Feast of Saint Angela Merici

Council of Trent Issue Saint Angela Merici Scott 111 (1946) January 27th is the feast day of Saint Angela Merici, the religious educator who founded the Company of Saint Ursula in 1535 in Brescia, Italy. As a result of her role in the foundation of this new order during the time of the Catholic Reformation, she is honored on one of the stamps of the Council of Trent series, which is shown above. Angela Merici was born on March 21, 1474, on a farm near Desenzano del Garda, in the Lombardy region of Italy. Her parents died when she was ten years old, and she and her older sister, Giana Maria, went to live with their uncle in the town of Salò. While still a teen, she made the commitment to a religious life and joined the Third Order of St. Francis. Before turning 20, both her sister and her uncle died, and she returned to Desenzano. In 1535, Angela, along with 12 young women, met in Brescia and committed themselves to the founding of the Company of Saint Ursula, named for the fourth-century virgin and martyr who is the patroness of female students. Also known as the Ursuline Order, the group focused on the education of girls and was the first teaching order for women. The students wore no special habit and took no religious vows but were educated to follow a model life of Christian virtue. "Saint Angela Merici" by Pietro Calzavacca (mid 19th century) Merician Museum, Brescia, Italy From Wikimedia Commons, in the Public Domain Angela Merici died in Brescia on January 27, 1540. At the time of her death, there were 24 communities of the Company of Saint Ursula serving the Catholic Church throughout the region. Her Rule of Life was approved by Pope Paul III in 1544. Saint Angela was canonized in 1807, and over time many Ursuline schools have been are established around the world, especially in the United States. In addition to the Council of Trent stamp depicting Saint Angela Merici, Vatican City issued a three-stamp set in 1990 to commemorate the 450th anniversary of her death: Saint Angela Merici: 450th Anniversary of Death Scott 850-852 (1990) REFERENCES: Wikipedia, Angela Merici Thomas Crimando, Vatican Notes, Volume 39, Number 1, page 1, 1990, New Issues Vatican Philatelic Society website, www.vaticanstamps.org, Stamp Database Search