Saint Margaret of Ypres

Margaret of Ypres (1216–1237) was a Flemish visionary, ascetic, Dominican penitent and flagellant. She was one of a number of 13th century lay women who led devout lives, following the example of Marie of Oignies. Called mulieres religiosae or mulieres sanctae, some gathered together in beguinages while many others lived at home practicing voluntary poverty, chastity, prayer, fasting and penance, a lifestyle known as the vita apostolica in imitation of Christ. In Margaret's time, such Dominican female penitents were unregulated by the Church and were under the guidance of individual spiritual advisers. A rule would not be established until Munio of Zamora’s Rule of the Brothers and Sisters of Penance of the Blessed Dominic (Regula Fratrum et Sororum Ordinis de Paenitentiae Beati Dominici) in the late 13th century. Information on Margaret comes from a biography, The Life of Margaret Ypres by Thomas of Cantimpré written in 1240. Margaret was born in Ypres into a well-off middle-class family. Her father died when she was four and Margaret, with her mother and three sisters, went to live with an uncle. She showed a predilection for a holy life from a young age. While attending a local convent school, she smelled a wonderful odor on first beholding the host and begged the Abbess to be allowed to partake of the Eucharist with the nuns. From the age of seven she began severe fasting and practiced self-mortification by stuffing stinging nettles and burrs down the front of her dress. By age ten she was tearing her flesh with thorns to experience the torment of Christ. After the death of her uncle when she was 18, she turned to the Dominican Friar Zegher from Lille as her spiritual director, who encouraged her in her devotions. About this time she was attracted to a young man, but quelled her feelings and made a vow of chastity.