The
Ursulines are a
Roman CatholicThe Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
religious orderA religious order is a lineage of communities and organizations of people who live in some way set apart from society in accordance with their specific religious devotion, usually characterized by the principles of its founder's religious practice. The order is composed of initiates and, in some...
for women founded at
BresciaBrescia is a city and comune in the region of Lombardy in northern Italy. It is situated at the foot of the Alps, between the Mella and the Naviglio, with a population of around 197,000. It is the second largest city in Lombardy, after the capital, Milan...
,
ItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, by
Saint Angela de MericiAngela Merici, or Angela de Merici, was an Italian religious leader and saint. She founded the Order of Ursulines in 1535 in Brescia.-Life:...
in November 1535, primarily for the education of girls and the care of the sick and needy. Their
patron saintA patron saint is a saint who is regarded as the intercessor and advocate in heaven of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, clan, family, or person...
is
Saint UrsulaSaint Ursula is a British Christian saint. Her feast day in the extraordinary form calendar of the Catholic Church is October 21...
.
History
St Angela de Merici spent 17 years leading a group of women known as the
"Company of St. Ursula," who regularly met for conferences and devotional practices but did not live together. They were recognized in 1544 by
Pope Paul IIIPope Paul III , born Alessandro Farnese, was Pope of the Roman Catholic Church from 1534 to his death in 1549. He came to the papal throne in an era following the sack of Rome in 1527 and rife with uncertainties in the Catholic Church following the Protestant Reformation...
. In 1572,
Pope Gregory XIIIPope Gregory XIII , born Ugo Boncompagni, was Pope from 1572 to 1585. He is best known for commissioning and being the namesake for the Gregorian calendar, which remains the internationally-accepted civil calendar to this date.-Youth:He was born the son of Cristoforo Boncompagni and wife Angela...
, at the instance of Saint Charles Borromeo, the Cardinal Archbishop of Milan, declared the Ursulines a religious order with enclosure under the rule of
Augustine of HippoAugustine of Hippo , also known as Augustine, St. Augustine, St. Austin, St. Augoustinos, Blessed Augustine, or St. Augustine the Blessed, was Bishop of Hippo Regius . He was a Latin-speaking philosopher and theologian who lived in the Roman Africa Province...
.
Ursulines were the main accusers in the
LoudunThe Loudun possessions were a group of supposed demonic possessions which took place in Loudun, France, in 1634. This case involved the Ursuline nuns of Loudun who were allegedly visited and possessed by demons: Father Urbain Grandier was convicted of the crimes of sorcery, evil spells, and the...
and
Aix-en-ProvenceIn 1611 at Aix-en-Provence , Father Louis Gaufridi was accused of causing demonic possession in the Ursuline nuns at Aix. He was found guilty and burned at the stake atop a pile of bushes, because they burned slower and hotter than logs. This case provided the legal precedent for the conviction and...
demonic possessionDemonic possession is held by many belief systems to be the control of an individual by a malevolent supernatural being. Descriptions of demonic possessions often include erased memories or personalities, convulsions, “fits” and fainting as if one were dying...
cases.
In the following century, the Ursulines were powerfully encouraged and supported by
Saint Francis de SalesFrancis de Sales was Bishop of Geneva and is a Roman Catholic saint. He worked to convert Protestants back to Catholicism, and was an accomplished preacher...
. In most cases, especially in
FranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, the sisters adopted enclosure and took solemn vows. They were called the "religious Ursulines" as distinct from the "congregated Ursulines," who preferred to follow the original plan.
Pre-History:
- 1535 November 25th marks founding of the Company of Saint Ursula with 28 companions, Ursuline Order founded by St. Angela Merici
- 1538 First General Chapter, Angela elected Mother for life
- 1539 Angela falls ill, dictates Testament and Counsels
- 1544 Pope Paul III formally approves the Company
Ursulines in North America
The Ursuline Sisters were the first Catholic nuns to land in the new world. In 1639, Mother Marie of the Incarnation (née
Marie GuyartMarie Guyart, known latterly as Marie de l'Incarnation, , was an Ursuline nun who was the religious foundress of the Ursuline order in New France. Marie Guyart was also known as Marie Martin when she got married to Mr. Martin.Born in Tours, France, Marie married Claude Martin and had a son before...
, b. 1599), two other Ursuline nuns, and a Jesuit priest left France for a mission to Canada. When they arrived in the summer of 1639, they studied the
language of the native peoplesThe Algonquian languages also Algonkian) are a subfamily of Native American languages which includes most of the languages in the Algic language family. The name of the Algonquian language family is distinguished from the orthographically similar Algonquin dialect of the Ojibwe language, which is a...
and then began to educate them. They taught reading and writing as well as needlework, embroidery, drawing and other domestic arts. The Ursuline Convent established by Mother Marie of the Incarnation is still inhabited by Ursuline Sisters in Quebec.
By 1639, there were Ursulines in
CanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
who taught the
catechismA catechism , i.e. to indoctrinate) is a summary or exposition of doctrine, traditionally used in Christian religious teaching from New Testament times to the present...
to indigenous children. There is also an
Ursuline conventThe Ursuline Convent of Quebec City, , founded in 1639, is the oldest institution of learning for women in North America...
in
Quebec CityQuebec , also Québec, Quebec City or Québec City is the capital of the Canadian province of Quebec and is located within the Capitale-Nationale region. It is the second most populous city in Quebec after Montreal, which is about to the southwest...
that is the oldest educational institution for women in North America. Their work helped to preserve a religious spirit among the French population and to Christianize native peoples and
MéstisMestis, , is the second-highest ice hockey league in Finland.The league was established in 2000 to replace the first division. Since 2000, Mestis has been the highest hockey league in Finland that can be reached with playing merits only; the SM-liiga was closed in 2000...
.
In 1727, 12 Ursulines from France landed in what is now New Orleans. (See also:
History of the Ursulines in New OrleansThe Ursulines have a long history in the city of New Orleans, Louisiana.As early as 1726, King Louis XV of France decided that three Ursuline nuns from Rouen should go to New Orleans to establish a hospital for poor sick people and to provide education for young girls of wealthy families; but the...
.) They were known commonly in the colony as the
Filles du' Casket or "casket girls" because of the wooden cases which contained their possessions on the trip from Rouen to the colony in the New World. When the first Ursulines arrived it was not on the banks of the Mississippi but at Mobile Alabama in 1719 (though information is contradictory from remaining and available sources). The entire group of Ursulines were the first Roman Catholic nuns in what is now the United States. Both properties were part of the French colony. They came to the country under the sanctions of Pope Pius III, and Louis XV France, later, their charter came under the jurisdiction of the United States following the Louisiana Purchase in 1803 .
They instituted a convent and school, both of which continue today. Ursuline Academy New Orleans is the oldest continually operating Catholic school in the United States and the oldest girls school in the United States. Convinced that the education of women was essential to the development of a civilized, spiritual and just society, the Ursuline Sisters influenced culture and learning in New Orleans by providing an exceptional education for girls, and women through its now defunct college.
The Ursuline tradition holds many United States firsts in its dedication to the growth of individuals, including the first female pharmacist, first woman to contribute a book of literary merit, first convent, first free school and first retreat center for ladies, first classes for female slaves (which continued until abolition), free women of color (a unique New Orleans group also known as
Creoles of ColorThe Creoles of Color are a historic ethnic group of Louisiana, especially the city of New Orleans.-History:During Louisiana’s colonial period, Creole referred to people born in Louisiana with ancestors from elsewhere; i.e., all natives other than Native Americans. They used the term to separate...
) and Native Americans. In the region, Ursuline provided the first center of social welfare in the Mississippi Valley. They also operated the first boarding school in Louisiana, housing and educating a large number of Catholic Hispanic girls and women from central and South American countries - most from economically and socially privileged families.Ursulines also operated the first school of music in New Orleans.
The Ursuline College opened on St. Charles Avenue in New Orleans' Garden District on the 100th anniversary of Ursuline Education. It taught women from 1927-1965. In 1965 the Ursuline College closed. Low enrollment, competition in the university district, and eliminating the school's program for foreign boarders were factors contributing to its demise.
The Old Ursuline Convent is located in the Vieux Carre (New Orleans' French Quarter).It is the oldest building in the Mississippi River Valley. The building now houses the Archdiocese of New Orleans' Archives as well as operating as a tourist attraction/ museum with public tours available almost daily (although one should check the schedule if planning to visit the Old Ursuline Convent) These Ursulines also worked in health care establishing one of the first hospital in Nouvelle Orleans and an orphanage.They treated malaria, yellow fever and slave populations when it was not politically or socially correct.The first pharmacist in the United States was an Ursuline woman practicing in New Orleans in the early 1700's.They had a well established presence as a hospital by the Revolutionary War period in US History .Ursuline sisters treated both British and United States Soldiers wounded in the war in the same building..They may have been the first group of women propagating the ideals of diversity in a society, as it was directly related to the teachings of St Ursula and her followers, the Company of St.Ursula (1535 a.c.e. and then by St.Angela Merici foundress of the Order generalate as is known today ( that is the Roman Order, as there are two: one "The Ursulines of the East" and " the Roman Order).
Ursuline nuns, primarily from France and Germany, settled in other parts of North America including
BostonBoston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
(1820),
Brown County, OhioAs of the census of 2000, there were 42,285 people, 15,555 households, and 11,790 families residing in the county. The population density was 86 people per square mile . There were 17,193 housing units at an average density of 35 per square mile...
(1845), Cleveland (1850),
New YorkNew York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
(1855),
LouisvilleLouisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
(1858),
Chatham, OntarioChatham is the largest community in the municipality of Chatham-Kent, Ontario. Formerly serving as the seat of Kent County, the governments of the former city of Chatham, the county of Kent, and its townships were merged into one entity known as the Municipality of Chatham-Kent in 1998.Located on...
(1860),
Bruno-Notable Names:Tyler Weiman -Notable Names:Tyler Weiman -Notable Names:Tyler Weiman (Professional Ice Hockey Goaltender for the Manitoba Moose of the American Hockey League-External links:...
(1916) and
Prelate-Notable people:*Ross Patterson Alger was an Alberta politician.*Mark Pederson is a former professional ice hockey left winger who played five seasons in the National Hockey League for the Montreal Canadiens, Philadelphia Flyers, San Jose Sharks, and Detroit Red Wings from 1989-1990 until...
(1919), both in Saskatchewan. These foundations spread to other parts of North America including
ToledoToledo is the fourth most populous city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Lucas County. Toledo is in northwest Ohio, on the western end of Lake Erie, and borders the State of Michigan...
, Youngstown, OH, Mount St. Joseph, Kentucky,
Santa Rosa, TexasSanta Rosa is a town in Cameron County, Texas, United States. The population was 2,833 at the 2000 census. It may be included as part of the Brownsville–Harlingen–Raymondville and the Matamoros–Brownsville metropolitan areas.-Geography:...
, and
Mexico CityMexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
. In 1771, the
IrishIreland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
Ursulines were established at
CorkCork is the second largest city in the Republic of Ireland and the island of Ireland's third most populous city. It is the principal city and administrative centre of County Cork and the largest city in the province of Munster. Cork has a population of 119,418, while the addition of the suburban...
by
Nano NagleHonora "Nano" Nagle founded the "Sisters of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary" in Ireland . Of the many schools founded by the Presentation Sisters - a number are named after Nano Nagle.- Family background and historical context :The time of Nagle's birth was one of dark sorrow for...
.
Towards the beginning of the 18th century, the period of its greatest prosperity, the Ursuline order embraced some 20 congregations, with 350
conventA convent is either a community of priests, religious brothers, religious sisters, or nuns, or the building used by the community, particularly in the Roman Catholic Church and in the Anglican Communion...
s and from 15,000 to 20,000
nunA nun is a woman who has taken vows committing her to live a spiritual life. She may be an ascetic who voluntarily chooses to leave mainstream society and live her life in prayer and contemplation in a monastery or convent...
s. The members wore a black dress bound by a leathern girdle, a black sleeveless cloak, and a close-fitting headdress with a white veil and a longer black veil.
The founder of the Order of St.Ursula was beatified by
Clement VIIIPope Clement VIII , born Ippolito Aldobrandini, was Pope from 30 January 1592 to 3 March 1605.-Cardinal:...
in 1768 and canonized as St. Angela Merici of Brescia by
Pius VIIPope Pius VII , born Barnaba Niccolò Maria Luigi Chiaramonti, was a monk, theologian and bishop, who reigned as Pope from 14 March 1800 to 20 August 1823.-Early life:...
in 1807.
Today, while some convents in
EuropeEurope is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, Canada, and
CubaThe Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
continue to observe strict cloister, most convents have adopted less restrictive forms.
Colleges and universities
In the
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, the Ursulines have founded two well-known
CatholicThe word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
women's colleges.
Ursuline CollegeFor the English Catholic Sports College, based in Westgate, see Ursuline College .Ursuline College is a small, Roman Catholic liberal arts women's college in Pepper Pike, Ohio. It was founded in 1871 by the Ursuline Sisters of Cleveland and is one of the oldest institutions of higher education for...
in
Pepper Pike,
OhioOhio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
was founded in 1871 by the Ursuline Sisters of
ClevelandCleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
. It was followed in 1904 by
College of New RochelleThe College of New Rochelle is a private Catholic college with its main campus located in New Rochelle, New York. The College of St. Angela was founded by the Order of the Ursulines as the first Catholic women's college in New York state in 1904, a time when women were generally excluded from...
, which is located in
New RochelleNew Rochelle is a city in Westchester County, New York, United States, in the southeastern portion of the state.The town was settled by refugee Huguenots in 1688 who were fleeing persecution in France...
,
New YorkNew York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
.
In 1919, the Ursulines founded a university-level
liberal arts collegeA liberal arts college is one with a primary emphasis on undergraduate study in the liberal arts and sciences.Students in the liberal arts generally major in a particular discipline while receiving exposure to a wide range of academic subjects, including sciences as well as the traditional...
for women in
LondonLondon is a city in Southwestern Ontario, Canada, situated along the Quebec City – Windsor Corridor. The city has a population of 352,395, and the metropolitan area has a population of 457,720, according to the 2006 Canadian census; the metro population in 2009 was estimated at 489,274. The city...
,
OntarioOntario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
,
CanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. Currently called
Brescia University CollegeBrescia University College is a Catholic liberal arts college for women located in London, Ontario, Canada. Affiliated with the University of Western Ontario, Brescia is the only university-level women's college in Canada...
(Brescia College at its foundation), it remains the only university-level college for women in Canada and is affiliated with the
University of Western OntarioThe University of Western Ontario is a public research university located in London, Ontario, Canada. The university's main campus covers of land, with the Thames River cutting through the eastern portion of the main campus. Western administers its programs through 12 different faculties and...
.
From 1922 to 1975 the
Mary Manse CollegeMary Manse College was a Catholic institution of higher education located in Toledo, Ohio from 1922 until 1975. The college was founded in 1922 at the request of the Bishop of Toledo, Samuel Stritch. Operated by the Ursuline Order of nuns, Mary Manse opened in September 1922 with thirty students...
in
ToledoToledo is the fourth most populous city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Lucas County. Toledo is in northwest Ohio, on the western end of Lake Erie, and borders the State of Michigan...
,
OhioOhio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
was operated by the Ursulines. It was a
women's collegeWomen's colleges in higher education are undergraduate, bachelor's degree-granting institutions, often liberal arts colleges, whose student populations are composed exclusively or almost exclusively of women...
until 1971, then was
coeducationMixed-sex education, also known as coeducation or co-education, is the integrated education of male and female persons in the same institution. It is the opposite of single-sex education...
al for its final four years.
In 1932, the Great Falls Junior College for Women was founded in
Great FallsGreat Falls is a city in and the county seat of Cascade County, Montana, United States. The population was 58,505 at the 2010 census. It is the principal city of the Great Falls, Montana Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Cascade County...
,
MontanaMontana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
. Now the
University of Great FallsThe University of Great Falls , a private Roman Catholic university located in Great Falls, Montana, is fully accredited by the Northwest Association of Schools and Colleges...
, it has an open admission policy.
The Mount Saint Joseph Junior College for Women operated between 1925 and 1950 in Maple Mount,
KentuckyThe Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
, with the Ursulines offering co-educational extension courses at Owensboro. The Ursulines merged their extension courses with Mount Saint Joseph Junior College in 1950, creating the co-educational
Brescia UniversityBrescia University is a coeducational Catholic university located in Owensboro, Kentucky, in the United States. It was founded in 1950 by the Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph as Brescia College. It attained university status in 1998 with the addition of Master's degree programs in...
still in operation today.
In 1966, the Ursulines established in
TaiwanTaiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
what became the
Wenzao Ursuline College of LanguagesThe Wenzao Ursuline College of Languages is the only college devoted to languages in Taiwan . It awards A.A., B.S., and B.A. degrees, and recently has started to offer a Master's degree program. Students from abroad can get a visa to study Chinese in Taiwan at Wenzao Ursuline, as it is one of the...
.
From 1968 to 2003 the Ursuline Order operated Ursula College at the Australian National University in Canberra, Australia. It is a co-educational residential college for approximately 200 undergraduates. In 2003 the college was sold to the University and was renamed
Ursula HallUrsula Hall is a fully catered undergraduate and postgraduate residential hall of The Australian National University. Its residents are drawn primarily from rural and regional Australia and from overseas.-History:...
. The Ursuline tradition has been retained in the Hall's high educational standards, retention of Ursuline symbols and livery, and the observance of St Ursula's day in October. St Ursula's day is celebrated as Ursies Weekend and is a final opportunity to relax and party before final exams are held in early November.
Secondary education
Ursuline
secondary educationSecondary education is the stage of education following primary education. Secondary education includes the final stage of compulsory education and in many countries it is entirely compulsory. The next stage of education is usually college or university...
schools are found across the United States and other countries. The first school,
Ursuline AcademyUrsuline Academy is a private, Roman Catholic, all-girls high school and elementary school in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States. It is located in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New Orleans...
, began in 1727 in
New Orleans, LouisianaNew Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...
. It is the oldest all girl's school in the country. There is also an Ursuline high school in the Bronx, the
Academy of Mount St. Ursula High SchoolThe Academy of Mount St. Ursula is a girls’ Catholic college preparatory school, established in 1855 in the East Morrisania section of the Bronx, New York. Since 1892, the school has been located at Bedford Park Boulevard and Bainbridge Avenue, two blocks east of the Grand Concourse, in the Bronx,...
, as which is the oldest all girls' Catholic high school in New York State. It was founded in 1855.
The Ursuline School in New Rochelle, New York is a school for girls in grades 6-12 and is closely affiliated with the nearby Iona Preparatory.
Other notable Ursuline secondary schools in the United States include the all-female
Ursuline Academy of DallasUrsuline Academy of Dallas is a Catholic college preparatory high school for girls located on Walnut Hill Lane, in the area around Preston Hollow in Dallas, Texas...
in
Dallas, TexasDallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
and the all-female Ursuline Academy in
Wilmington, DelawareWilmington is the largest city in the state of Delaware, United States, and is located at the confluence of the Christina River and Brandywine Creek, near where the Christina flows into the Delaware River. It is the county seat of New Castle County and one of the major cities in the Delaware Valley...
.
Also in Newham, in London, UK, is the all-female girl school
St. Angela'sSt Angela's Ursuline School is a Catholic secondary school for girls located in Forest Gate, East London, United Kingdom. Its recent GCSE pass rate of five or more A* - C grades is 93.0%. The school was ranked by The Guardian as 37th out of 423 comprehensives and academies in England and has been...
, named after the founder of the Ursulines. The sixth form centre of the school allows males while the school does not. The same applies to the Ursuline High School in Wimbledon, which has recently been selected as a Regional Winner- "London Secondary" in the Church School Awards 2011 . The Ursuline College, (Westgate-on-Sea), is also part of the order, and is open to male and female students.
The British philosopher and author
Celia GreenCelia Elizabeth Green is a British writer on philosophical skepticism, twentieth-century thought, and psychology.- Biography :...
has written extensively about her time at the
Ursuline High SchoolThe Ursuline High School, Wimbledon is a Roman Catholic secondary school, for girls aged 11 to 19, based in Crescent Road and The Downs, Wimbledon, London. The school has a joint sixth form with the all-boys brother school of Wimbledon College that is situated on Edge Hill...
in
IlfordIlford is a large cosmopolitan town in East London, England and the administrative headquarters of the London Borough of Redbridge. It is located northeast of Charing Cross and is one of the major metropolitan centres identified in the London Plan. It forms a significant commercial and retail...
, London.. St. Angela de Merici inspired the Ursuline Sisters to provide young women with an opportunity to achieve their full potential. Throughout their lives, students continue to remain part of the Ursuline community and continue to carry forward the legacy of St. Angela de Merici, by serving their society
Like their colleges, not all Ursuline secondary schools have remained single-sex. The aforementioned Ursuline Academy in Delaware permits male students in grades 1-3, and
Ursuline High SchoolUrsuline High School is a private Catholic coeducational secondary school located in Youngstown, Ohio. Founded in 1905 by the Ursuline Sisters, it was an all-women's academy until 1930. The north side school is owned and operated by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Youngstown...
in
Youngstown, OhioYoungstown is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Mahoning County; it also extends into Trumbull County. The municipality is situated on the Mahoning River, approximately southeast of Cleveland and northwest of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania...
, founded in 1905, is fully co-educational. Other Ursuline secondary schools in the United States include Beaumont School in
Cleveland Heights, OhioCleveland Heights is a city in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, United States, a suburb of Cleveland. The city's population was 46,121 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Cleveland Heights is located at ....
(founded in 1850); Ursuline Academy in San Antonio, TX (founded 1851 - closed 1992);
Ursuline AcademyUrsuline Academy is a four-year college-preparatory private girls’ Catholic high school founded by the Ursuline sisters of Brown County, Ohio in 1896...
in
Cincinnati, OhioCincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
(founded in 1898);
St. Ursula AcademySt. Ursula Academy, located in the East Walnut Hills neighborhood of Cincinnati, Ohio, is a Catholic college-preparatory high school for young women that offers an intensive four-year program in the fields of English, mathematics, science, social studies, French, Spanish, Latin, and religion. An...
in Cincinnati, Ohio;
Ursuline AcademyUrsuline Academy is a private, all-girls' Roman Catholic high school in St. Louis, Missouri. It is located in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Saint Louis.-Background:...
in Saint Louis, Missouri (founded in 1848); the
Ursuline Academy of DedhamUrsuline Academy is an independent college preparatory day school for young women in grades 7–12. Located in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston, USA, it is owned and operated by the Ursuline Sisters, a worldwide teaching order. The academy is a private Catholic school located on a...
in
Dedham, MassachusettsDedham is a town in and the county seat of Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 24,729 at the 2010 census. It is located on Boston's southwest border. On the northwest it is bordered by Needham, on the southwest by Westwood and on the southeast by...
;
Ursuline High SchoolUrsuline High School is a private, Roman Catholic, all-girls high school in Santa Rosa, California. It is located in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Santa Rosa in California.-Background:Ursuline High School was established in 1880 by the Ursuline Sisters...
in
Santa Rosa, CaliforniaSanta Rosa is the county seat of Sonoma County, California, United States. The 2010 census reported a population of 167,815. Santa Rosa is the largest city in California's Wine Country and fifth largest city in the San Francisco Bay Area, after San Jose, San Francisco, Oakland, and Fremont and 26th...
(founded in 1880);
Ursuline Academy in Springfield, IllinoisUrsuline Academy in Springfield, Illinois, was a Catholic high school that operated from 1857 until 2007. In its final years it was affiliated with Springfield College in Illinois . Ursuline Academy billed itself as a college preparatory school...
(founded 1857), which was coed from 1981 until it closed in 2007; and St. Joseph's Ursuline Academy in Malone, NY (closed in 1977 and was also coed at least from the mid-1960s). There is also an Ursuline secondary school in Thurles, Co. Tipperary, Waterford, Blackrock, Co. Cork and Sligo, Ireland, which have remained fully single sex.
Notable alumni of Ursuline schools
---these need to be moved to specific schools. If new articles are needed, the article can be a stub with just the notable filled in. They don't belong here.----
- Melinda Gates
Melinda Ann French , later known as Melinda French Gates, is an American businesswoman and philanthropist. She is the wife of Bill Gates...
, Philanthropist, businesswoman, wife of Bill GatesWilliam Henry "Bill" Gates III is an American business magnate, investor, philanthropist, and author. Gates is the former CEO and current chairman of Microsoft, the software company he founded with Paul Allen...
- Celia Green
Celia Elizabeth Green is a British writer on philosophical skepticism, twentieth-century thought, and psychology.- Biography :...
, British philosopher and author
- Rula Lenska
Rula Lenska is an English actress. Best known for her work in the United Kingdom, she is remembered in the United States for a television advert that presented her as a celebrity, even though she was not widely known in the US at the time the advert was produced.She has appeared extensively on...
, British actress
- Máiréad Nesbitt
Máiréad Nesbitt is a Classical and Celtic music performer, most notably as a fiddler and violinist. She is currently the fiddler for the group Celtic Woman.- Background :...
, Irish musician
- St.Maguerite d'Youville+
+
Mary LandrieuMary Loretta Landrieu is the senior United States Senator from the State of Louisiana and a member of the Democratic Party.Born in Arlington, Virginia, Landrieu was raised in New Orleans, Louisiana...
US Senator, Class of 1973 Ursuline Academy New Orleans ( not certain whether Skip,,Mac or Sioux ?)
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See also
- Ursulines of Quebec
The Ursuline Convent of Quebec City, , founded in 1639, is the oldest institution of learning for women in North America...
(includes Ursulines museum)
- Ecole des Ursulines, Quebec
The Ecole des Ursulines, known in English as the School of the Ursulines, is among North America's oldest schools. Still operating as a private girls school, it was founded in 1639 by French nun Marie de l'Incarnation and laywoman Marie-Madeline de Chauvigny de la Peltrie...
- Dorothy Kazel
Dorothy Kazel was an American Ursuline nun and missionary to El Salvador. On December 2, 1980, she and fellow missionaries Ita Ford, Jean Donovan and Maura Clarke were raped and murdered by members of the military of El Salvador.-Life and work:Kazel was born Dorthea Lu Kazel to Lithuanian American...
- Ursuline Convent Riots
The Ursuline Convent Riots were riots that occurred on August 11 and August 12, 1834 in Charlestown, Massachusetts, near Boston in what is now Somerville, Massachusetts. During the riot, a convent of Roman Catholic Ursuline nuns was burned down by a Protestant mob...
- Congregation of the Ursulines of the Agonizing Heart of Jesus (Grey Ursulines)
The Congregation of the Ursulines of the Agonizing Heart of Jesus, also known as the Grey Ursulines, is a Catholic order founded by Saint Ursula Julia Ledochowska in Poland. At present the Congregation consists of over 900 sisters in 12 countries...
- Society of the Sisters of Saint Ursula of the Blessed Virgin
The Society of the Sisters of Saint Ursula of the Blessed Virgin is a Roman Catholic religious congregation of women founded in 1606 at Döle , France, by the Venerable Anne de Xainctonge...
Further reading
- Querciolo Mazzonis, "A female idea of religious perfection: Angela Merici and the Company of St Ursula (1535-1540)," Renaissance Studies, 18,3 (2004), 391-411.
- Emily Clark (ed), Voices from an American Convent: Marie Madeleine Hachard and the New Orleans Ursulines, 1727-1760 (Baton Rouge, Louisiana State University Press, 2007).
- Q. Mazzonis, "The Impact of Renaissance Gender-Related Notions on the Female Experience of the Sacred: The Case of Angela Merici's Ursulines," in Laurence Lux-Sterritt and Carmen Mangion (eds), Gender, Catholicism and Spirituality: Women and the Roman Catholic Church in Britain and Europe, 1200-1900 (Basingstoke, Palgrave Macmillan, 2011),
External links