Roman Union of the Order of St Ursula

On 28th November 1900, a group of Ursulines, meeting in Rome, established an international union of sisters  known as the Roman Union of the Order of St Ursula. 28 November - is the 112th Anniversary of the Roman Union, To see more click here.  This was in response to an invitation of Pope Leo XIII..At that time religious, who looked to St Angela as their foundress, lived mainly in autonomous convents.The Pope felt it would be to their mutual benefit to be linked together and it was, indeed, in keeping with Angela's dearest wish.In her Last Counsel she wrote:-

"Live in harmony, united together,all of one heart and one will."

Ursuline communities were free to join or not the Roman union.The first English house to join was Greenwich in 1905; it was attached to the Province of the West of France till the English Province was established in 1923. Next year we will be celebrating our 90th birthday! 

The head quarters of the Union is in Rome where our Mother General resides. The current General is Chinese, our first from the far east.Below is a picture of her.

Mother Cecilia

Foundation Day

Four hundred and seventy seven years ago today Angela Merici and twenty eight companions met for Mass in the church of St Afra in Brescia and then gave over their lives to Jesus by signing their names in a book. Thus was born the Company of St Ursula.

Today, daughters of St Angela are found in every continent of the world and number several thousands. From a small mustard seed, as Jesus tells us, can grow a vast tree.

We give thanks to God who has so blest Angela's YES to him.

Foundation of the Company of St Ursula
by an unknown artist

Notice the centrality of  the Holy Spirit. Angela  tells us in her Rule:

"above all...obey the counsels and inspirations which the Holy Spirit 

unceasingly sends into our hearts."

For information about the Company of St Ursula in Lancaster click  here

Election Of the Delegate

Today, the feast of the Presentation of Mary in the Temple, we ask her to pray with us as we prepare  to elect, tomorrow, the sister who will be the delegate from the English Province to the General Chapter.

The sister elected will be accompanied by by our Provincial, Sr Ann-Marie to Rome.. They go, not so much to represent us, as to contribute, on our behalf, to  the good of the whole international family of the Ursulines of the Roman Union. 

There will be sisters coming from every continent to the General Chapter. They will be happy to meet as Angela asked us to do, remembering her promise:

" I shall always be in your midst, helping your prayers."

Provincial Chapter

Tomorrow, 38 of us, Ursulines of the English Province, will be assembling for a week at the Emmaus Centre in West Wickham for our Provincial Chapter. This event takes place every six years and is a preparation for our General Chapter which is due to meet next year in Rome.

Our task will be to evaluate the past six years and to discern how God is calling us to be for the next six years. As Jesus walked with two disciples on that first Easter Sunday on their way to Emmaus,may He  walk with us. Please pray that we will hear his words burning in our hearts and be eager to rush out and share the Good News with others. Thank you.

Standing Steadfast

Today, the 16th of the month , as part of our preparation for our General Chapter,we pray specially for our sisters in Hungary and Roumania. These sisters have an inspiring history. They had to endure much pain and hardship under the communist regime yet they remained steadfast in their faith and commitment to Christ.

 Angela encourages us us to be courageous in difficult situations as Judith was when faced with the tyranny of Holofernes. I don't think, however, that we have to go round chopping off peoples' heads! 

Peace Maker

Today's news of the renewal of hostility between Israel and Palestine calls for much prayer for reconciliation.

We might turn to Angela for help. In her day she was known for her gift of peace -making. Antonio Romano, a contemporary, testified that Angela never lost an opportunity of making peace between people of all walks of life.He wrote: 

"She gave advice and consolation to each one to the best of her ability,so that her words seemed to have more of the divine about them than the human."

Freedom and Joy

In the Concluding Prayer for Vespers today we pray:

Defend us Lord, against every distress

so that unencumbered in body and soul,

we may devote ourselves to your service in

FREEDOM and JOY.

These qualities of freedom and joy are very characteristic of Angela's approach to life and underline much of what she writes. In the first chapter of her Rule on receiving  a candidate she says:

"she must enter joyfully and of her own will."

Once  a woman has joined the Company of St Ursula Angela expects this spirit of freedom to be maintained .She tells the leaders of the Company:

"be on your guard not to want to get anything done by force,

 because God has given free will to everyone,

 and wants to force no one,

but only proposes, invites and counsels."

3rd Legacy

And Angela expects this freedom  to find expression  in  a spirit of joy. She encourages us to 

"Rejoice together."

8th Legacy

Angela Pilgrim

It is three weeks since I journeyed south from the green hills of Lancashire to the Thames valley. Since the days of Angela, our foundress ,to be on the move runs in Ursuline blood . She was a keen pilgrim, internally and externally seeking God's will for her. Angela's travels took her far and near, including a perilous trip to the Holy Land, facing both pirates and storms at sea. My travels down the M6 were mild in comparison!

In paintings and statues Angela is often depicted  stepping out with her pilgrim staff. She was even buried with it! It  can  be seen  in her glass coffin in her sanctuary in Brescia.

Statue of St Angela in New Rochelle, USA

Lover and the Beloved

"God is the Lover and the Beloved. 

By responding to his love we share in his passion for humankind." 

These words of Andreas Andreopoulos occur in his book on the "Transfiguration of Christ". They echo sentiments dear to the heart of St Angela who calls Jesus:

"my Lover,or rather ours,the Lover of us all."

And in the prayer, given in her Rule, Angela shows her deep concern for the salvation of the world. She prays:

"Lord, in place of those poor creatures who do not know you, and do not care to be partakers  in your most sacred Passion,my hear breaks,and willingly ( if I could) I would shed my own blood to open the blind eyes of their minds."

November Mantra

Our November prayer mantra' in preparation for our General Chapter' comes from the writings of St Angela, it is:

"Have strong FAITH and HOPE"

Angela's faith and hope are grounded in her strong belief in God's loving providence for her and for others.In the Prologue to her Rule she writes: