St. Angela Merici c.1474 - 1540

Angela Merici was a contemplative, captured by the Lord whom she sought and found everywhere. 'Everywhere' for her meant in long hours of prayer; it also meant every place where she felt she had a task to do, every person she met, every service she rendered according to needs and circumstances. Active and devoted lay people found in her an inspiring leader, deeply faithful to the Church.

Reading and interpreting the signs of the times, she was led by the Holy Spirit to undertake an entirely new way of life which evolved gradually as she moved forward, step by step in response to God’s  call.

Angela was born around 1474 in Desenzano, Northern Italy; a most beautiful area.  Soon the family moved out of town to a farm at Le Grezze. Here Angela became familiar with the countryside. Her father read to the children about the lives of the saints, something which influenced Angela throughout her life. Around 1490, her parents and elder sister died and she went, probably with her younger brother, to live with her uncle Biancosi in Salò. She continued her austere life although this area was more sophisticated.  It was probably in Salò that Angela became a Franciscan Tertiary. After some years she returned to the house at Le Grezze where she lived for about 20 years.

In 1516 her Franciscan superiors asked her to go to Brescia to help Caterina Patengola who had lost her husband and sons. At her house she met Antonio Romano in whose household she lived for 14 years. In 1524 Angela went on pilgrimage to the Holy Land with her cousin Biancosi and Antonio Romano. On the journey she lost her sight and saw the holy places with the eyes of her heart.

A year later she went to Rome for the Holy Year and had an audience with Pope Clement VII.

Twice she went on pilgrimages to Varallo to see the shrines of the events of Jesus’ life and in 1529, when Brescia was under threat of invasion, she went with Agostino Gallo and his family to Cremona. On their return she lived for some months with Agostino’s family in front of the Church of San Clemente.

All the time that she lived in Brescia she welcomed all who came to her for help: those seeking her prayer or her practical advice, those hoping for reconciliation, wealthy lords, theologians, preachers and the ordinary people of the city. She became aware of the young women who were looking for a life of consecration without entering a monastery and felt called by God to create something new in the Church.

In the last years of her life she moved to a room by the Church of St Afra. She gathered her companions and dictated her Rule, her Counsels for the colonelle (the members who were in charge and who were formators) and her Testament for the lady governesses (who represented the Company to the authorities) and finally on 25 November 1535, she founded the Company of Saint Ursula – providing for the women of her time a radical consecration to the Lord without vows or cloister.

Angela died on 27 January 1540 and was canonised on 24 May 1807 by Pius VII.

Her Legacy

Angela showed a new focussed energy in later life leaving a lasting legacy of a Company of Women dedicated to a life of holiness, lifelong fidelity, consecrated virginity and virtuous lives while maintaining an active life within society.

Angela's Writings

We believe Angela could read but not write.  Instead, she dictated her rule, counsels and legacies to her secretary Gabriel Cozzano. Her writings  are as fresh and motivating today as when she  formed her new and visionary Company in 1535. There are probably two reasons for this. Firstly, Angela had a deep understanding of human nature, perhaps flowing from her perceptive observation of life and reflection on what she saw. Secondly, this perception was matched by her profound knowledge of the ways of God, no doubt a gift of her openness to God’s love in her life.

The writings have characteristics of the spoken word, repetitions for emphasis and lists in order of importance, usually ending with “Above all”.  There is a directness and charm about the Rule, the most significant of the documents, as it outlines this new way for consecrated women to live in the world.

The Counsels are a handbook for training the young women who joined the company and were addressed to the small group of the women who were the leaders. As Angela had an eye for the practical welfare and protection of the young women the Legacies are addressed to a group of wealthy widows who could represent and see to their needs.

Each of these documents continue to inspire and motivate us today as their timeless wisdom shines through.