The Cosmic Cloister: Saints Francis & Angela – 800th Anniversary of the Death of Francis of Assisi

Posted by On January 14, 2026 0 Comment

The Year of Our Lord 2026, marks the 800th Anniversary of the death of St Francis of Assisi. As Franciscans worldwide celebrate the Transitus of Francis, Ursulines would do well to embrace the occasion to deepen our awareness of the Franciscan spiritual influence in the life of St Angela Merici. Unquestionably, the Foundress of the Company of St Ursula was a Franciscan tertiary, and so she remained to her death.

Five years ago, I chanced upon an article from a medieval studies conference, “The Writings of St. Angela Merici in the Light of Bonaventuran Exemplarism: The Motherhood, Fatherhood, and Transcendence of God,” by Dorothy L. Latz. Surprised to find our Renaissance foundress in conversation with medievalists, I was even more taken aback by the professor’s opening reproach: “St. Angela Merici’s “Franciscan connections” often have been ignored, with the result that her spiritual writings- her Testament, Counsels and Primitive Rule – often have not been interpreted in context. This same ignoring of Franciscan influences has prevented a full understanding of her images and symbols…” Latz writes just as intense years of research culminate in the publication of Angela Merici: Contribution towards a Biography. One of the co-authors, Marie Seynaeve, OSU, then began a series of presentations on Merician spirituality, including a 2003 conference, “Francis and Angela,” which explores affinities between Angela and both St Francis and St Clare of Assisi. These studies, however, are not well-known.

Jubilee Year 2025 coincided with the 5th Centenary of St Angela’s Holy Year Pilgrimage to Rome. Our pilgrimage “In the Footsteps of Angela,” included visits to several Franciscan sites, beginning with the Sacro Monte of Varallo. Salò marks the beginning of Angela’s life as a Franciscan tertiary. From there we set out across the Lake to the Isola del Garda, which was a Franciscan retreat and house of studies in Angela’s day. The visit to island where St Francis himself had made retreat immersed us in the contemplative aspect of her commitment and underlined the Franciscan heritage of the region.

Stopping in Assisi enroute to Rome, we made the ascent to the Carcela hermitage on Mt Subasio. Its solitude witnesses to the draw to prayer which has grounded and animated the movement from the time of Francis. We still hear its dynamic echo in the Merician charism. On the threshold of my own Ursuline commitment, I heard its call reverberating in the Andes in the voice of St Francis: The world is my cloister, my body is my hermitage and my soul is the hermit within.

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For a deeper appreciation of Franciscan influence in the life and spirituality of St Angela, we offer the following reflections. For additional articles, see the Angela-Franciscan Resource List. A 2026 overview of these studies is provided in  Franciscan Influences in Merician Spirituality: A Survey of Studies.

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