Saint Angela Merici: The 16th Century Italian Educator

Saint Angela Merici was born on March 21, 1874, and she died on January 27, 1540. She was an Italian educator who founded the Company of St. Ursula in 1535. She was an educator of girls who was way ahead of her time. She is the patron saint of sickness, handicapped people, the loss of parents, sickness, handicapped people, loss of parents, courage, strength, and determination. That is quite a list. Saint Angela Mercic was ahead of her time. Have you ever heard of her?

Saint Angela Merici, 16th Century

Saint Angela Merici was born in 1474 on a farm near Desenzano del Garda, a small town on the southwestern shore of Lake Garda in Lombardy, Italy. She and her older sister, Giana Maria, were left orphans when she was just ten years old. They moved in with their uncle. Angela was very distressed when her sister suddenly died without receiving the last rites of the church. It is said that in a vision, she received a response that her sister was in heaven in the company of the saints. She joined the Third Order of St. Francis around that time.

Saint Angela Merici’s uncle died when she was twenty years old, and she returned to her home. She lived with her brothers on property given to her instead of the dowry that would otherwise have been hers had she married. She later had another vision that revealed to her that she was to found an association of virgins who were to devote their lives to the religious training of young girls. This association was a success, and she was invited to start another school in the neighboring city.

According to legend, in 1524, Saint Angela Merici, while traveling to the Holy Land, suddenly became blind on the island of Crete. Despite this, she continued her journey to the Holy Land and was ostensibly cured of her blindness on her return, while praying before a crucifix, at the same place where she had been struck with blindness a few weeks earlier. In 1525, she journeyed to Rome. Pope Clement VII, who had heard of her virtue and success with her school, invited her to remain in Rome. Merici disliked notoriety, however, and soon returned home.

On November 25, 1535, Saint Angela Merici gathered with twelve young women who had joined in her work. They had committed themselves to the founding of the Company of St. Ursula, placed under the protection of the patroness of medieval universities. Her goal was to elevate family life through the Christian education of future wives and mothers. They were the first teaching order of women religious.

Four years later, the group had grown to 28. Saint Angela Merici taught her companions to serve God.  The members wore no special habit and took no formal religious vows. Merici wrote a Rule of Life for the group, which specified the practice of celibacy, poverty, and obedience. The Ursulines opened orphanages and schools. On March 18, 1537, she was elected “Mother and Mistress” of the group.

When Saint Angela Merici died in Brescia on January 27, 1540, there were twenty-four communities of the Company of St. Ursula serving the Catholic Church through the region. Her body was clothed in the habit of a Franciscan tertiary and was interred in the Church of Sant’Afra. The traditional view is that she believed that better Christian education was needed for girls and young women, to which end she dedicated her life.

Saint Angela Medici Veneration

During her life, Saint Angela Merici had often prayed at the tombs of the martyrs at the Church of St. Afra in Brescia. She lived in small rooms attached to a priory of the Canons Regular of the Lateran. According to her wishes, after her death, she was interred in the Church of St Afra to be near the martyrs’ remains.

There her body remained until the destruction of this church and its surrounding area by Allied bombing during the Second World War, on March 2, 1945, in which the parish priest and many townspeople died. The church and corresponding buildings were afterwards rebuilt and reopened on 10 April 1954. The church was consecrated on 27 January 1956, with a new dedication to Saint Angela Merici.

Conclusion

Saint Anela Merici was beatified in Rome on April 30, 1768, by Pope Clement XIII. She was later canonized on May 24, 1807, by Pope Pius VII. She was well ahead of her time with the novel idea to educate girls. She probably did more for that cause than anyone, especially in the sixteenth century. For this reason alone, she is worthy of your attention. Please use this article to learn about her.