Feastdays of the Ursuline Congregation

January 27 Feast of Saint Angela Merici, Foundress of the Ursuline Congregation
Saint Angela was born in 1474 in Desenzano, near Lake Garda, Northern Italy. She became a third-class member of the Franciscan group. She gathered a group of young women, trained them to love God and serve the society where they lived. She officially established the Ursulines in 1535 in Brescia, Italy. She passed away in the year 1540 in Brescia.

April 30 Memorial of Saint Mary of the Incarnation
Saint Mary of the Incarnation, formerly Mary Giyat Martin, was born in Tours. France on October 28, 1599. As a child, she saw Jesus, and when she was 17, wanted to be a religious, but her parents arranged for her to marry. Two years later, her husband passed away, leaving Mary and her young son. In 1631, Mary became a religious as desired. She entered the Ursulines in Tours. She had to restrain the suffering of parting from her son, but when her son grew up, he joined the Benedictine order and became an outstanding superior. In 1639 Mary, along with two other Ursuline sisters, embarked on a mission to Canada. She passed away on April 30, 1672. On June 22, 1980, Mary was proclaimed a blessed, and on May 3, 2014, she was canonized as Saint Mary of the Incarnation by Pope Francis.

July 9 Memorial of Blessed Elizabeth-Therese and companions, Martyrs
During the French Revolution, executions which took place in Orang were especially noteworthy that within six weeks, 332 people were executed, of whom 32 were religious and 16 were Ursulines. They were executed in July by the guillotine. In 1794, Pope Pius XI appointed them as Blessed on May 10, 1925, as follows:
Blessed Elisabeth Thérèse Consolin,
Blessed Saint-Gervais de Roquard
Blessed Madeleine de Guilhermier
Blessed Saint-Basile Cartier,
Marie-Anne de Rocher
Sainte-Sophie Gertrude d'Alauzier
Sister Agnès Sylvie de Romillon
Sister Sainte-Sophie d'Albarède
Sister Saint-Bernard de Romillon
Sister Madeleine de Justamond
Sister Catherine de Justamond
Sister Claire Dubas
Sister Saint-François Lambert,
Sister Sainte-Françoise Depeyre
Sister Saint-Michel Doux
Sister Saint-André Laye

October 21 Feast of Saint Ursula and Companions, Martyrs
During the 3rd and 4th centuries, Princess Ursula and a group of virgins were martyred near Cologne in Germany. It was a massacre by a Han leader. Ursula died by arrows from the bow according to archaeological documents. The faith for these martyrs in Europe quickly spread even with the invasion of the barbarians in those days. It would be a sign of strength and courage to endure when facing death.

October 23 Memorial of Blessed Marie Coltild Angela and Companions, Martyrs
In October 1794, the horrors of history as a result of the French revolution has officially ended but the persecution continued. Of all the Ursulines who were captured in Valencia, there were 11 who were beheaded on the 17th and on October 23rd, Pope Benedict XV appointed them as Blessed on July 13, 1920, as follows:
Blessed Clotilde Angèle Paillot
Blessed Marie-Laurentine Prin
Blessed Marie-Louise Ducrez
Blessed Marie Scholastique Leroux
Blessed Anne-Marie Erraux
Blessed Marie-Cordule Barré
Blessed Marie-Nathalie Vanot
Blessed Marie-Ursule Bourla
Blessed Marie-Augustine Dejardin
Blessed Marie Scholastique Leroux
Blessed Mother Françoise Lacroix

November 25 Feast of the Ursuline Foundation
After Mother Angela had trained members who have applied to join her, she chose November 25th, 1535 as the official foundation day of the group. November 25th is the feast day of St. Catharine of Alexandria whom Mother Angela esteemed as a model of deep spiritual life with God. She had faith so stable that she died because she refused to give up her faith. Because of these qualities, Mother Angela had chosen the female members whom she had trained to make profession to serve God and it was recorded in official documents.

November 28 Feast of the Ursuline of the Roman Union
Pope Leo XIII saw that the Ursuline religious were scattered in many dioceses, likely to join forces to work on evangelization more effectively. With the grace of the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Mother of Saint Julian Omri from the monastery in the city of Brois, France, sent an invitations letter to the Ursuline Monasteries to send representatives to for a meeting for consultation in Rome. The conventions were finally agreed to be merged into Ursulines of the Roman Union on November 28, 1900. Three days before his death, on July 17, 1903, Pope Leo XIII approved the Roman Union under Church law.

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