We are the Ursuline Sisters, a group of Catholic sisters who live and minister in the central part of the United States. Our roots go back nearly 470 years to Brescia, Italy. There, in 1535, St. Angela Merici, our foundress, began a new kind of religious life for women as she and her followers lived lives dedicated to God and to the service of others with and among the people rather than enclosed within monastery walls. From these simply beginnings, St. Angela’s Company, placed under the special patronage of St. Ursula, spread throughout Europe and eventually to the “New World” in 1639. Today there are Ursuline Sisters proclaiming the Good News of Jesus on six continents.

We belong to the international branch of St. Angela’s family known as the Ursulines of the Roman Union which numbers some 2400 sisters in 27 provinces throughout the world. We in the Central Province, USA, strive to “think globally and act locally” as we live and minister predominantly in the states of Louisiana, Texas, Missouri, Illinois and Minnesota. As women freed by our vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience, we strive to put ourselves at the service of the gospel and of the people of God. We share life together in community, grateful for this mutual support, encouragement and love which enable us to serve others generously and selflessly.

The mission of Jesus unites us in diverse ministries. Through our lives of prayer and service we seek to respond to the needs of God’s people in schools and other educational settings, in parishes, in ministry with the poor and marginalized, in retreat work, spiritual direction and counseling, and pastoral care. In the spirit of St. Angela, we seek especially to be women of peace and reconciliation in our world today, living and working for peace through justice in all our relationships towards all peoples and cultures, and towards the earth and all creation.

We are proud of our rich history and heritage, committed to the challenges of the present, and excited about the future before us. We are grateful, too, for the variety of relationships which enriches our lives and our ministries as we share our Gospel journey with collaborators, Associates, Companions in Mission, and others touched by the spirit and vision of St. Angela.

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