The vision of Fr Urban Stein, S.J., for a dedicated group of women in Mangalore was deeply inspired by his early familiarity with the life and mission of the Ursuline Sisters founded by St Angela Merici of Brescia. From his childhood, he had known about their spirit of prayer, education, charity, and service, and he admired the way these women devoted themselves to the needs of the Church and society. This experience gradually nurtured in him a desire to establish a similar association of committed women in Mangalore.
As Fr Stein became increasingly involved in pastoral ministry, he recognized the need for more people who could assist him in reaching out to the sick, the poor, the elderly, children, and families in need of spiritual and material support. His dream was to form a group of women who would combine a deep love for God with a generous spirit of service. The Company of St Ursula, which had begun with the twelve young women of the Rosario Cathedral parish, became the realization of this vision.
To guide the members in their spiritual journey and apostolic mission, Fr. Stein entrusted the Company with the Rule of St Angela Merici. He also sought to establish a connection between the young association in Mangalore and the Ursuline Sisters in Italy. Through this relationship, the Mangalore group was able to remain connected with the wider Ursuline tradition and draw inspiration from the spirituality and legacy of St Angela Merici.
As a beautiful expression of this bond, the Ursuline Sisters in Italy sent two statues to the Mangalore Ursulines, one depicting St Angela Merici and the other St Ursula, the patroness of the Ursuline tradition. These precious statues became tangible symbols of the spiritual relationship between the two communities. They continue to be preserved and cherished at St Angela’s and St Ursula’s in Mangalore, serving as reminders of the origins and heritage of the congregation.
The connection with the Ursulines in Italy, however, was interrupted by the outbreak of the First World War. The circumstances created by the war made communication difficult, and the Company of St Ursula in Mangalore gradually lost contact with the Ursuline Sisters in Italy. Despite this interruption, the inspiration and spiritual heritage received through St Angela Merici continued to live on among the women in Mangalore.
In more recent years, contact with the Ursuline Sisters in Italy has been renewed. This restoration of the relationship has strengthened the sense of belonging to a wider Ursuline family and has once again opened avenues for sharing the rich spiritual heritage that connects the two communities.
Fr Stein’s dream, therefore, was not simply the formation of a group of women to assist him in pastoral activities. It was the beginning of a living spiritual legacy rooted in the vision of St Angela Merici and adapted to the needs of the Church and society in Mangalore. What began as a small company of dedicated women gradually developed into a larger mission of prayer, service, education, and compassionate outreach, an enduring testimony to Fr Stein’s vision and the generous response of the women who embraced his dream.
