflect the life or death of saints, or an aspect of life with which the person is most closely associated. Saint Margaret is represented in Christian Art with a dragon at her feet, with the end of a cross thrust between his teeth. The garland of pearls generally worn round her neck is in allusion to her name, which among Oriental nations signifies a pearl.
Feast Day of Saint Margaret The Feast Day of Saint Margaret is July 20th. The origin of Feast Days: most saints have specially designated feast days and are associated with a specific day of the year and these are referred to as the saint's feast day. The feast days first arose from the very early Christian custom of the annual commemoration of martyrs on the dates of their deaths at the same time celebrating their birth into heaven. |