Angela Merici was an Italian religious teacher and the founder of the Company of St. Ursula, the first ever order of women in the Catholic Church dedicated to education, which will later evolve into the Order of Ursulines. Merici believed that an improvement to the family and the Christian society as a whole can be made by educating young girls. She promoted living in poverty and celibacy. mMrici was beatified in 1768 and canonized in 1807.
Background
Angela Merici was born into a pious family in a small town Desenzano del Garda, in Lombardy, Italy. Although not much is known about her parents, it is believed that they were not peasants but they were a somewhat wealthy family. It is surely known that Angela had an older sister while it's speculated whether she also had any brothers.
Education
Angela was well educated when it comes to religion. Her father made sure to read her about lives of various saints, and it is thought that this is how she found out about St. Ursula, who was a martyr and protector of women.
Her teenage years were marked by two great tragedies. She first lost both her parents (either in 1484 or in 1489) and left orphaned. Angela and her sister were sent to Salo to live with her maternal uncle, who was a successful merchant. Just a couple of months later Angela lost her sister, too. She was taken away from her by a sudden death and without the possibility to receive the Last Rites of the Catholic Church.
Angela was very worried if her sister ended up in heaven and constantly prayed for her soul. It is believed that she had a vision of her sister dancing with other girls, which drove away her fears. In 1494, after her uncle died, Angela decided to return to her hometown.
Career
Upon her return to Desenzano, Angela started thinking about how young girls have no options for education and firmly believed that through their education she can improve the condition of the family and the whole Christian society. She became a tertiary of St. Francis Order and increased her prayers.
It is believed that around 1506 Angela had a vision in which she heard a voice telling her to make an association of virgins that will have an emphasis on the works of mercy and the education of young girls. She then decided to convert her home into a school and gather young girls from all over the town to teach them about foundations of Christianity. This turned out to be a great success, so Angela was invited to Brescia in 1516 to form a similar school, only this time she worked with fellow women teachers.
Angela decided to start a pilgrimage to the Holy Land in 1524, with the goal of understanding the will of God and seeking to do penance. During the travel, she was suddenly struck blind but she nonetheless continued. She arrived at the Holy Land but she didn’t see any of it, at least not with her bodily eyes. During the return, her vision came back at the same spot where she was left blind, before the crucifix at a church on Crete.
Next year, she traveled to Rome to gain the indulgences, considering that 1525 was the Jubilee Year. When she met Pope Clement VII, who knew of her great holiness and success she made as a religious teacher, he offered her to stay in Rome. However, Angela was forced to refuse because she didn’t like publicity.
After returning to Brescia, she continued with her mission of educating young girls. In accordance with her vision, Merici founded the Company of St. Ursula on November 25, 1535. She gathered with 12 other women in a small house by the Church of St. Afra and took their vows to devote themselves to God. The goal was to help to improve the family and spread the knowledge of Christianity through the education of young girls. Although they were consecrated to God, they were encouraged to remain in the world and spread religion to their homes and neighborhood.
Next year she wrote a Rule of Life for the Company of St. Ursula, including the rules to practice poverty, celibacy, and obedience in their own homes. The Rule was approved by Pope Paul III in 1544. Angela was chosen to be the leader or the “Mother and Mistress” of the Company in 1537.
By the time of her death in 1540, in total 24 communities were formed throughout the region as a part of the Company of St. Ursula. Before she passed away, Angela wrote Testaments and Souvenirs, where she directed her nuns to use persuasion over force and emphasize the significance of an individual and gentleness.
Merici was buried at St. Afra in Brescia, in accordance with her wish. Pope Clement XIII beatified her in 1768 while Pople Pius VII canonized her in 1807. The Order of Ursulines sprang from her organization, establishing places to pray and learn all over Europe and later even worldwide.
Achievements
Works
book
A Rule of Life
(She wrote this in 1536. It consists rules that should be ...)
1536
Religion
She originated from a pious family and was a very devoted Christian herself.
Politics
She had no interest in politics and remained away from it through her entire life, concentrating on her mission of educating young girls.
Views
Ever since alleged vision, Angela started noticing the lack of education present with young girls of the time. She believed that if they were taught the foundations of Christianity that will contribute to the improvement of the family status, and thus the society as a whole. Although she has taken a vow of virginity and dedicated her life to God, she didn’t set down any formal vows for members of her Company of St. Ursula. Instead, she taught that poverty, virginity, and obedience should be a way of life.
It was unusual at the time for a religious order or young women not to wear habits or take their vows, not to mention staying with their families, but all this was a part of Angela’s teachings. She believed that by remaining in the world, these young women will be able to spread Christianity further to their families and neighborhood. This was later changed and members of the Ursuline Order started to live in secluded communities.
While she was young, people were often commenting about her great beauty. She didn’t like this and wanted to avoid the sin of vanity, so she decided to dye her hair in soot.
Quotations:
"Disorder in society is the result of disorder in the family"
Membership
She was the founder of the Company of St. Ursula, which will later evolve into the Order of Ursulines.
Company of St. Ursula
,
Brescia
1535
Personality
Angela led a very segregated life. She devoted herself to God and took a vow of virginity probably when she was only ten years old, as she was coming from a very religious family. She didn’t like publicity so much that she even had to refuse Pope Clement VII, who offered here to stay in Rome when they met.
Physical Characteristics:
A source mentions that she died her hair in soot when she found out people were commenting of her beauty. Being a devoted Christian, Angela's appearance was always modest.
Interests
Reading
Philosophers & Thinkers
Luchesio Modestini
Politicians
Pope Clement VII
Connections
Considering that she took a vow of virginity, it is believed that Angela Medici had no husband or children.
Angela Merici's Journey of the Heart
Angela Merici's Journey of the Heart The Rule, the Way ...explores an exciting discovery: a sixteenth-century manuscript dictated by Angela Merici (1474-1540). She created for women an alternative way of life that has endured to this day. Mary-Cabrini Dunkin places the Rule in the context of women's history and reveals its profound implications for the twenty-first century.