Company

of

St. Ursula

Angela Merici

1470 -1540

A woman of contradiction

Angela Merici

A woman who wanted consecrated life

but did not want convent or monastery;

A woman who told her followers 'Act, Bestir Yourself'

yet took forty years to take action herself;

A woman who did not found a religious congregation

yet is regarded as foundress of the Ursulines;

A woman who never taught

yet is regarded as a great educator.

Angela was a simple 16th century woman from Northern Italy - Desenzano and Brescia. Her life was a pilgrim journey for a way to fulfil God's plan for her.

Her search began when her family life experience planted a seed of desire for God. It was fuelled by two profound spiritual experiences in her early life. The first - an understanding of the eternal peace being enjoyed by her beloved, recently deceased, sister - left her with profound faith in a God whose 'dazzling face…contents every afflicted heart.' The second experience showed her that she, and others like her, were to live a consecrated lives 'in the world'. This was so totally out of the ordinary pattern of life for women of her day that Angela hesitated.

She became a Franciscan tertiary, went on pilgrimages seeking clarity, confirmation, courage - who knows what? She grew in wisdom, wholeness, and love, becoming well known as reconciler and peacemaker. Angela says 'be gentle and compassionate…for you will achieve more with loving kindness and gentleness than with harshness and rebukes'. She urges 'if you see one faint-hearted and timid and inclined to despondency, comfort her, encourage her…lift her heart with every consolation.' This spirit of hers underpins the educational philosophy of Ursuline educators the world over.

Angela gradually found others who wanted to live a lifestyle similar to her own. They met together - prayed, dreamed and planned. It seemed to her 'an astonishing dignity' that God should invite them into profound mystical, spousal relationship and trust them to live it in the midst of the distractions of the world. Together, the first group committed themselves to the Rule of the Company of St. Ursula on November 25, 1535, five years before Angela's death.

Following the Council of Trent many of Angela's followers began teaching Christian Doctrine. Later in France some synthesised Angela's followers' educational ministry, Angela's spirit and the lifestyle of religious. Thus the Ursuline Congregation emerged. Most of Angela's followers today belong to this 'branch'. Angela's vision of a new way of being consecrated virtually vanished, except in Italy where her followers have been faithful to the original model. It is now being revived in Canada, Africa, Eastern Europe, Indonesia, Brazil and hopefully in Ireland.

 

 

Home St. Angela Merici St. Ursula St.Catherine of Alexandria

Irish Ursuline Union

aharte@esatclear.ie

01/08/2007