Saint Angela Merici, Virgin and Foundress

Optional Memorial - January 27th 

Saint Angela Merici was a 16th century Italian religious educator and foundress. She established the Company of Saint Ursula in 1535 at Brescia, in which women dedicated their lives to the service of the Church through the education of girls. From this organization came the monastic Order of Ursulines. Angela's sisters founded schools of prayer and learning throughout Europe, and later, the world.

Angela was born in Northern Italy in the diocese of Verona in the year 1474. She lived on Lake Garda together with her parents and sister in relative comfort. Early in life, she dedicated herself to Christ. At age 15, she and her older sister were left orphans. A short time later, her sister would die without receiving Last Rites. This disturbed Angela greatly, and she prayed fervently for her sister’s soul. By God's grace, Angela would have a vision confirming that her sister was in heaven.

The future saint became increasingly devout. She joined the Third Order of Saint Francis, dedicating herself to stringent fasting, self-sacrifice, constant prayer and remaining a consecrated virgin. When she was 20 years old, Angela returned to her hometown, Desenzano. There she would encounter many uneducated and impoverished girls. This convinced her of the need to teach and catechize them.

Opening her own home, Angela began instructing young women in the Catholic faith. Around this time, she experienced another vision telling her was to found a community of virgins, who would devote their lives to the religious instruction and intellectual formation of destitute girls at risk and largely ignorant of Christ.

In 1524, while traveling to the Holy Land, St. Angela became suddenly blind when she was on the Island of Crete. Despite this handicap, she continued on her journey to the Holy Places and was cured of her blindness, while praying before a crucifix, at the same place where she was struck blind a few weeks before. In 1525, she came to Rome to gain the Indulgences of the Jubilee year. While making her pilgrimage, Pope Clement VII invited her to stay. He knew of her virtue and her school. Uncomfortable with notoriety, she soon returned home.

On November 25, 1535, Angela chose twelve virgins and started the foundation of the "Company of St. Ursula" in a small house at Brescia [Italy]. On March 18, 1537, she was elected Superior of the Order. She died on January 27, 1540, and was buried in the Church of Saint Afra, in Brescia. She was beatified in 1768 by Pope Clement XIII, and canonized by Pope Pius VII in 1807. During the Second World War, St. Afra was completed ruined by allied bombing. The structure was quickly rebuilt following that conflict and is now known as the "Merician Center".