St Ursula

Recently, I was asked to give a short presentation on St Ursula to some staff members. What follows is the text that accompanied a powerpoint presentation. For reasons of copyright the slides are not included here. Although references to two books are given early in the document, no referencing is included in the text as it was not originally done for publication. What follows is my personal plagiarised synthesis of the various soucres that have not been appropriately acknowledged. Hence the document is not for broader publication.


St Ursula: In many ways it seems easier at first to speak of St Angela – at least we know for certain that St Angela existed!!!! St Ursula, if she did exist, dates back to the 4th century C.E. However, the veneration of St Ursula is historical fact and can be identified as spreading from Cologne as early as the 9th or 10th century. What other historical evidence is there for St Ursula herself?

After the bombing of the Basilica of St Ursula during the second World War, archaeologists were able to excavate under the apse of the Church. First they got back to a Romanesque wall and alterations dating to the 10th century. The current Church of St Ursula stands on the site of an enormous Roman cemetery, outside the then city walls of Cologne.
Digging further underneath this area, archaeologists discovered the foundations of the Basilica of Clematius. The inscription in the earlier Clematian Basilica on the site indicates that a certain Clematius was guided to the site by some heavenly apparition around the year 400 AD and, in fulfillment of a vow he had made, erected a church on the site where holy virgins had been martyred for Christ. The legend of St Ursula originates from this fact.
Digging further they found evidence of an even earlier church on the site clearly prior to 350 CE and built on a Roman cemetery.
A reliquary tomb of the 10th century was discovered among the ruins of the Clematian basilica. In this reliquary wer eleven “Loculi” – which must have served to house human remains after they had been exhumed.
The reliquary points to virgins martyred in the early 4th century, possibly under the Diocletian or Maximian persecutions. It also exonerates Attila and the Huns of the fifth century.
The people of Cologne connected these 11 “loculi” to the tradition of St Ursula and added 1000 companions to each one. These 11 had no name.
In a Martyrology by Wanndelbert of Prum in 848, there is allusion to thousands of Martyrs. The date of 21 October was fixed for the commemoration of these martyrs and from the 9th century onwards they appeared in martyrologies, calendars and liturgies bearing witness to a special cult of martyrs in Cologne.
So there is not much to run with historically. But are the facts important? Does it matter?

Sources: “Follow the Spirit”: Angela Merici and the Ursulines pp.23-27

Angela Merici. Contribution towards a Biography by L.Mariani, E. Tarolli &
M.Seynaeve Editrice Ancora Milano 1986 pp.258 – 269.



A year or two ago Margaret Throsby on ABC radio interviewed a writer who had just published a book on the historical facts associated with Gallipoli, because already our mythologising was distorting the historical data of the event. But doesn’t the process of mythologising allow, and even require, a ‘certain historical licence?”
However, it seems that sometimes the historical facts become so blurred that we risk losing all connection to the historical event and our mythology suddenly lacks a foundation, threatening to topple down on us. We have seen this in the drive or quest to find the historical Jesus. For some, alarm bells were ringing after centuries of theology heavily focused on the divinity of Jesus to the exclusion of his humanity.
But the Gospels aren’t historical records (eyewitness accounts). Rather the testimony of the Gospels is to the meaning of historical events. The Gospels are a confession of meaning. Perhaps this also is what “mythologising” does – it attempts to focus on the meaning of the historical event.
And if we didn’t attend to the meaning of an event, but rather prosaically stayed only with the historical data, we would run the risk of being guilty of T.S. Elliott’s charge: “They had the experience but missed the meaning”!
Clearly in life, there are some historical events that, for the collective imagination have a meaning “larger than life itself”. I suggest that whatever the historical event of “virgins being martyred” on the site of the Basilica of St Ursula in Cologne, albeit in the early 4th century, let’s not miss the meaning or significance of that event. In the minds of the people of Cologne, this event had significance and meaning for them beyond the norm. Only a legendary telling of the story can capture such meaning or significance. Therefore, I’m happy to “indulge” the legend of St Ursula. Besides which, It is an infinitely more engaging story, imbued with symbols, that point to the meaning given to some historical incidence by the people of Cologne. And we are heirs to the meaning of that event. So to the legend.

There are many sources for telling the story. However, one source is a visual one, namely a series of paintings done by Vittore Carpaccio.

For the story, I’m going to tell it using the paintings of Carpaccio in the Academia in Venice, that some of us have seen. In 1488 the Confraternity of St Ursula in Venice decided to commission a series of large canvases recounting the story of St Ursula. Vittore Carpaccio was commissioned to do the work. The legend of the northern saint Ursula was extremely popular in the Middle Ages and had been the subject of several pictorial cycles. Carpaccio drew his inspiration for the cycle from the Lives of the Saints (Legenda Aurea) published in Venice in an Italian translation in 1475.
In painting the nine canvases, today in the Academia in Venice, Carpaccio was not able to follow the chronological order of the story, he was forced to paint the scenes in the order that the wallspace was available for him. He begun working in 1490 and completed the cycle in 1496.
The elements of the story: the arrival of the ambassadors of the pagan King of England at the Court of the Christian King of Brittany, to ask for the hands of his daughter Ursula for the son of their Lord (canvas No. 1 – this slide); the conditions Ursula sets out before accepting the marriage proposal (canvas No. 2); the ambassadors return to the English Court (canvas No. 3); the farewells and Ursula's pilgrimage (canvas No. 4); the dream in which Ursula is forewarned of her martyrdom (canvas No. 5); her encounter with Pope Cyriacus in Rome (canvas No. 6); her arrival in Cologne, occupied by the Huns (canvas No. 7); the slaughter of the pilgrims and Ursula's funeral (canvas No. 8); St Ursula in glory above the host of martyrs (canvas No. 9).
http://www.wga.hu/frames-e.html?/html/c/carpacci/1ursula/index.html

This scene is The Arrival of the English Ambassadors.
The story begins with a king and queen in ancient Britain who desired a son, but instead had a daughter. This daughter had the heart of a man and the king and queen believed God wanted them to call her Ursula, because one day she would strangle the devil as David had strangled a bear – Ursula means “little bear”. Raised as both a “royal” and a Christian, Ursula desire “spiritual marriage” or commitment exclusively to Christ. But the son of a barbarian and neighbouring king, desired her hand in marriage.

In the top right hand corner we have Ursula considering the proposal. She agrees on the following conditions:
• Her father and fiancé would choose 10 companions for her; and for each one they were to add another 1000 companions;
• They would procure 11 ships and
• Allow them three years to dedicate their virginity to Christ
• And the young prince to receive religious instruction and be baptised.

The Ambassadors return to the English Court (Canvas 2) and To Ursula’s surprise her conditions are accepted.

The meeting of the Betrothed and departure of the pilgrims (Canvas 4). As all agreed to her proposal, she set sail with her 11000 companions. Ursula converted all her companions. In a single day their ships reached Gaul and from there they went on to Cologne. They continued onto Basel and from Basel to Rome on foot.


The Dream of St Ursula – Canvas 5. In a dream, Ursula was reassured that she would return to Cologne and receive there the palm of martyrdom.

The Pilgrims meet the Pope (Canvas 6). In the legend, Pope Cyriacus, being British himself, was overjoyed to meet Ursula and her companions. So impressed by them was he, that he resigned his office of pope, appointed someone in his place and returned to Cologne with Ursula. (The pope named in the legend historically did not exist!). That night he too had a dream that he would be martyred with Ursula and her companions in Cologne. At the time, two Roman warriors, Maximus and Africanus, seeing the crowds of young women being joined by other women and men, they feared the growing strength of the Christian religion. Therefore, they spied to discover the pilgrims route and assembled an army to kill them on their arrival back in Cologne. Meanwhile, Ursula’s fiancé had also had a dream in which he was told to encourage his mother to become a Christian and to meet his fiancée in Cologne to win the crown of martyrdom with her. His mother was baptized, and he travelled with his mother and younger sister to Cologne where they, too, were martyred with Ursula and her companions.

The Martyrdom of the Pilgrims and the Funeral of St Ursula (Canvas 8). The leader of the barbarians was taken with Ursula’s beauty and offered her to be his wife. Feeling insulted he angrily thrust his arrow through her, thus completing the martyrdom of 11000 young women!

The Apotheosis of St Ursula (Canvas 9).


Fantastic story – dreams, nobility, legendary materiality. But somehow real. Always St Ursula is represented wearing ermine and a crown and carrying an arrow and palm branch, symbolising royalty, martyrdom and victory respectively. This particular story somehow captured people’s imagination. Royalty: It was a courtly era. Psalm 45 “Hear, O Daughter, consider and incline your ear, forget your people and your father’s house, and the king will desire your beauty. Since he is your Lord bow to him.” Ursula’s story reflects a profound hearing of these words and a taking of them to heart. They well capture her spirit. For Angela, true nobility derived not from courtly earthly status but rather from the integrity of one’s interior relationship to God and the living out of that relationship in everyday life. True nobility existed in the respect and esteem accorded to all. Living in this manner Angela told the members of her company that they would all be “queens in heaven” (Rule: Prolouge v17). Royalty is on offer to all – the achievement of it is to be earned. The nobility Ursula lived out was akin to the description of Jesus in Phil.2:6-11 – one of self emptying in humility and service.
Likewise St Angela also promoted a self-emptying humility and service. In her address to the Colonelle, she reminded them in the First Counsel not to consider themselves worthy of being leaders, but rather as ministers and servants. She reminds us of Christ’s words that he was among us as one who serves rather than one who is to be served. In this is the essence of true nobility.

The arrow and palm signify Ursula’s courageous fidelity. The palm of victory represents a “spiritual victory”, a victory of good over evil. It reminds us of the words of St Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians: “we preach a crucified Christ” – 1 Cor. 1:23.


She was a leader of young people. Ursula converted all her companions. The standard she carries is yet another symbol typical of portrayals of her, bearing the cross of a warrior. Is it any wonder that so many educational institutions were named in her honour.

This image of St Ursula and Companions by Moretto is to be found in the Church of San Clemente in Brescia. The church is near the house of Agostino Gallo with whom Angela lived for some years. The Holy Spirit is symbolised by a dove in the centre of this picture at the top. In yet another image:


We notice the heads are all on one level, just as in Moretto’s painting of St Ursula, indicating equality and respect – no one more important than the other. The folds of her cloak or mantle protects all of them. Images of Ursula often depict the folds of her mantle or cloak protecting those around her. For St Angela, respect and equality were essential in the relationships among the members of her Company. Rules to limit flounces and frills were about no one gaining more respect or esteem because of these. Rather for Angela everyone was to be esteemed, respected and loved equally for no one knows what God might wish them to become. Angela would say:
“The more you esteem them, the more you will love them; the more you love them, the more you will care for and watch over them.” (Counsels, Prologue, 10)

“Love them equally. Do not prefer one more than another, because they are all creatures of God and you do not know what he wants to make of them… who can judge the heart and innermost secret thoughts of any creature? And so hold them in your love and bear with them equally” (8th Counsel, vv.1-2, 4-5)

Live in harmony, united together, all of one heart and one will. Be bound to one another by the bond of charity, esteeming each other, helping each other, bearing with each other in Jesus Christ.” (Last Counsel vv.1-2)




Boat: guide to a safe harbour.
From the thirteenth to the fifteenth centuries, associations called “Ursula confraternities” emerged in which lay men and women joined together, encouraged by bishops and members of religious orders. In these associations, called “Ursula boats” the members hoped that by prayer and good works they would be assured of a safe passage to their “heavenly harbour”.

Ursula means “little bear”. The Little Bear constellation on the Serviam Badge used in many Ursuline schools picks up the same significance. Just as navigators at sea set their course or true north direction by the Little Bear Constellation in the northern hemisphere, so does Ursula act as true guide towards a “heavenly harbour” for those who place themselves under her protection and are guided by her life.

So why did St Angela choose to put her company under the banner of St Ursula and not some other Saint.
At the very least we could say it was part of her humility not to name it after herself. It is Ursuline tradition, not to name buildings after people. This is not a false humility. Rather it comes deeply from Angela’s sense that All is done for the “Glory of God” not human cudos. Everything is to be directed towards God. Note the stained glass window in the Le Grezze buiding. So often St Angela would remind the virgins, Colonelle and Matrons to act only out of love of God and people. We are here to serve, not to be served. The talents we use in service of others should point towards the giver of the talent rather than the bearer of the talent and be used only for building up the community. In 1 Cor.13 Paul reminds us that love builds up the community. This was Angela’s stance.

In earlier centuries there had been women’s movements that had been condemned – beguines. They lived lives of devotion, sometimes in groups, sometimes independently, without vows and without monastic walls. Many of them were severely condemned towards the end of the fifteenth century. Any association with those, would not have been beneficial to Angela and her cause. And yet in some respects, the life Angela was mapping out for her Company was not greatly dissimilar.

However, also in the fourteenth century, the Confraternity or School of St Ursula had been established in Venice. It was a sodality founded on religious and humanitarian grounds which brought people together from every social class, including rulers, knights, ladies of rank and religious. It was typical of such Confraternities to decorate their meeting rooms with frescoes – hence Carpaccio’s series of paintings. This, together with all the educational institutions named after St Ursula, and her popularity, meant using the name of St Ursula would give recognition and credibility to her company. People might think twice before condemning anything associated with St Ursula.

And Ursula was beautiful, young, courageous, a leader of young people. Angela’s company was for young women. They did needed assurance and leadership in such a radically different life.


But we can go further. Let’s consider a painting by Romanino of the spiritual marriage of St Catherine of Alexandria. Why didn’t Angela choose St Catherine? Her feast day is on 25 November, the foundation day of the Company of St Ursula. Some suggest her mother’s name was Caterina. Angela returned from a somewhat dangerous pilgrimage on the 25 November. Christ was central to her vision for the members of the Company. Angela insisted on interiority, that the life of the Company members had to be profoundly grounded in a strong interior relationship to Christ. In her writings she frequently uses spousal imagery to speak of the relationship between Christ and company members. Ursula also desired spiritual marriage. So what did Ursula have over Catherine. Catherine too is young.


Before moving on, we need to briefly consider what Angela meant by virginity. Virginity can be understood in multiple ways (see Cabrini Durkin’s book – chapter on virginity). At a very preliminary level it can mean simply a physical condition. But in the time of Angela, the virginity of a marriagable daughter was important for achieving a marriage that would improve the family’s social and economic standing as well as guaranteeing legitimate male heirs for family property – virginity in this sense is simply and economic and social commodity. But in the early centuries, virginity represented an overpowering attraction to Christ. This was part of Angela’s notion of virginity. But primarily for Angela virginity was a response to love – a total gift of self. Both Catherine and Ursula were martyrs – a total giving of self.

In fact, Angela uses the term “sacred virginity”. The members of the Company were to make a sacrifice to God of their heart. For Angela, sacrifice is a gift given to God and shared with the community – sacred in the giving and sacred in the sharing. Angela understood her life as a way of love shared with others in daily life. For Angela, immersion in the world was the realm of the sacred. She told her followers “Keep the flame of love always burning in your hearts.” So while St Catherine may have represented the centrality of the relationship to Christ to the members of the Company, St Ursula symbolised that this is done in Company, in companionship. Angela’s “virgins” were to be immersed in the world, while at the same time grounded in a relationship to Christ offering a full gift self, of one’s heart in response to his love first given.

Gabrielle Cozzano was Angela’s secretary. He maintained that Angela did not name the Company after St Ursula by chance or to ennoble it. He says:
This name has come from heaven, introduced through the force of the Holy Spirit. In this name a new grace from the Most High is promised to everyone who perseveres faithfully… Promised also is that virtue of sanctity which was given to those eleven thousand virgins who obeyed Ursula’s will, or rather God’s voice through her, that virtue through which they overcame themselves and conquered death.




Let’s return to Romanino’s painting. Querciolo Mazzonis claims that this is possibly the only painting done during Angela’s life time. It was done to commemorate the foundation of the Company of St Ursula on the feast of St Catherine of Alexandria. Here in the painting Christ is central. Christ is at the centre of the Ursuline heart. Christ is not only the centre of the painting but the focal point of all eyes, even Ursula’s. Angela’s hands are pointed towards him. The major diagonal of the painting moves up from Catherine’s skirt, through the Virgin’s shoulder to Ursula’s banner and passes through Christ’s outstretched hands, the point of mystic contact. But the scene is set overlooking the Brescia of Angela’s day – the mystic moment takes place in the here and now. This is where St Ursula takes us. We touch Christ in daily life.

For Angela, therefore, the choice of St Ursula embodied a programme of life: the interior self-emptying of the mystic, the courageous fidelity of the martyr, the evangelisation of the world typical of the apostle and the participation in Christ’s work of salvation.





Even in a contemporary icon, Angela is portrayed as pointing her followers to Christ. It is all about him, not Angela, not Ursula. If Ursula died for Christ, Angela lived for Christ. She told her followers to have Jesus Christ as their one and only treasure. If you are taught by him, you are well taught. Let your first refuge always be at the feet of Jesus Christ. She lived the everydayness of life radically with love. In her prayer she lamented that she had not shed a single drop of blood for love of the one who shed his blood for her. Really what she lamented was the need to give expression to an outpouring of love in her heart. Ursula had done this in her death. The alternative to martyrdom for Angela was to radically live everyday with love.

If you know what you would live and die for, then you know something of the passion for Christ with which Ursula and Angela respectively died and lived. It was all about God – Soli Deo Gloria. The hymn we used sing to St Ursula asked her to teach us how to work with faith and love, how to hope and how to pray.

But although both Ursula and Angela would point us God (and all whom God loves), journeying in their companionship with them as guides, we are sure to find our way together to the harbour of our God. And the togetherness is an evangelising companionship.