The “Company of Saint Ursula”, Secular Institute of Saint Angela Merici, is a federation of diocesan and inter-diocesan Companies.

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Where we are

 

Address:
COMPANY OF SAINT URSULA
SECULAR INSTITUTE OF SAINT ANGELA MERICI
FEDERATION
Via S. Vittore 49 - 20123 MILANO - Italia
e-mail: http://www.istitutosecolareangelamerici.org

Background
The “Company of Saint Ursula”, Secular Institute of Saint Angela Merici, is a federation of diocesan and inter-diocesan Companies. The Companies, united in a Federation, were recognized as one Secular Institute in federate form of pontifical right through the Decree Vetustum et Praeclarum Institutum dated 25th May 1958. The Federation is made up of and unites together relatively old Companies including Brescia, which dates back to the times of Saint Angela Merici (1535), Milan (1567), Bergamo (1575), Bologna (1603), Companies which are not as old and also Companies which were formed quite recently. Following the Napoleonic suppression, these Companies, with the exception of the Company of Bologna, underwent various reforms. Within the Federation, Companies which originated towards the end of the 19th century in Italy are brought together and rank equally with Companies set up in the 20th Century in different parts of the world.
Around 1950, the companies, each with its own unique historic fidelity, felt a spiritual need to contemplate reciprocal relations in order to get to know each other better, establish an innovative and communal collaboration, but most of all, to achieve a common renewal.
The first Constitutions of The Federation were approved “ad experimentum” by the Holy See in May 1958. In 1967, again “ad experimentum”, the Constitutions which paved the way to centralisation were endorsed. Finally, the Constitutions which re-established the federate format were approved in 1977 and reconfirmed in the Constitutions which have been in force since 1994.
Today
Today, the Federation is made up of 40 Italian Companies and another 8 in France, Malta, Indonesia, Germany, Poland, Slovakia, Canada, South and North Brazil. In addition, there are Secular Ursulines in Switzerland, Austria, Slovenia, England, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Dominican Republic of Congo RD, Madagascar, Cameroun, Burundi, Nigeria, United States, Texas, Mexico, Bangladesh, the Philippines and Singapore. These Secular Ursulines are cared for and followed by the Federate Companies or The Council of The Federation.
Each federate, diocesan or inter diocesan Company, is autonomous in government, formation, organization and finance. Each Company, according to its own traditions, maintains a special bond with the Bishop and takes an active part in the activities and mission of the local church. The federate Companies follow the same Rule (of Saint Angela Merici) and the same Constitutions.
The Federation is represented by the President; together with the Federation Council, the President is entrusted with the support of the federate Companies. The President and her Council are available to support initiatives for in-depth studies of the Rule and The Constitutions in fidelity to the spirit of the Merician Institution. The President and her Council are elected by all the members of the federate Companies during the Ordinary Assembly. The positive experience of The Federation promotes encouragement and communion, supports the effort of the members in fidelity and renewal and helps the Institute to spread the Federation’s global presence.