Advent with the Saints: Angela Merici

Advent with the Saints: Angela Merici

Many Catholics of my generation and older have been influenced by women religious who educated us as young Catholics. In my life, it was the Ursuline Sisters, founded in the early sixteenth century by Angela Merici. The Ursulines were the first Catholic women’s congregation devoted to teaching. Angela joined the lay Franciscan movement while still a young woman. She was attracted to a life of simplicity, and moved to work with poor children as a…