Saint Angela Merici
Stored in Cargo: Saint Angela Merici
| Saint Angela Merici | |
| Feast Day | January 27 |
|---|---|
| Liturgical Class | |
| Patronage | Educators, orphans, the sick, handicapped, women’s education |
| Birthplace | Desenzano del Garda, Republic of Venice (now Italy) |
| Death Place | Brescia, Republic of Venice (now Italy) |
| Cause of Death | Natural causes |
| Primary Shrine | Church of Saint Angela Merici, Brescia, Italy |
Saint Angela Merici, born on March 21, 1474, in Desenzano del Garda, was a visionary who founded the Company of Saint Ursula (Ursulines), the first teaching order of women religious in the Church. Orphaned at 10 and later losing her sister, she joined the Third Order of Saint Francis, embracing a life of prayer and service. Around 1516, after a vision in Crete calling her to educate girls, she settled in Brescia, forming a group of women to teach poor and orphaned girls—a revolutionary act in an era when women’s education was neglected. Officially founding the Ursulines in 1535 under Saint Ursula’s patronage, she died on January 27, 1540, leaving a legacy that spread globally, empowering women through learning and faith.
Canonized in 1807 by Pope Pius VII, Angela’s feast day, January 27, celebrates her as a pioneer of women’s education and a model of resilience. Her body, found incorrupt when exhumed in 1540, rests in Brescia’s Church of Saint Angela Merici, a pilgrimage site. Patroness of educators, orphans, and the handicapped, her gentle yet bold approach—encapsulated in her writings like the *Rule* and *Counsels*—continues to inspire the Ursuline mission worldwide, blending contemplation with active service.
Biography
Birth
Saint Angela Merici was born on March 21, 1474, in Desenzano del Garda, a small town on Lake Garda in the Republic of Venice, to Giovanni Merici and Caterina, modest farmers. Her family lived simply, cultivating faith alongside their land. Desenzano’s serene lakeside setting belied the personal trials Angela would soon face.
Her exact birth circumstances are sparsely recorded, but her early piety emerged in this rural Christian community. Angela’s humble origins shaped her empathy for the poor, a trait that defined her later work.
Early Life
Angela’s childhood ended abruptly at 10 when her parents died, followed by her sister’s death years later, leaving her orphaned with her uncle in Salò. Joining the Third Order of Saint Francis as a young woman, she wore a simple habit, dedicating herself to prayer, penance, and charity. A vision during a harvest around 1516—angels revealing her call to found a teaching order—shifted her path.
Returning to Desenzano after her uncle’s death, she began educating local girls, a mission refined by a 1524 pilgrimage to Rome and the Holy Land. These losses and visions forged her resolve to serve the marginalized.
Occupation
Initially a farmer’s daughter and tertiary Franciscan, Angela’s occupation evolved into education and religious leadership. By 1516, she taught girls in Desenzano, moving to Brescia around 1525 to expand her work among the poor and orphaned. She gathered like-minded women, forming an informal group that became the Company of Saint Ursula, founded officially on November 25, 1535.
As foundress, she crafted the Ursuline Rule, emphasizing education and chastity without cloistering, a novel approach. Her occupation bridged teaching and spiritual guidance, revolutionizing women’s roles in the Church.
Vocation
Angela’s vocation crystallized with her 1516 vision, confirmed by a second in Brescia, urging her to educate girls for Christian living. Rejecting marriage offers, she lived as a lay consecrated woman, founding the Ursulines to train teachers for the poor. Her 1535 Rule balanced prayer with action, a model approved by local bishops and later Pope Paul III in 1544.
Her vocation peaked in Brescia, where she led her “daughters” until death, leaving a written legacy of humility and service. Angela’s call was to empower women through education, a mission ahead of its time.
Death
Saint Angela Merici met her end on January 27, 1540, in Brescia, dying peacefully of natural causes at 65 in a room near the Ursuline oratory. Surrounded by her companions, she dictated final counsels, urging charity and obedience. Buried in Sant’Afra Church (now Saint Angela Merici), her body was found incorrupt days later, sparking devotion.
Her tomb became a pilgrimage site, renamed in her honor. Angela’s serene death capped a life of quiet revolution, her Ursulines spreading her vision across continents.
Significant events
- Orphaned at age 10, c. 1484.
- Received a vision to found a teaching order, c. 1516.
- Founded the Company of Saint Ursula on November 25, 1535.
- Died on January 27, 1540, with her body found incorrupt.
Significant locations
Legend
Birth location: Desenzano del Garda, Republic of Venice (now Italy)
Death location: Brescia, Republic of Venice (now Italy)
Notable location:
Notable location:
Notable location:
Notable location:
Notable location:
Parishes
| Angela Merici |
|---|
|
No results |
| This map created from a Cargo query () |
Canonization
Servant of God
The “Servant of God” process began informally after 1540 in Brescia, with early investigations into her life and incorrupt body, though exact dates are unclear due to pre-Congregation norms.
Venerable
Declared Venerable in 1758 by Pope Benedict XIV, recognizing her heroic virtue based on her writings and Ursuline impact, a step requiring no miracle then.
Beatification
Beatified on April 30, 1768, by Pope Clement XIII in Rome, after the 1767 healing of a blind woman in Brescia, attributed to Angela’s intercession following prayers at her tomb.
Canonization
Canonized on May 24, 1807, by Pope Pius VII in Rome, following the 1806 healing of Teresa Ponzoni’s paralyzed limbs in Brescia after prayers with Angela’s relic, affirming her universal sanctity.
Miracles
Miracle for beatification
In 1767, a blind woman in Brescia, afflicted for years, regained sight after a novena at Angela’s tomb. Her family and priests testified to her prior blindness and sudden cure, deemed miraculous by physicians. Approved in 1768, this healing showcased Angela’s intercessory power, tied to her care for the afflicted.
The miracle echoed her lifetime charity, reinforcing her cult among Brescians. It paved the way for her beatification, highlighting her enduring presence.
Miracle for canonization
In 1806, Teresa Ponzoni, a young Brescian woman, suffered paralyzed limbs from a neurological illness, untreatable by doctors. Her mother prayed with Angela’s relic, and Teresa awoke fully restored, a cure verified by medical and Church authorities. Ratified in 1807, this miracle completed her canonization.
This healing mirrored Angela’s mission to uplift the helpless, affirming her sainthood. It solidified her legacy as a protector of the sick and handicapped.
Other notable miracles
- Visions guiding her to found the Ursulines, c. 1516 and later. - Incorrupt body discovered post-1540, enhancing her veneration.
Patronage
Saint Angela Merici is the patron saint of educators, orphans, the sick, handicapped, and women’s education.
Feast day
The feast day of Saint Angela Merici is celebrated on January 27.
Veneration
Saint Angela is venerated through pilgrimages to the Church of Saint Angela Merici in Brescia, where her incorrupt body rests, and prayers for education and healing. Depicted in Ursuline habit with a book or lily, her cult extends to the Anglican Communion via Ursuline missions. Her writings and the Ursuline order’s global reach perpetuate her legacy of empowering women.
Books
Written about the saint
Written by the saint
- "The Rule of Saint Angela Merici" (available in Ursuline archives)
- "Counsels and Testament" (spiritual writings for her order)