Angela Merici

Saint Angela Merici was born on March 21, 1474, on a farm near Desenzano del Garda in Lombardy, Italy. Orphaned at ten, she went to live with an uncle in Salò, where sorrow over her sister’s sudden death deepened her prayer and trust in God. Drawn to a life of holiness, she joined the Third Order of Saint Francis and quietly embraced simplicity and modesty, desiring to belong wholly to Christ. Returning later to Desenzano, Angela received a strong call to gather women who would serve the Church by forming the young, especially through the Christian education of girls. Invited to Brescia, she devoted herself to this mission with wisdom and humility. In 1535 she founded the Company of Saint Ursula, a new way of consecrated life in which women lived in their own homes, practiced poverty, chastity, and obedience, and taught within their neighborhoods. From this seed grew the Ursulines, spreading prayer and learning across the world. She is honored as patron of Desenzano del Garda and several communities and schools. Her feast day is January 27.