History
History, Patron Saints and Foundation of the Congregation
History, Patron Saints and Foundation of the Congregation
Charism, Emblem and Members of the Congregation
Education, Social Work and Evangelisation
Ursuline Communities and Schools throughout Thailand
Retreat and Renewal Centres of the Congregation
"Come and See" and Sharing the Call
Ursuline schools of the Roman Union in Thailand
Angela Merici was born in a house beside the castle in the town of Desenzano del Garda around the year A.D. 1474 Her father was named Giovanni, of a late line of the Brescian nobility, and her mother was Caterina de Bianchi, originally from the town of Salo. The family later moved to the outskirts, to Le Grezze. The children, three boys and two girls, grew up there in freedom, between playful mischief and the dull daily work of the farm. Their high spirits, mixed with childish stubbornness, often damaged the neighbours’ fields, so that they had to pay fines to the local authorities several times.
Fiery fun mixed with kid's tenacity, as a result, the neighbors' farms were constantly damaged until causing fines to local government officials several times. And when her sister died suddenly Angela was worried, afraid that her sister's soul would not enter the eternal paradise. But she saw a vision that her sister had gone to heaven. At about the same time her father and mother died. She and her brother immigrated to Salo with her uncle Bianco de Bianchi, where her life improved. But she did not indulge in that convenience, but she became a member of the Franciscan Third Order in order to follow Jesus more closely, to receive Confession and Holy Communion more often. There was also a good reason to excuse herself to live simple life style, strict and practice various penances. She was commonly known as Mother Angela.
2-3 years later, she went back to Desenzano and began to carry out a strict daily life including work at the church, farm house, and other charity events. One day during the harvest time, she visualized visions as a ladder linking heaven and earth, a profound insight that was the mark of a group of virgins which she would have to establish someday in the Church.
ปี A.D. 1516 The Superior of the Franciscans sent her to the city of Brescia to comfort and counsel the noblewoman Caterina Patengola, who had just lost her husband and her two beloved sons. This was the beginning of Angela's mission, which gradually spread to embrace everyone who came to her for support, for help, for prayer, for her to act as a mediator, or for her to help bring about true peace.
As the lady gradually recovered and began to live normally again, Angela went to stay with a young merchant named Antonio Romano. She is said to have gone to Mantua to pray at the tomb of Blessed Osanna, then travelled on to the Sacro Monte at Varallo, and later in the year A.D. 1524 She travelled on pilgrimage to the Holy Land, a journey of more than six months in total, during which she faced many kinds of danger: bandits, pirates and storms. In the year A.D. 1525 She travelled to Rome to take part in the celebrations of the Jubilee, the Church's 25-year anniversary (Jubilee
ในปี A.D. 1529 Invading troops arrived, and many people fled the war as refugees. She took refuge with the family of Agostino Gallo, an agricultural engineer from Brescia. She also joined with his family and with several others in helping and sheltering those refugees at Cremona. There she met an exiled courtier named Francesco Sforza, Duke of Milan, who had wished to become acquainted with Angela while she was staying in Brescia and had asked her to pray for him at that time. When she returned to Brescia once more, she devoted herself to the service of God from that time onward.
Ladies of that time did not have the freedom to choose whatever they wanted especially in regard to their own future. The family was the decision maker both in marriage (Especially when she was poor) or being a religious in the monastery. (Especially when she was rich). Angela was inspired by the Holy Spirit, coupled with confidence in the potential of women, therefore established another status of life which was later certified by the Church law, that was ladies who lived chastity, living in the world too. Status of a close person, pursuing and living with the Son of God and were invited to be spiritual mothers. The reality of this free choice of one's own way of life was a great step towards the advancement of women. Even though there was no general activity to hold the members of the group together, they were not alone because these ladies were truly members of a spiritual bonded family with the rules to support,
Angela died on the date 27 January A.D. 1540 In the city of Brescia her body rests in a place of honour that the people built and dedicated to her.
Not long after her death the ladies who believed in her were all involved in the teaching of the Christian doctrine, and later taught reading and writing too in Italy. Many bishops founded groups of women of Saint Ursula in many places, but in France these women groups were transformed into religious communities instead, and later spread out across all continents to educate young women in boarding schools and day schools. In the following centuries, various groups of Ursulines took place in many places. These people all took Angela as their mother.
Angela Merici was canonised as a saint on the date 24 May A.D. 1807 Today they are known and held in devotion throughout the world, thanks to the groups of women of Saint Ursula which spread in many forms, to lay people who dedicate themselves, and to the varied development of the institutes of Ursuline sisters.
Although this Saint is somewhat of a character in the Third Order of Franciscan style of the Middle age, but she especially holds the hearts of women of all ages in the 21st century. She cultivates the seedlings of the church from a tiny grain which later grows and spreads out many branches such as daughters of St. Angela are everywhere in the world, those dedicate as Secular Ursulines and Ursuline religious, they are all Sisters who are united in love and faith to one Mother, who is Angela Merici.
May your holy name
be praised
More than the sand of the sea
More than the drops of rain from the sky
More than the dazzling constellation of ten thousand hundred billion stars
(Angela Merici)
One Hundred Years of the Ursulines in Thailand
Celebrating Saint Angela
Life of the Ursulines
Community Life
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Mater Dei House
Regina Chalee House
Vasudevi House
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