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The Company of St. Ursula, commonly called the Angelines, is an organization of consecrated women in the Catholic Church which was founded in 1535 in Brescia, Italy, by St. Angela Merici (ca. 1474-1540), dedicated to the service of God. Soon the education of women and girls and the care of the sick and needy became their primary focus. Their patron saint is Saint Ursula. In May 1958 the Angelines were established by the Holy See as the Secular Institute of St. Angela Merici. They follow the original form of life established by their foundress in that they live independently, responsible for their own well-being, for which they often have secular jobs, but they formally dedicate their lives to the service of the Church. The monastic Order of St. Ursula, called the Ursulines (among whom the largest organization are the Ursulines of the Roman Union), developed from this group. ==Origins== Merici was a member of the Third Order of St. Francis. According to the account of the history of the Company, she experienced a call from God to found a community to share this way of life. Among the group of men and women who formed around her due to her spiritual leadership, she soon selected 28 women who wished to commit their lives in this endeavor.〔(【引用サイトリンク】work=Ursulines of the Roman Union )〕 These women, along with Merici, made a commitment of their lives on 25 November 1535, the feast day of St. Catherine of Alexandria, a major female spiritual figure in the Middle Ages. They called themselves the Company of St. Ursula, taking as their patroness the medieval patron saint of education. Continuing to live in their family homes, they would meet regularly for conferences and prayer in common. Merici drew up a Rule of Life for them.〔(【引用サイトリンク】work=The Company of St. Ursula in the United States )〕 Merici's vision was that they were to live among the people they served without any distinguishing feature, such as a religious habit. Notable features of the Company were that it was unusual for women to be consecrated but to live outside the cloister. The women did not dress in a special habit. They met periodically and assisted at mass monthly. Although observing evangelical counsels they did not take vows. The Company grew rapidly, being joined by women from throughout the city. The increasing number of members came to be organized in groups, according to the parish in which they lived, each of them called a Company. The group then spread throughout the Diocese of Brescia. One of the early works of the new Company was to give religious instruction to the girls of the town at the parish church each Sunday, which was an innovation for the period, having traditionally been left to the local parish priest. Companies soon developed in other dioceses in the region.〔 In 1538 the Company had grown to such an extent that they held their first General Chapter. At this gathering, Merici was elected "Mother" of the Company for life. The following year, as her health began to fail, she dictated her ''Testament'' and a book of ''Counsels'' to regulate the life of the group. She died in 1540.〔 The Company was formally recognized in 1546 by Pope Paul III. Merici's death, however, had left the Company without a clear leader. Organized loosely, questions about their future began to surface. Additionally, pressure began to come from the officials of the Church, who were uncomfortable with a group of consecrated women living independently, not under the direct authority of the clergy.〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Company of St. Ursula」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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