Sanctuary of St. Angela Merici

The Story

The Sanctuary of Sant'Angela Merici on Via Francesco Crispi in Brescia, northern Italy, is the burial place of the foundress of the Company of St. Ursula, from which the worldwide Ursuline family of educators descends. Angela Merici was born around 1474 at Desenzano del Garda. Orphaned young, she became a Franciscan tertiary and settled in Brescia, where she gathered women for prayer and works of charity. In 1535 she founded the Company of St. Ursula, a new form of consecrated life in which women lived the evangelical counsels in the midst of the world, dedicated especially to the Christian education of girls — a bold innovation for her age. Angela died in Brescia on January 27, 1540, and was buried in the ancient church of Sant'Afra, now the sanctuary that bears her name. Her body, long venerated and traditionally reported to be incorrupt, rests in a shrine within the church. The building was almost completely destroyed by bombardment in the Second World War and was rebuilt 'as it was and where it was.' She was canonized by Pope Pius VII in 1807. Today her sanctuary remains a quiet place of pilgrimage in central Brescia, and her spiritual counsels continue to guide Ursuline communities and educators throughout the world.

Church Recognition

St. Angela Merici was canonized by Pope Pius VII in 1807; the sanctuary in Brescia that holds her remains is a recognized shrine, cared for in connection with the Company of St. Ursula, which she founded in 1535.

Catholic Teaching

The shrine reflects the Church's veneration of the saints and their relics (CCC 1674) and its teaching on consecrated life lived in the world (CCC 914–933), of which St. Angela's Company of St. Ursula was a pioneering form.

Plan Your Visit

Open only what you need. Expand all

Practical

1 Additional Information ▾

Pilgrims visit the sanctuary in central Brescia to venerate the remains of St. Angela Merici, with celebrations peaking around her feast on January 27; her birthplace at Desenzano del Garda, on nearby Lake Garda, is also a place of memory and prayer.

Go Deeper

The Company of St. Ursula maintains information on the sanctuary and the saint at https://www.angelamerici.it. St. Angela's own Rule, Counsels, and Testament remain in print, and the Catechism treats consecrated life in CCC 914–933.