St. Angela Merici: Founder of the Ursulines
Quick answer
St. Angela Merici (about 1474–1540) was an Italian laywoman and Franciscan tertiary from near Lake Garda. Seeing the need for Christian education of girls, she founded the Company of St. Ursula in Brescia in 1535, a group of consecrated women who lived in their own homes and taught girls the faith. The Ursulines later became a teaching order that spread around the world, including to New Orleans in 1727. Her feast is January 27.
Key takeaways
- She was orphaned young and raised by an uncle.
- She taught girls the catechism in her home in Desenzano and later in Brescia.
- She founded the Company of St. Ursula on November 25, 1535.
- She taught that leaders should guide with gentleness, not force.
St. Angela Merici saw that the family was the key to renewing society, and that mothers were the key to the family. So she set out to educate girls in the faith, and in doing so created a new kind of religious life.
Early Life
Angela was born around 1474 in Desenzano, on the shore of Lake Garda in northern Italy. She lost her parents and her sister when she was young, and went to live with an uncle in Salò. Grieving for her sister, she prayed for her soul and, according to tradition, received a consoling vision.
She became a Franciscan tertiary, living a life of prayer and penance in the world.
Teaching Girls
Angela saw that many girls grew up with little knowledge of the faith. At the time, most religious women lived in enclosed convents, and there were few schools for girls. Angela began gathering girls in her home to teach them the catechism.
In 1516 she moved to Brescia, where she became known as a woman of wisdom. People of every class came to her for advice. She made pilgrimages to the Holy Land, where she temporarily lost her sight, and to Rome.
The Company of St. Ursula
On November 25, 1535, with twenty-eight companions, Angela founded the Company of St. Ursula. Its members were consecrated virgins who did not wear a habit or live in a convent. They lived in their own families, gathered for prayer and formation, and taught girls the faith. This was new, and in its way bold.
After her death, the Ursulines were reorganized into an enclosed order with schools in their convents, especially after the Council of Trent. They spread throughout Europe and to the Americas. In 1639 Ursulines arrived in Quebec with St. Marie of the Incarnation, and in 1727 in New Orleans.
Wise Counsel
Angela left counsels for those who would lead her daughters. She told them to lead with kindness and gentleness, not harshness, and to treat each person with respect, as Christ would. She urged them to hold fast to the Church and to persevere, trusting that God would help them.
She died in Brescia on January 27, 1540, and was canonized in 1807.
A Prayer for Teachers (Original Prayer)
St. Angela, you taught girls to know and love God. Bless teachers, catechists and mothers. Help me guide others with gentleness and patience, and pass on the faith with joy. Amen.
Continue Reading
Read about St. John Bosco, St. Elizabeth of Hungary, or St. Francis of Assisi.
Frequently asked questions
When is the feast of St. Angela Merici?
January 27.
Who are the Ursulines?
Women religious who trace their origin to St. Angela's Company of St. Ursula. They are known for educating girls. Ursuline nuns founded the oldest continuously operating girls' school in the United States, in New Orleans.
Why did she name her group after St. Ursula?
St. Ursula was a legendary virgin martyr, venerated as a patron of young women, and especially of education.
Sources
- St. Angela Merici, Rule, Counsels and Testament
- Pope Pius VII, Canonization (1807)
- Roman Missal, Memorial of St. Angela Merici, January 27
