Centenary of the death of the Venerable Margaret Sinclair, Poor Clare

“Margaret could well be described as one of God’s little ones who, through her extreme simplicity, was touched by God with the strength of real holiness of life, whether as a child, a young woman, an apprentice, a factory-worker, member of a Trade Union, or a professed Sister in religion.”

These words of Saint John Paul II were spoken in Edinburgh during his pastoral visit to Great Britain in 1982; in his address he referred to a young Scottish Poor Clare, Margaret Sinclair, who in the monastery took the name Sister Mary Francis of the Five Wounds, and who died of tuberculosis only a few months after her first religious profession. Like God’s little ones, she made no noise, yet her witness of life and faith continues to enlighten the Church. Her cause for beatification was introduced as early as 1942, and devotion to her spread rapidly in Scotland and beyond; in 1965 the National Centre dedicated to her was established in Rosewell. On 6 February 1978 Pope Paul VI recognized the heroic virtues, granting her the title of Venerable. Every year many pilgrims venerate her tomb in St Patrick’s Church in Edinburgh, where a shrine and a small museum have been opened to preserve her memory.

Born in 1900 in Edinburgh into a large and poor family, Margaret grew up in the Catholic faith. Studious and generous, she helped at home and prayed with devotion; she loved to have fun, but dedicated her heart to charity and spirituality, inspired by the “Little Way” of Saint Thérèse of Lisieux. She had particular trust in the power of the Holy Name of Jesus: when she felt tempted, she would repeat His Name ten times, and the temptation would leave her. During her last year of school she took a part-time job to help support her younger siblings. The little money she kept was almost always given to the missions or to the poor she met on the street.

As a teenager Margaret began factory work to support her family and her ailing mother. Despite the harsh environment, she preserved her faith and purity, praying daily and offering Christian witness. She was respected at work; she met a young man, Patrick, whom she helped to rediscover his faith: he proposed to her, but she declined, wishing to consecrate herself to God.

Margaret desired to join the Poor Clares despite the harshness of their way of life. In 1923 she entered the monastery of Notting Hill as Sister Mary Francis of the Five Wounds, facing mistrust and difficulties, yet distinguishing herself through humility and dedication. As a novice she served as the “outside sister,” responsible for begging food and money for the convent. One day, on a bus, she sat beside a woman who coughed violently, showing grave illness; Margaret chose to stay with her. Soon afterward, in February 1925, after professing her first vows, she fell seriously ill with tuberculosis.

Fully aware of the severity of her illness, Margaret radiated unshakable joy and serenity amid suffering, so much so that the nursing staff were deeply moved. Once, after a day of piercing pain, she smiled bravely and whispered: “Oh, this has been a glorious day, a day of suffering. If I could save even one soul for Jesus, it would be worth it.” Her extraordinary inner strength impressed everyone who saw her during her seven months of illness.

On 24 November 1925 Margaret died with the Name of Jesus on her lips. Her final words were: “Jesus, Mary and Joseph, I give you my heart and my soul.” Her body was taken back to the Poor Clare convent for the funeral and buried in Kensal Green, northwest London. In December 1927 her body was transferred to Mount Vernon Cemetery in Edinburgh, and later, on 25 October 2003, to the Chapel of the Resurrection in St Patrick’s Church.

Margaret Sinclair remains a shining sign of everyday holiness: a young woman of the people who, quietly and simply, lived the Gospel radically in the ordinary circumstances of work, family, and cloistered life. Her charism is that of “God’s little ones”: a serene and joyful faith, capable of transforming fatigue and suffering into an offering of love, continuing to inspire the faithful and draw pilgrims to her shrine in Edinburgh.

Sister Mariachiara Bosco, OSC