Saints of the Franciscan Order

St. Angela Merici

St. Angela Merici was born in Desenzano, Lombardy in Italy. She was orphaned with her sister at the age of 10 and they then lived with her uncle in Salo, Italy. Upon the death of her sister, Angela dedicated her life to the service of God in His Church, becoming a Franciscan Tertiary at the age of 13, practicing many severe penances. She loved poverty so much that she lived on alms, slept on the bare earth, and fasted to such an extent that sometimes Holy Communion was her only nourishment for several days.

She was very concerned when her sister died without the last rites, but God permitted her a vision where she saw her late sister in the company of the saints. When she was 20 she moved back to Desenzano upon the death of her uncle and was horrified to see the lack of religious education given to young girls there. She herself taught them their catechism, how to pray, and how to prepare for and fittingly receive the Sacraments.

In 1506, as she prayed in the fields of Brudazzo, Our Lord Jesus Christ granted her a vision in which he instructed her to found an institute where she and other consecrated women would devote their lives to the religious instruction of young girls, helping the poor, and caring for the sick.

She gathered together a group of young women with little to no resources, living in their family homes at first. They would meet together, with St. Angela often reminding them: “Reflect that in reality you have a greater need to serve [the poor] than they have of your service.”

Because of her saintly conduct and profound knowledge of God and the things of heaven, she was regarded by all as a saint, causing her to leave her hometown in 1516 to move to Brescia until 1524.

Even the Pope had heard of her sanctity and attempted to detain her in Rome when she made came back from making a pilgrimage to the Holy Land and the tombs of the Apostles. When he understood that it was by Divine inspiration St. Angela was to found in Brescia, he allowed her to return. However, it was not until 1531 when Angela could perform her intended work, due to disturbances caused by war. Then, on November 25, 1535, Angela and 28 companions consecrated themselves to God, officially founding the Congregation of St. Ursula, or the Ursulines. St. Ursula was chosen as the special patron of St. Angela’s work because she viewed Ursula as the ultimate model of consecrated virginity, intelligence, and spiritual leadership.

At age 70, the date and hour of Angela’s death were revealed to her. Upon receiving the last Sacraments she was wrapt in ecstacy. She died on January 27, 1540 with the holy Name of Jesus on her lips. She lies buried, dressed in the habit of the Third Order and with her pilgrim’s staff in a side chapel of the church of St. Afra in Brescia. She was beatified by Pope Clement XIII in 1807 and canonized in 1807 by Pope Pius VII. Her feast is celebrated by the Capuchins on June 1st.