Calvi – A Return to the Origins

23/09/2025

In this jubilee year marking the 125th anniversary of the founding of the Roman Union of the Order of St. Ursula, the General Council, together with several sisters from the Italian Community and Sr. Bimla (General Prioress—Ursulines of Tildonk), made on 4 May 2025 a meaningful pilgrimage to Calvi dell’Umbria, Italy—a place deeply rooted in Ursuline history and identity.

Calvi holds a special place in Ursuline history. It is the site of the original Ursuline convent, where sisters lived and served for over 270 years, from 1718 to 1991. The convent was located in Palazzo Ferrini, a building constructed in 1606 by Demofonte Ferrini, a notary of the Holy See originally from Calvi. In his will, Ferrini stipulated that upon the extinction of his direct descendants, the palace would become the property of the municipality of Calvi, which was then to establish a convent within its walls.

Today, Palazzo Ferrini houses the municipal offices of Calvi, while the part once inhabited by the Ursulines has been transformed into a museum: the Monastero delle Suore Orsoline. This museum preserves the memory of the sisters’ daily life through its original features: perfectly preserved kitchens, a large cistern for collecting rainwater, laundry rooms, a woodshed, coal cellar, oil press, rooms for bread, cheese, and spices, two large ovens with dryers, and an oil store. These elements reflect a self-sufficient monastic microcosm, deeply rooted in simplicity and devotion.

Why is Calvi so significant in this Jubilee Year?

Before the formation of the Roman Union in 1900, which united 63 autonomous Ursuline convents, a smaller union had already begun. In 1891, three communities—Blois (France), Rome, and Calvi—initiated cooperation in response to growing challenges.

Following the unification of Italy in 1870, the Church faced persecution. Monasteries were stripped of their property, and religious communities were suppressed. The Ursulines of Via Vittoria in Rome were forbidden to accept novices, and when only six sisters remained, they were expelled. The community in Calvi faced similar hardships. Their chaplain reached out to the Ursulines in Blois for help.

Blois responded swiftly and compassionately. M. Aurelia and M. Marie de Saint Julien Aubry travelled to Rome to support the struggling community. In 1898, the Holy See approved the Blois-Rome-Calvi Union, and M. Marie de Saint Julien Aubry was elected Superior General, with temporary headquarters in Blois.

In 1899, Cardinal Serafino Vanutelli, on behalf of Pope Leo XIII, wrote to all bishops with Ursuline convents, encouraging them to propose a union. Cardinal Satolli also asked M. Marie de Saint Julien Aubry to write to all Ursuline houses, sharing the Pope’s wish.

This led to the first General Chapter of the Order of St. Ursula, held at Villa Maria in Rome on 15 November 1900. On 28 November, Pope Leo XIII verbally approved the Roman Union. The following day, M. Marie de Saint Julien Aubry was elected Superior General of the newly formed Union. On 4 December, the Pope received the members of the first General Chapter in a special audience.

A Place of Memory and Mission

Calvi holds a special place in the history of the Roman Union. It was also here that M. Marie de Saint Julien Aubry spent the final years of her life. In her room, she kept a painting of Our Lady of Good Counsel, so well-known to all Ursulines. Today, that same painting hangs in the office of the Prioress General, quietly linking past and present.

In this Jubilee Year, our return to Calvi is a return to our roots—a celebration of unity, resilience, and faith. It is a tribute to the women who, through courage and collaboration, laid the foundation for the Roman Union of the Order of St. Ursula.