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February 1, 2024Margaret Castle has witnessed a great deal of change in her lifetime, yet her love and faithfulness for the Catholic Church remains her most steadfast joy.
Saint Mary Catholic Church in Ardmore recently joined Castle in celebrating her 94th birthday and 71 years as a parishioner at Saint Mary, her spiritual home since 1952.
Castle and her late husband, Jim, moved to Ardmore from Ada when Jim became a principal in the Ardmore schools. Their marriage produced eight children, 14 grandchildren and 18 great-grandchildren. Jim passed away in 1988 and two of her children have also died.
Her strong, quiet example and devotion to the Lord, to faith, to weekly Mass and to education has been a great example and inspiration to family, priests, deacons and members of Saint Mary spanning more than seven decades.
The example of the Castle family extended far past the city limits of Ardmore.
“Their faith and commitment of that marriage to the Catholic faith has inspired all of us,” said Andrea Kastl McCoy, a granddaughter and member of Saint John the Baptist Catholic Church in Edmond. “I have two cousins who are priests (one in the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City and another in the Tulsa Diocese) and numerous deacons who have answered a vocation call.
“My grandmother is the loving matriarch of the faith, that we all aspire to be. Her gentleness and grace comfort all of those around her. We can see that her strength is rooted in the love of the Lord.”
Saint Mary had a Catholic grade school in Ardmore run by the Sisters of Mercy and most of the eight children attended until it closed in the 60s. When the youngest entered kindergarten, Margaret returned to school and finished her registered nursing certification and associate degree at Murray State College.
After a short stint as an obstetrics (OB) nurse, she returned to Murray State College as the clinical instructor for many years. Today, she is surrounded by her six remaining children, her grandchildren and great-grandchildren, living independently and keeping up with her family on social media.
“She is kindness, a cheerleader for all of us, and a wonderful mother who lives her faith,” said daughter Nancy Etheridge, a retired teacher. “She remains active, attending church as much as she can and is involved with her children and grandchildren.”
Margaret’s impact reaches beyond family.
“She has a tremendous sense of what is really important,” said Deacon Juan Jimenez, who serves at St. Mary. “She has taught me a great deal. Margaret has taught me to concentrate on what is important, to listen, to reflect, to meditate, so we can encounter the one. She has helped me in my ministerial service. Thank you, Margaret.”
Charles Albert is a freelance writer for the Sooner Catholic.
