Every October 21, the Church remembers Saint Ursula of Colonia, a 4th century saint, patron saint of students and female youth.
According to an ancient tradition, very popular in the Middle Ages, Saint Ursula was a young girl who suffered martyrdom along with a group of virgins consecrated to God like her.
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Úrsula, whose name means “bear” or “little bear” in Latin, was born into a family belonging to the nobility, in the 4th century, in what is now Cologne (Germany). At that time that European region was annexed to the Roman Empire.
Virginity and martyrdom
Ursula’s birth was pagan, but she converted to Christianity and wanted to consecrate her virginity to the Lord. When she was courted by a Breton prince, she decided to travel to Rome with the purpose of finding the support of the Pope and being able to keep her promise not to marry and to dedicate her life to God.
The saint undertook the journey accompanied by her maidens. In Rome she was received by Pope Siricius, who blessed her and invited her to be a preacher of the Gospel.
Back in Cologne, she and her companions fell into the hands of the Huns, a barbarian people who had invaded German territory, whose leader, Attila, was famous for his cruelty. Attila and his men wanted to subject the group of women to their will. Úrsula and her companions rejected the threats, knowing that the price to pay would be made effective with their blood.
For having refused to accept Attila’s wishes, Úrsula and her companions were sentenced to death.
Cult and historicity
The canonization of Saint Ursula is not officially documented, but even without that no one doubts it, largely because her sanctity was recognized by the Christian people from the moment of her sacrifice, long before the creation of any ecclesial institution in charge specifically of these matters, such as the current Dicastery of the Causes of Saints.
Despite this relative difficulty, it is known that the cult of Saint Ursula was approved by several Popes, and that her devotion spread greatly during the late Middle Ages and the beginning of modern times.
Inspirer of many holy women and protector of Germany
Saint Hildegard of Bingen, in the 12th century, composed some famous songs (poems) in honor of Saint Ursula; and Saint Angela of Merici, in the 16th century, tells how Saint Ursula appeared to her in a dream and asked her to watch over the souls of the young women. Inspired by that dream, Saint Angela founded the first Order of women dedicated to teaching: the so-called “Ursulines.” At least during the last centuries of the Middle Ages, Saint Ursula was generally considered the patron saint of universities.
In more recent times (August 2005), Pope Benedict XVI, visiting the City of Cologne, remembered the young saint and martyr: “I am not going to continue praising the city of Cologne, although it would be possible and meaningful to do so: “It would take a long time, because many great and beautiful things could be said about Colonia… I would like to remember that here we venerate Saint Ursula and her companions.”
The eleven thousand virgins
If you want to know more about Saint Úrsula of Colonia, or about the story of the eleven thousand virgins, we recommend the following article from the Catholic Encyclopedia: https://ec.aciprensa.com/wiki/Santa_Ursula_y_las_11_mil_V%C3%ADrgenes.
Central Editorial
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