St. Angela Merici (1474–1540) was an Italian laywoman, a Franciscan tertiary, who in 1535 founded the Company of St. Ursula, the Ursulines: women consecrated to God who lived in their own homes, taught the faith to girls and helped families in need. The Ursulines became the first great teaching order of women in the Church and later spread to every continent, opening the first schools for girls in many countries, including New France and New Orleans. Her feast day is January 27. Below are her story, the prayer of her feast, Scripture and prayers to St. Angela Merici.
A short prayer to St. Angela Merici, written for this page:
St. Angela, you saw the needs of the girls and families of your town and answered with love and courage.
Pray for teachers, catechists and mothers,
and for every girl, that she may know her dignity and her worth in God’s eyes. Amen.
Who was St. Angela Merici?
Angela was born on March 21, 1474, at Desenzano, on Lake Garda, in northern Italy. Orphaned in her teens, and then grieving the sudden death of her sister, she gave herself to prayer and joined the Third Order of St. Francis. Seeing how little religious instruction the girls of her area received, she began to gather them in her home to teach them the faith. She moved to Brescia, where her holiness and wisdom drew people of every class to seek her advice. During a pilgrimage to the Holy Land she temporarily lost her sight, yet continued her journey, praying at the holy places.
On November 25, 1535, she and twenty-eight companions consecrated themselves to God under the patronage of St. Ursula, the legendary virgin martyr, forming a company of women who would live in the world, without vows or enclosure at first, teaching girls and serving families. Angela wrote a Rule, Counsels and a Testament for them, urging gentleness and respect for each person. She died in Brescia on January 27, 1540, and was canonized in 1807.
The prayer of her feast from the 1916 daily missal:
O God, who didst choose that through the blessed Angela a new order of holy virgins shouldst flourish in thy Church, grant us through her intercession to live in an angelic manner, and by renouncing all earthly pleasures to deserve eternal joys. Through Jesus Christ, thy Son our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God world without end. Amen.
Scripture
Jesus welcomes the children (Mark 10:14–16, Douay-Rheims):
Whom when Jesus saw, he was much displeased, and saith to them: Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not; for of such is the kingdom of God.
Amen I say to you, whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, shall not enter into it.
And embracing them, and laying his hands upon them, he blessed them.
What is St. Angela Merici the patron saint of?
- The Ursulines and teachers of girls
- The sick, the disabled, and those who mourn the loss of parents, in traditional lists
Prayers
Written for this page.
For teachers
St. Angela, pray for teachers, that they may be patient, wise and kind,
and treat each student as a child of God. Amen.
For girls and young women
St. Angela, protect girls and young women from harm,
help them to grow in faith, knowledge and confidence, and guide them to their vocation. Amen.
Feast day
The optional memorial of St. Angela Merici, virgin, is January 27, the day of her death. (Before 1969 her feast was kept on May 31.)
Frequently asked questions
Who founded the Ursulines?
St. Angela Merici, in Brescia, Italy, in 1535.
Why are they called Ursulines?
Because Angela placed her company under the patronage of St. Ursula, a legendary virgin martyr.
When is St. Angela Merici’s feast day?
January 27.
More saints
- Patron saint of teachers
- Patron saint of women
- St. Joseph Calasanz
- St. Elizabeth Ann Seton prayer
- Feast of St. Francis
- Saint of the day
Texts and sources
- The Mass Every Day of the Year (1916), St. Angela Merici (May 31), Collect, public domain (archive.org).
- Mark 10:14–16 (Douay-Rheims).