Saints celebrated on the 5th of July
MARGARET OF THE CROSS, VIRGIN
Margaret of the Cross (Margarita de Cruce Austriaca) was born on January 25 (or January 24), 1567 in Vienna. Her father was Emperor Maximilian II, her mother Maria, a daughter of Emperor Charles V.
From a tender age, Margaret displayed extraordinary piety and delighted in prayer and holy exercises. When she grew up, she had no other mind than to serve the Saviour in the virgin state.
But her father entertained the idea of marrying her to some powerful prince. A sister of hers, Elizabeth, had already become Queen of France in 1570.
However, her father died on October 12, 1576 while participating in a meeting of the Reichstag in Regensburg [Ratisbon]. Following her husband's death, her pious mother moved to Spain (in 1580) to lead a secluded life in Madrid at the convent of Saint Clare. This institute had been founded by Margaret's sister Joanna of Madrid (Johanna a Madrito). The Empress took her daughter Margaret with her.
After their arrival on the Iberian peninsula, King Philip II of Spain made a marriage proposal to Margaret. But the pious virgin made up her mind to enter the Convent of the Poor Clare Sisters as a nun, where she and her mother had hitherto lived as guests.
On January 25, 1584, on her 17th birthday, she received the habit of the Order with great solemnity. She kept the beautiful name Margaret, which she already had from the time of her baptism and which was her confirmation name, too. Because of her devotion to the holy cross, she henceforth became known as Margaret of the Cross (de Cruce). Her mother, meanwhile, entered the Third Order and for a time lived in an outbuilding of the convent.
God visited Margaret with many graces. She died like a saint on the evening of July 5, 1633. According to Hueber*, the canonical process for her beatification was initiated soon after her death. (J.M.R.)
(Information from Stadler's Complete Encyclopedia of Saints, Volume 4, Augsburg, 1875, p. 149)
*A hagiography source used by the authors
Stadler's Complete Encyclopedia of Saints - Sources and Abbreviations
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