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Vocations Homepage What is a vocation? Discerning a vocation Prayers to know God's will Prayers for vocations Signs of a vocation The cloistered life Vocation Stories John Paul II speaks Women's Orders Men's Orders				Ursuline Sisters of the Agonizing Heart of Jesus About the Ursulines | Bl. Ursula Ledochowska, Foundress | Contact the Sisters Motto: "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word." The Congregation of the Ursuline Sisters of the Agonizing Heart of Jesus, founded by Mother Ursula Ledochowska (1865-1939), is one of the numerous branches of the Ursuline family established in the XVIth Century by Saint Angela Merici. "The Congregation's special mission in the Church is to proclaim Christ and the love of His Heart through the educating and teaching of children and youth, as well as through service to their most needy and wronged brothers and sisters and through any other work of evangelization." (Constitutions, p. 4). In answer to the needs of particular countries and communities, the sisters are to work as catechists, teachers in schools, day care centers, seminaries, universities; to look after students’ residences and temporary children’s shelters; to do parish work with young people and the needy; to conduct retreats; to look after immigrants and to get involved in the missionary work in Latin America and Africa. The spirituality of the Ursuline Sisters of the Agonizing Heart of Jesus has been rooted in the mystery of the Agony of Christ, "Who, sent by the Father, so loved His brothers and sisters that He suffered death for them upon the cross, so that all who share in His death and resurrection might attain the fullness of life. Attentive to Christ's words, ‘I thirst’, the sisters will respond to the love of God's Heart by surrendering themselves to Him wholly and without reserve so that He may extend in and through them His mission of salvation. They will desire to live ever more fully for Christ and His Body, the Church. They will devote all their efforts to the spread of the Kingdom of God on earth." (Constitutions, p. 3-4) The Mother of Christ and of the Church is for each Ursuline the model of devotion to God and the people. "Under the direction and motherly protection of Our Lady, celebrated as the Star of the Sea, the Congregation seeks to fulfill its mission. The words of Mary: ‘Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be it done to me according to your word’ are the motto of our Congregation." (Constitutions, p. 13) In religious formation of its members the Congregation is to emphasize their deep personal relationship especially with Christ present in the Eucharist - the heart of each individual Ursuline and the whole community; on the life of prayer and zealous apostolic work; on harmonious balance between contemplation and activity; on healthy asceticism living each day in the spirit of love, self-denial and reparation; on humility, serenity and simplicity; on sincerity, sensitivity to the needs of the present world; on strengthening ties with the Church; on readiness to take on any task in the service to God and fellowmen. "Grateful for the grace of vocation, they will put their trust in God - the source of their joy and serenity. In this way, they will proclaim to the world the Good News that God is love and the source of the greatest happiness." (Constitutions, p.11-12) The daily schedule of the Ursuline Sisters varies from convent to convent: "Each community will have a daily schedule approved by the regional superior. This daily schedule will define the time of communal prayer, of meals and of other community meetings, as well as of bedtime. It will also be necessary to set up a schedule of weekly communal meetings, of monthly days of retreat and communal self-examination. In larger communities daily schedules may vary according to the needs of their work. . .Each community will establish the time and place of the day silence as well as the evening silence." (Constitutions, no. 67) About the Ursulines | Bl. Ursula Ledochowska, Foundress | Contact the Sisters More religious orders

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