Main Stream: Ursulines

The charism of the Ursuline Sisters is the Christian formation and education of girls and young women, lived in a spirit of evangelical freedom, humility, and maternal care. Inspired by St. Angela Merici, the Ursulines seek to transform society by shaping consciences through education, catechesis, and witness to Gospel values. Their apostolic life flows from a deep interior prayer life, expressed in availability, gentleness, and attentiveness to individual persons, especially the young and the vulnerable. Education, for Ursulines, is not merely academic but a holistic formation of mind, heart, and character in Christ.

The Ursulines were founded in 1535 in Brescia, Italy, by St. Angela Merici, making them one of the earliest apostolic women’s institutes in the Catholic Church. Originally, they were not cloistered and did not wear a religious habit, an innovative form of consecrated life at the time, dedicated to the moral and religious formation of girls within their own families and society. In the centuries that followed, especially after the Council of Trent, many Ursuline communities adopted communal religious life and enclosure, while others remained active apostolic congregations. From the 17th century onward, the Ursulines spread widely across Europe and later to the Americas, Africa, and Asia, becoming pioneers in Catholic education for women and girls.

✉️ ea.vocations@ursulines-ru.org Location: Nairobi, Kenya