St. Ursula

Ursula and her companions, 4th century virgin martyrs of Cologne, touched the deepest aspirations of St. Angela by their faith, their virginity, their fidelity, and their courage, even to the shedding of their blood. In Ursula, Angela chose a patron for her Company who embodied the ideals she and her companions would strive to live by eleven centuries later.

Today it is primarily through legend, sacred art and institutions dedicated to God under St. Ursula’s patronage that we know something of this Christian woman, virgin and martyr of the 4^th century and the spirit she engendered.

The legend we share is as follows: Ursula was the only child of a Christian king and queen in Britain. She dedicated herself to Christ at an early age. A neighboring pagan ruler sought to annex her parents’ realm by forcing a marriage between Ursula and the ruler’s son. Inspired in a dream, Ursula offered a creative plan: delay the marriage three years while she and ten young female companions made a voyage, each accompanied by another thousand girls. Ursula was their captain and leader in faith. She saw this adventure as an opportunity to lead them, and her suitor as well, to Christ. Another dream invited her to make the journey a pilgrimage to Rome and revealed that she would face martyrdom on her return trip. Her companions unanimously decided to join her in the Christian faith and on the road ahead. (1)

Angela Merici’s Journey of the Heart: The Rule, The Way by Mary-Cabrini Durkin, p. 274