# 9 - A SERIOUS REPORT ON BLESSED CASTELLO, O.P.

 # 9 - A SERIOUS REPORT ON BLESSED CASTELLO, O.P.

IN PURSUIT OF THE TRUTH - HTTP://WWW.CINOPSBEGONEBLOGSPOT.COM - TUES. DEC. 29, 2020

 

THE LIFE OF BLESSED MARGARET CASTELLO, O.P. (1287-1320)

By Father William R. Bonneville, O.P. Tan Books, Carolina, 2016, Chapter 2, p. 11-14.

 

    ' But I don't see - " began the bewildered Emilia. "Look, you told me that Margaret is very devout, that she likes to spend hours in the chapel praying. Good! We'll make her happy by allowing her to pray all day long in the Church."

    One look at Emilia's face made it obvious that she had no idea of what her husband meant. Parisio now stood in front of her and spoke patiently, as if explaining something elementary to a child. "My good wife, we will build a small cell next to the church, just like that St. - what did you call her?- Veridina. Then well install Margaret in the cell and make a recluse out of her." 

 

    "But Parisio," gasped his wife, "you cannot shut her up in a prison like that. She is mere child; she is only six years old. The Church wont permit a child to become a recluse. "The Church has nothing to do with this. This is a private family matter. You can explain to Margaret what a great privilege we are going to bestow on her; She will be able to pray from morning till night without anyone disturbing her! Besides, it will be for her own good, it will keep her out of danger. Wandering around the fort the way she does, she might get badly hurt. In the cell, she will safe. And there will be no danger of any visitors seeing her! Tomorrow I'll order the mason to build the cell!"

 

    The church to which Parisio was referring was not the chapel of the castle (where such a cell would be noticed by visitors), but a little church in the forest, about a quarter a mile away; it was called the church of St. Mary of the fortress of Metola. It was the parish church of the whole area known as Metola. It was ideally suited to Parisio's plan, because of the ruggedness of the mountain would effectually any guests at the castle from visiting it.

     Since the structure planned by Parisio was a small, low-ceiling affair, it took the mason only a few days to build it. Then the castellan, with scant ceremony, thrust the child into the prison and ordered the mason to wall up the doorway.

    Never again would the little cripple play with other children in the warm sunlight: henceforth, she was to be separated from the rest of mankind, as if she was a vicious criminal or a dangerous leper. For it was the intention of her father that she would remain immured there until death came to set her free. After all, a prominent nobleman like Parisio could not permit his family honor to be sullied!

 

Chapter III -The Prisoner - p. 13-14

 

    On the day Margaret was imprisoned, life outwardly went on as usual at the fort. Apparently no one saw anything and certainly no one said anything; to have done so would have been prudent. But in the privacy of their quarters the soldiers and their wives carried on much angry whispering.

    Nowhere was the whispering more emphatic and prolonged that evening than in the chambers of the knight Leonardo di Peneta, who was second in command of the castle. After supper, as soon as the servants had departed, the knight bolted and barred the outer door, and then crossed the room to take a seat beside his wife, Lady Gemma, who was sitting in front of the fireplace.

    "Oh, Leonardo!" she exclaimed with tears in her eyes. "Think of poor, unfortunate child out there all alone in the forest and shivering in her cold prison! It's horrible! Horrible!"

    "Yes, it is horrible enough," replied the her husband sadly, for he was fond of the child. "The men of the garrison are in a rage about it."

    "They are in a rage," repeated Gemma scornfully, "but with the exception of yourself trying to dissuade Parisio, they do not dare speak up in her behalf!" "One man did. I heard him." "Who? What did he say?" eagerly demanded Gemma.

 

    The knight lowered his voice still more. "This afternoon I was at my post on the walls when Padre Cappellano got back from his trip to Milan. He had been in the fort only a short time when he shot by me like an arrow and sped into the great hall of the castle. It wasn't long before I heard him and the castellan shouting at each other." "That timid mouse?" asked Gemma incredulously. "He would not dare shout at Parisio!" "Your timid mouse, Gemma, told Parisio to his face that he was lower than a beast to imprison his daughter, and he demanded that the girl be released at once!" George H. Kubeck