The General Chapter of 2004 Entrusted Sr Doreen D Souza, the Superior General, and her Council with the important task of reinterpreting and articulating afresh the charism and spirituality of the Ursuline Franciscan Congregation in the light of the signs of the times. This initiative invited the Congregation to return to its sources, rediscover its roots, and deepen its understanding of the spirit and patrimony handed down by its founders and pioneers.
Through a process of collective study, prayer, reflection, dialogue, and discernment, the Sisters sought to rediscover the richness of their heritage and to understand how their founding charism could be lived meaningfully in the contemporary world. This journey enabled the Congregation to appreciate more deeply the distinctive contribution of St. Angela Merici, St. Francis of Assisi, and Fr. Urban Stein SJ, whose spiritual insights and lived experiences continue to shape the identity and mission of the Ursuline Franciscans.
As a fruit of this reflection, the Congregation rearticulated its charism in a way that expresses both its heritage and its present mission:
“We launch deeper into the life of the people solely ‘for the love of God’ in simplicity of life and proclaim the message of the fullness of life of God’s Kingdom.”
This expression captures the heart of the Ursuline Franciscan vocation. It calls the Sisters to enter deeply into the lives of people, to share their joys and struggles, and to become a compassionate presence among them. Their service is rooted not merely in social commitment but in the love of God and the desire to make the fullness of Christ’s life and the values of God’s Kingdom visible in the world. The spirit of “Pro Amore Dei – For the Love of God”, inherited from the tradition of St. Angela Merici, remains a central inspiration for the Congregation. The Congregation’s official presentation today continues to identify this motto as an essential part of its heritage and mission.
A Trinitarian Spirituality
The Ursuline Franciscan Congregation understands its spirituality through a distinctive Trinitarian perspective, drawing inspiration from three profound dimensions of the life and experience of Jesus. These dimensions are reflected in the spiritual heritage of its three principal sources: St. Angela Merici, St. Francis of Assisi, and Fr. Urban Stein SJ.
The first is the “Abba-experience” of Jesus — the spirituality of relationship. Jesus lived in an intimate and trusting relationship with the Father, whom He experienced as Abba. This spirituality of relationship finds a special resonance in the life of St. Angela Merici, whose deep union with God shaped her vision, discernment, relationships, and service. For the Ursuline Franciscan Sister, this calls for a life rooted in communion with God and expressed through loving and life-giving relationships with others.
The second is Jesus’ experience of freedom — the spirituality of Kenosis. In Jesus, freedom was expressed through self-emptying, humility, obedience, and loving surrender to the Father’s will. This dimension finds a powerful expression in St. Francis of Assisi, who freely embraced evangelical poverty and simplicity and identified himself with Christ in humility and service. The Franciscan spirit invites the Sisters to let go of self-centredness, possessions, privileges, and attitudes that hinder authentic service, so that they may become freer for God and for others.
The third is Jesus’ experience of the Spirit’s power — the spirituality of discernment. Jesus was guided by the Spirit in fulfilling His mission and responding to the will of the Father. This dimension is reflected particularly in the spiritual journey of Fr. Urban Stein SJ, the Founder of the Congregation, whose life and mission were marked by prayerful discernment and responsiveness to God’s call. For the Ursuline Franciscans, discernment becomes an ongoing way of seeking God’s will in personal life, community living, leadership, formation, and apostolic mission.
These three dimensions - relationship, kenosis, and discernment - are not separate spiritual elements but interrelated expressions of one Gospel-centred life. They influence the way Ursuline Franciscans think, believe, discern, act, relate, and serve. They invite the Sisters to remain deeply rooted in God, to live with evangelical freedom and simplicity, and to be attentive to the movement of the Spirit in the changing realities of the world.
Living the Charism Today
The re-visioning of charism and spirituality has continued to influence the life and mission of the Congregation. The XII General Chapter in 2010, with its theme “Towards Redefining the Identity, Lifestyle and Mission of the Ursuline Franciscan Sisters in the Context of Today,” further emphasized the need to remain rooted in a relevant spirituality while responding creatively to contemporary challenges. Among the priorities identified were life-giving community living, integral and ongoing formation, prophetic mission, empowering leadership, and care for creation.
Today, the Congregation continues to translate this spirituality into concrete forms of mission, education, pastoral ministry, faith formation, social service, community living, and accompaniment of people, while seeking new ways of responding to the needs of the Church and society. Its official identity continues to describe the Sisters as a Pontifical Right religious institute dedicated to apostolic works and following the Rule and Life of the Brothers and Sisters of the Third Order Regular of St. Francis of Assisi.
The present organization of the Congregation into Provinces, Regions, and the Central Delegation provides spaces for the charism to be lived in diverse cultural and geographical contexts. Its current leadership and administrative structures extend across India, Europe, and Africa, while recent professions, formation initiatives, lay collaboration, and missionary activities demonstrate the continuing vitality of the Congregation’s vocation.
The charism, therefore, is not simply a heritage to be preserved but a living gift to be continually rediscovered, deepened, and expressed. The challenge before every Ursuline Franciscan Sister is to allow the spirit of Angela, Francis, and Urban Stein to take flesh in the realities of today: to relate with compassion, to live with Gospel simplicity, to discern with openness to the Spirit, and to enter courageously into the lives of people “for the love of God.”
In this way, the re-visioning of charism becomes an ongoing journey - from heritage to lived experience, from contemplation to action, and from the love of God to loving service of His people. It enables the Congregation to remain faithful to its origins while courageously embracing new frontiers of mission and continuing to be a meaningful and effective messenger of Christ in the world.
