St. Angela Merici Medal

Angela Merici lived in exciting and troubled times. She was born into a Europe that was almost entirely Catholic, at least in name. But in many places the faith had been weakened by the worldliness and the pagan spirit of the Renaissance. Angela lived in the time of Martin Luther and Henry VIII, and before she died the Protestant revolt had shattered the religious unity of Europe.

She lived in the time of Emperor Charles V and his enemy, Francis I of France. Europe was torn internally by wars and threatened externally by the Mohammedan Turks. It was a time when the Church seemed to be in great danger, but God rose up great saints to meet the challenge. Among these were Ignatius of Loyola, Francis Xavier, Thomas More, John Fisher, Philip Neri, Andrew Avellino, Francis Borgia – and, of course, Angela Merici.

St. Angela Merici Biography

Angela was born on March 21, 1474, at the little town of Desenzano on the shore of Lake Garda, in northern Italy. Her parents, both fervent Catholics, died when she was about ten years old. Angela, an older sister, and a brother went to live with a well-to-do uncle at Salo. Angela and her sister were very devoted to each other, and the death of the sister came as a great shock to Angela when she was thirteen.

Angela was worried because her sister had died without receiving the last sacraments. She was consoled by a vision in which she saw her sister radiantly happy in the company of the Blessed Virgin and the other saints. In gratitude, Angela consecrated herself more completely to God and joined the Third Order of St. Francis. She tried to live a life of complete poverty as St. Francis did. She wished to possess nothing of her own, not even a bed. She lives almost entirely on bread, water, and a few vegetables.

When Angela was about twenty, she left Salo and returned to her home at Desenzano. On the way, she had another vision in which she saw a ladder of light extending from earth to heaven. A group of maidens were ascending the ladder, accompanied by a multitude of angels. This vision is believed to have marked for Angela the beginning of her vocation. The maidens ascending the ladder into heaven no doubt represented the future members of her Institute.

 

St. Angela Merici the Teacher

Angela was appalled by the ignorance of the poorer children in her home town. The children lacked even the most elementary religious knowledge and there was no one to teach them. Angela felt that she was called upon to do something about this situation. She gathered the neighborhood children about her and taught them Christian doctrine, reading, and writing. She organized a group of her friends to help her.

Later, Angela accepted an invitation to go to the larger city of Brescia where she continued the work on a larger scale. Angela visited many shrines in Italy, but the great ambition of her life was to visit the Holy Land. St. Angela Merici was happy in 1524 when she was able to join a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. The travelers stopped at Canea on the island of Crete. Here Angela suddenly became blind. She insisted on continuing the pilgrimage and visited the holy places with great devotion, “seeing” through the eyes of the others. She was happy to bear her cross along the way made holy by the cross of her Redeemer. On the return voyage the pilgrims again visited Crete. Angela suddenly recovered her sight at the very place where she had lost it.

 

St. Angela Merici’s Pilgrimage to Rome

The year 1525 was a Holy Year, and Angela went to Rome to gain the special indulgences. She had an interview with Pope Clement VII who wished her to stay in Rome and do her work there. But Angela preferred to return to Brescia where she had established herself in two small rooms attached to the church of St. Afra, and the pope respected her wishes.

She was not able to stay in Brescia long because the city was being attacked by the troops of Charles V, and it was essential for noncombatants to leave. Angela went to Cremona until peace was re tired. Her return to Brescia was greeted with joy by the citizens who regarded her as a saint. Shortly after this Angela fell into an ecstasy while assisting at Mass and was seen by many people to be raised up from the floor. In Brescia Angela prayed, fasted, and suffered.

She instructed the ignorant, comforted the sorrowful, and visited the sick. Thus her life passed until she was sixty years old. And still Angela felt that God wanted more of her, that she had not yet begun the most important work of her life. Her spiritual director assured her that this was the case. What work was required of Angela? She was convinced that she should prepare an organization of women to carry on the work she had started. This organization was needed to save Christian families from the worldly and pagan ideas of the Renaissance and from the heresy which was rampant throughout Europe.

 

St. Angela Merici Establishes an Order of Religious Teachers

Angela’s idea was something new in the life of the Church. Until then, all religious communities of women had been cloistered. The members lived a life of prayer and penance, secluded from the world. But Angela proposed to found a community whose members would go out into the world to teach and to perform acts of charity.

They would work for their own sanctification, and they would spend much time in prayer and in doing penance, but they would not be secluded from the world. They would try to change the world by their work as well as by their prayers. There is nothing unusual about this idea today, but it was considered a radical step when Angela proposed it.

On November 25, 1535, Angela launched her Institute. Twenty eight devoted young followers, both virgins and widows, assisted at Mass, received Holy Communion, and then formed themselves into a permanent association. They became known as the Ursulines because Angela had chosen as their patron St. Ursula, who, by word and example, had encouraged her companions to die in defense of their virginity and their faith. Within a year, fifty-four recruits joined the original band.

 

St. Angela Merici and the Ursulines

At first the Ursulines were not really a religious order. They had no regular habit, although a black dress was recommended. They tol no vows, and they did not lead a community life. They met for classes and for prayers, carried out the duties that were assigned to them and live holy lives in their own homes.

The idea of a teaching order of women was so new that it took time to develop. Angela’s original program for the sisters included all the work she had been doing. Her sisters were to teach catechism, work in the hospitals, visit the sick and the poor, and care for small children. But the primary purpose of the Institute was the Christian education of girls, especially girls of the poorer classes. This remains the princi pal purpose of the Ursulines today. At the first election Angela was unanimously chosen superior, a post she continued to fill for the remaining five years of her life.

These were years of intense labor and of even more intense spiritual life. Her energy was about spent, but she remained active to the end. During her last illness Angela gathered her company about her and told them to practice charity, humility, and obedience. Many citizens of Brescia came to seek advice.

When she was at the point of exhaustion she said to one: “Whatever you would wish at your dying hour to have done in health, that do now while you may.” Toward the close of the day, realizing that her hour had come, Angela asked to be clothed in the habit of the Franciscan Tertiaries and placed on a straw mat on the floor. Here she died while repeating the words of our Lord: “Into thy hands, I commend my spirit.” It was January 27, 1540, about six o’clock in the evening. Angela was beatified in 1768 and canonized in 1807.

 

Continuing the Legacy of Saint Angela Merici

The Ursuline Order proudly looks to St. Angela Merici as a foundress, but all non-cloistered orders, and especially the teaching orders, can look to her as their originator. Angela’s labor and self-sacrifice were inspired by her ardent love of God. When she saw a situation which she knew was not pleasant to God she couldn’t rest till she had done something about it. She lived long before the term Catholic Action had been defined, but what an ardent disciple of Catholic Action she would be if she were alive today!

Today, the Catholic Church celebrates the feast of Saint Angela Merici on May 31^st. St.. Angela Merici is the patron saint of sickness, handicapped people, loss of parents, courage, strength, and determination. St. Angela Merici pray for us!

 

OTHER SAINTS OF THE SAME NAME:

• St. Angela of Prague, died about 1230. Daughter of a king of Bohemia and the author of several devotional works. Feast Day: July 6.
• St. Angela of Foligno, died 1309. Converted from a life of sin, she did severe penance, and became a mystic. Feast Day: January 4.

Prayers to St. Angela Merici

Dear Lord, we thank You for giving us St. Angela Merici as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the virtue she showed in dedicating her life to working for a renewal of family life in society.

St. Angela Merici, you lost your parents and your sister when you were very young. You did not have the benefit of a happy family life with them, but you chose to continue serving God throughout your life.

Please bring my petitions before God Whom you served!

You chose to dedicate your life to God, as a young woman. You worked to educate young girls in the Faith, so that they might sanctify their homes and family life when they grew to adulthood.

Pray for me, that I may always seek to serve God, as you did.

Pray that I, too, may work for the sanctification of family life in society and in my home.

Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).

St. Angela Merici, pray for us!

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Saint Angela, you were not afraid of change. You did not let stereotypes keep you from serving. Help us to overcome our fear of change in order to follow God’s call and allow others to follow theirs. Amen

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Prayer of intercession as you put on a St. Angela Merici Medal

Saint Angela,
you were not afraid of change.
You did not let stereotypes keep you from serving.
Help us to overcome our fear of change in order to follow God’s call and allow others to follow theirs.

Amen.

 

Popular St. Angela Merici Items

A St. Angela Merici medal or a St. Angela Merici rosary is a perfect gift to give to a young woman who has chosen St. Angela Merici as their confirmation name. Wearing a St. Angela medal daily is a perpetual prayer for St. Angela to intercede on behalf of the wearer. As saints are united closer to God, their prayers are more efficacious, and enriches your own prayer.

Additionally, a Saint Angela pendant is a reminder to emulate the example of the holy saint in your daily life. What a beautiful testament of faith to share with the world, or to keep discretely tucked under your clothes. During the challenging moments of your day, reflect upon the holy life of St. Angela and pray for their intercession and protection.

Reflection of the Feast of St. Angela Merici

Today we celebrate the feast day of St. Angela Merici, a woman of great faith and devotion who dedicated her life to serving God and others. St. Angela is remembered as a pioneer in the education of young girls and as the founder of the Ursuline Order, a religious community of women dedicated to education and the care of the poor.

St. Angela was born in Italy in the early 16th century, and she was raised in a devout Catholic household. From a young age, she felt a strong calling to a life of prayer and service, and she dedicated herself to the care of the poor and the sick. She was deeply moved by the suffering of those around her, and she felt a strong desire to help in any way she could.

As she grew older, St. Angela became increasingly dedicated to the Church and to the education of young girls. In the 16th century, education was not widely available to girls, and many were denied the opportunity to learn. St. Angela saw this as a great injustice, and she felt a strong desire to change it.

In 1535, St. Angela founded the Ursuline Order, which was a religious community of women dedicated to education and the care of the poor. The Ursulines were the first order of women to be founded for the express purpose of teaching, and they played a crucial role in the education of young girls in Europe.

St. Angela’s dedication to the education of young girls was driven by her belief that every person, regardless of their gender, had the right to an education. She saw education as a means of empowering people and helping them to reach their full potential.

Through her tireless work and her deep devotion to God, St. Angela had a profound impact on the Church and on society. She is remembered for her kindness, her compassion, and her unwavering commitment to the Gospel. She was a pioneer in the education of young girls and was instrumental in helping to bring about significant changes in the way girls were educated.

As we reflect on the life of St. Angela, we are reminded of the importance of living our lives in accordance with God’s will. We are called to follow in her footsteps and to dedicate ourselves to the service of others, just as she did. 

May the example of St. Angela inspire us to live lives of faith and devotion, and may her intercession guide us on the path to eternal life. Amen.

 

St. Angela Mericiis the patron saint of orphans, sickness, and handicapped people

St. Angela Merici is the patron saint of loss of parents, widows, and against fever. She is also known as the founder of the Ursuline order of nuns. St. Angela was a devout Catholic woman who devoted her life to serving the poor and educating young girls. She founded the Company of St. Ursula, which was an association of laywomen committed to religious life without withdrawing from the world. She is recognized for her spirituality and her charitable works.

“O God, who raised up Saint Angela Merici to be a mother and teacher of souls, grant, through her merits and intercession, that, in following her example of humility and poverty, we may be led to the eternal happiness of heaven.”

“Glorious St. Angela, you have been chosen by God to be the founder of the Ursuline Order and a shining example of Christian charity and devotion. I implore your intercession for (mention your request) and ask that through your example I may grow in faith and love for God. Amen.”

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Saints Similar to St. Angela Merici

You may also be interested in reading the Biography of St. Ursula. St. Angela Merici and St. Ursula were both women associated with the education and formation of young girls and women. St. Angela Merici founded the Ursuline Sisters, dedicated to girls’ education, and St. Ursula is a legendary Christian martyr venerated for her purity. Next up: Biography of St. Ann

 

Also check out our handmade St. Angela Merici Medal and St. Angela Merici Rosary and St. Angela Merici Rosary Bracelet.