485th Anniversary of the Company of St Ursula

25/11/2020

On November 25 we celebrate Foundation Day. This day on 1535 the Company of St. Ursula was founded by St. Angela Merici after Mass at St. Afra’s Church in Brescia. It was on Saint Catherine’s feast.

“We remember the small, local event that took place in Brescia in 1535 – 485 years ago, an event which gave birth to the Company of St Ursula. We recall the twenty-eight women with Angela Merici whose names were registered in ‘the Book of the Company’, as a sign of their commitment to God and to each other.  While some of these names are recorded, many others have been lost through history. However, the spirit which they embodied, and which we have inherited has not been lost. The word ‘Company’ reminds us of the centrality of relationship in Angela’s vision – these women were to be ‘companions’. Mary-Cabrini Durkin reminds us of the implications of this word coming from its Latin origins – cum and panis - with and bread. The early members of the Company shared companionship; they were a group of women who shared bread and the daily experiences of life. From the beginning, supportive and respectful relationships were central to Angela’s vision. (Mary-Cabrini Durkin Angela Merici’s Journey of the Heart. Pg 49)”

From the Circular No. 303 of Sr Susan Flood, osu - Prioress General