January 27 2021 - St. Angela Merici - Let love for others be intense

 Angela Merici was born on March 21, 1474.  Out of love for Jesus, she consecrated herself to him before she was ten years old and persuaded her sister to do the same—promising never to get married and to live a life of prayer and service.  As she grew in age, she became concerned by the lack of religious training of the young people, so she took it upon herself to give regular instruction to the young neighborhood girls.  She was joined by neighborhood women with similar ideals.

It wasn’t until the age of 61 that she, and 28 other women formed the Order of Ursulines, the first teaching order of religious sisters in the history of the Church. St. Angela and the Ursulines were dedicated to re-christianizing family life through solid Christian education, especially for young girls who were the future Christian wives and mothers.  The Company of St. Ursula spread throughout Italy and France and eventually through all of Europe.  They were the very first Catholic nuns to land in the new world.  

Before Cleveland was even a diocese, Father Amadeus Rappe, who would become the first bishop of Cleveland was chaplain to the Ursulines in the town of Boulogne-sur-Mer in France. When in 1847, he became the first Bishop of Cleveland, it was among his top priorities to establish schools.   So, he invited the Ursulines from Boulogne-sur-Mer to begin a foundation in Cleveland and to start the Catholic school system in north eastern Ohio. 

St. Angela knew the importance of passing on the faith, taking serious efforts in the lives of children to instill in them faith in Jesus Christ.  She was a woman of action whose efforts changed Church history, When she saw the ignorance of the children in her neighborhood, she didn’t just wring her hands or complain, she went out and taught them.

Like St. Paul who we celebrated on Monday, timothy and titus who we celebrated yesterday, St. Angela knew the importance of passing on the faith to the younger generation, and did something about it. She emulates many of those virtues St. Peter writes about in his first letter: sober minded, hospital, loving of others with intensity, a steward of God’s manifold grace, one who despite her challenges, served God with the strength that God supplied. Her concern for the young was a concern for the Lord Himself. She loved others intensely because she loved him intensely.

May we do the same, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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As we celebrate Catholic Schools Week, next week, we pray for all students in Catholic schools, that the Spirit of God may grant them the gifts of wisdom and understanding, and that teachers may share their knowledge with gentleness, patience, and competence. 

For parents, the first teachers of their children, that by their faith and love, they may be blessings to their families, and for a strengthening of all families in faith. 

In Thanksgiving for the Ursuline Order, for their efforts to instill faith in our Diocese over the decades.

For all the needs of the sick and the suffering, the homebound, those in nursing homes and hospitals, the underemployed and unemployed, immigrants and refugees, victims of natural disaster, war, and terrorism, for all those who grieve the loss of a loved one, and those who will die today, for their comfort, and the consolation of their families.

For all who have died, and for all the poor souls in purgatory, and for X. for whom this Mass is offered.

Incline your merciful ear to our prayers, we ask, O Lord, and listen in kindness to the supplications of those who call on you. Through Christ our Lord

January 27 2020 - St. Angela Merici - Catholic Schools Week

We begin Catholic Schools Week this year celebrating the feast day of one of the great Patron Saints of Catholic education, St. Angela Merici. St. Angela lived about 500 years ago. Out of love for Jesus, she consecrated her life to him from a very young age—promising never to get married and to live a life of prayer and service and she convinced her sisters to do the same.

Around the age of 10, Angela’s parents and one of her sisters died. So she moved to a nearby town to live with her uncle. One day, she was out in a field, when she had a vision of heaven. She saw angels and young women coming toward her singing and surrounded by light.  One of the young girls was Angela’s sister who had died, and she told Angela that God wanted her to form a group of women consecrated to the Lord for doing God’s work.

After her vision, she became deeply concerned for the religious education of the children in her native town. She was saddened because they did not love the Lord Jesus as they should, so she took it upon herself to give regular religious instruction to the children. She was soon joined by other women from the neighborhood who shared a similar calling.

Together with these women, St. Angela formed the Order of Ursulines, the first religious order of religious sisters in Church history dedicated primarily to teaching. St. Angela and the Ursulines dedicated their lives to teaching children about Jesus. St. Angela’s Ursulines spread throughout Italy and France and eventually throughout all of Europe and they were the very first Catholic nuns in the United States.

When Catholics spread to Cleveland, our first Bishop, Bishop Amadeus Rappe knew that establishing Catholics schools was a top priority. He invited the Ursulines to Cleveland to start the Catholic school system here in northeast Ohio. St. Angela’s Ursulines have been a blessing to the Church of Cleveland for over 170 years.

St. Angela knew the importance of helping people to know, love, and follow Jesus which is the primary mission of Catholic Schools. She was a woman of action whose efforts changed world history. When she saw the ignorance of the children in her neighborhood, she didn’t just wring her hands or complain, she went out and taught them.

She is a wonderful saint to celebrate and imitate during this Catholic Schools Week.  Now she prays for all Catholic school children from her place near God in heaven and for all of us, that we may learn everything we can about Jesus, that we may love him and follow him and spread that faith to others, for the glory of god and salvation of souls.

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As we begin Catholic Schools Week, we pray for all students, that the Spirit of God may grant them the gifts of wisdom and understanding, and that teachers may share their knowledge with gentleness, patience, and competence.

For parents, the first teachers of their children, that by their faith and love, they may be blessings to their families, and for a strengthening of all families in faith.

In Thanksgiving for the Ursuline Order, for their efforts to instill faith in our Diocese over the decades.

For all the needs of the sick and the suffering, the homebound, those in nursing homes and hospitals, the underemployed and unemployed, immigrants and refugees, victims of natural disaster, war, and terrorism, for all those who grieve the loss of a loved one, and those who will die today, for their comfort, and the consolation of their families.

For all who have died, and for all the poor souls in purgatory, and for X. for whom this Mass is offered.

Incline your merciful ear to our prayers, we ask, O Lord, and listen in kindness to the supplications of those who call on you. Through Christ our Lord