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| Statue of St. Angela Merici in Desenzano, Italy Photo by Luigi Chiesa |
History
Angela Merici became a Franciscan
because of her love for God. In 1524, she took a trip to the Holy Land because
she wanted to be where Jesus had been while He was on earth. On the way, she
suddenly became blind. She didn’t let that stop her from making the trip. She
decide to “see” the Holy Land with her heart. On the way back, Angela was cured
while she was praying in front of a crucifix. This taught her to see what God
wanted her to see. So when Pope Clement VII asked her to lead an order of
nursing sisters, she told him quite confidently that what God wanted her to do
was provide poor girls with an education at a time when education was only for
the rich.
Activity
Saint Angela Merici was one of the
first people who wanted poor people to get a good education. That might sound
strange today, particularly in the U.S. and other countries where there is free
public education, but it was a new idea when she was alive. Today, make a
donation to your parish school’s scholarship fund to help a poor family give
their child a Catholic education. Any amount will help. (If your parish does
not have a school, contact your diocese to find one in an area where they may
be people in need).
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