Angela Merici was born in the city of Desenzano, Italy around the year 1474. At the age of ten, Angela was orphaned and was sent with her sister and brother to live with an uncle. In less than three years, Angela's sister died and the loss deeply touched Angela.
As Angela picked up the pieces of her life, she developed a deep spirituality and was blessed with visions of Christ. At the age of 15, Angela became a Franciscan tertiary and decided to live her life with great austerity and penitence by strictly following the original Rule written by St. Francis. As Angela grew older, she began to realize that she had a special calling to care for the education of young women. From her early childhood, Angela became disappointed whenever she met other children who were not graced with the opportunity for any education, especially those who received little or no religious formation. Angela was especially dismayed when she met young girls who were not educated because she saw them as some of the most important teachers to the next generation of Catholics in their roles as wives and mothers. This disappointment grew in to a ministry of caring for the education of young girls, especially girls who could not afford any education.
As Angela's work began to gain more recognition in the community, she began to attract other women who wished to also work in ministry to poor children. The group had few financial resources but they managed to found a school in the city of Desenzano. Angela was soon asked to repeat her model in other cities, and soon found herself the center of attention of the privileged, who had power and were feeding on her ideas. She was offered a position running a center for nursing sisters in Rome, but she declined because she felt awkward about her new celebrity status. She returned to her reevaluate the direction her ministry had taken.
At the age of 57, Angela invited twelve woman companions to come live with her and, along with other dedicated women in the community, they formed the Company of St. Ursula, the first order of religious women dedicated to teaching in the history of the Church. This order is better known as Ursuline sisters and is named in honor of St. Ursula, the medieval patron of girls' education. The Ursulines dedicated themselves to teaching, especially poor girls so they could grow up to be mothers who could properly raise their children fully educated in the Faith. St. Angela was elected to be the first superior of the order and held this position until her death at the age of 69 in 1540.
If according to times and needs you should be obliged to make fresh rules and change current things, do it with prudence and good advice. -St. Angela Merici
We must give alms. Charity wins souls and draws them to virtue. -Saint Angela Merici
As our Savior says: "A good tree is not able to produce bad fruit."
He says: A good tree, that is, a good heart as well as a soul on fire with charity, can do nothing but good and holy works. For this reason Saint Augustine said: "Love, and do what you will," namely, possess love and charity and then do what you will. It is as if he had said: Charity is not able to sin.
Mothers of children, even if they have a thousand, carry each and every one fixed in their hearts, and because of the strength of their love they do not forget any of them. In fact, it seems that the more children they have the more their love and care for each one is increased.
Be sincerely kind to every one according to the words of our Lord: "Learn of me, for I am meek and humble of heart." Thus you are imitating God, of whom it is said: "He has disposed all things pleasantly." And again Jesus said: "My yoke is easy and my burden light."
from Spiritual Testament by Saint Angela Merici