Subj : July 6th - Bl. Ursula Ledochowska To : All From : rich Date : Wed Jul 05 2017 10:14:10 From: rich July 6th - Bl. Ursula Ledochowska Blessed Ursula Ledochowska, foundress of the Ursuline Sisters of the Agonizing Heart of Jesus, is God's gift to us--a woman open to the prodding of the Holy Spirit, who fulfilled God's Will and served Hi= m in His Plan of Salvation, from her birth on April 17, 1865, until her saintly death in Rome on May 29, 1939. Her strict family environment, consisted of aristocratic parents, who lived out their marital commitment, as a covenant of love, and expected their five children to practice self-discipline and to have an intimate relationship with God. From childhood, Blessed Ursula possessed a magnetic personality, and was loved by all. Her mother nicknamed her, "my ray of sunshine" and her siblings share how she put this into a life's plan of action--Francis, her younger sister remembers "for the youngest children she was like a second mother; she helped us with our lessons, surprised us, thought of new games to play, read the Passion of Jesus during Lent, prayed the Litany of the Saints, on All Saints Day." Her brother Wlodzimierz recalls, "she was sensitive and especially loved the poor and sick. She visited their homes, brought them medicine, and evoked laughter, creating an atmosphere of peace and joy." The Ledochowski family were Polish and members of the nobility, although she and Wladimir were born in Loosdorf, Austria. Her father was Count Antonius Kalka-Ledochowski. Her father's brother was Coun= t Mieceslaus Ledochowski. Mieceslaus was archbishop of GnesenPosen in Prussian Poland from 1866 to 1886. Then he was ousted by the Prussian prime minister Bismarck and imprisoned for disregarding the anti-Catholic Prussian laws. Created a cardinal while in prison, this Polish hero eventually came to Rome where Pope Leo XIII appointed him prefect of the Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith. (Because of the great authority that the holders of this office have over the foreign missions, they are often called =E2=80=9Cthe red popes=E2=80=9D.) M= aria Theresa's brother, Count Wladimir (1866-1942), joined the Jesuits a= nd from 1915 to 1942 served as 26th general of the Society of Jesus. By the way, the head of the Jesuits is often called =E2=80=9CThe black pope=E2= =80=9D. So the nephew of the =E2=80=9Cred pope=E2=80=9D became a =E2=80=9Cblack pope= =E2=80=9D. Thus, Countess Maria came from a family of churchly leaders. She was to show herself equally gifted in leadership. From 1885 to 1890, however, Maria Theresa was a courtier. Living in Salzburg, Austria, she was lady-in-waiting to the grand duchess of Tuscany, one of the Habsburg family. She had no special feeling for religious life until 1888 when she happened to read an address given by Cardinal Charles Lavigerie (1825-1892). Lavigerie was a French priest to whom Pope Leo XIII had entrusted the evangelization of Africa. As archbishop of Carthage and Primate of Africa, Lavigerie founded the Society of Missions of Africa (the =E2=80=9CWhite Fathers=E2=80= =9D) to pioneer African missions. He brought to his task a tremendous missionary enthusiasm, and it is to him in particular that Catholicism in Africa owes its modern beginnings. Countess Maria now felt called to help Lavigerie's double apostolat= e to obliterate African slavery and spread the Catholic faith there. From 1889 on she began to publicize these causes. (She had gifts as a writer.) Her column soon attracted donations. Convinced now of her vocation, she left the court in 1891. In 1894, she decided to organize an association of laywomen to take care of publicity for the African missions and the administration of mission funds. It was called the =E2=80=9CSodality of St. Peter Claver for the African Missions and the Liberation of Slaves.=E2=80=9D Pope Leo XIII approved the society on April = 29, 1894. In 1897, this became a full-fledged religious order. Its aim was not to furnish missionaries-on-the-mission but to secure for the actual missionaries worldwide public attention to channel funds to them and to print Catholic books for use in the missionary countries in many different African languages. (During her life she sent 96,000 catechisms and other books to Africa.) Mother Ledochowska was constantly on tour, speaking for her causes and establishing support centers, presenting exhibits, and promoting novenas =E2=80=9Cto touch the heart and open the purse.=E2=80=9D She had a real talent for organization. = But prayer remained the motive force of her whole campaign. She became known as =E2=80=9Cthe nursing mother of the African missions.=E2=80=9D Betw= een 1918 and 1933 the baptized in Africa rose from 1.8 million to 4.9 million. Only God knows how much of this progress is due to the loyal =E2=80=9Cmarketing=E2=80=9D of this valiant woman. On June 20, 1983, Pope John Paul II beatified Blessed Ursula in Poznan, Poland. Her incorruptible body was transferred from the Generalate in Rome, and brought to rest in the Motherhouse in Pniewy, Poland on May 29, 1989. Saint Quote: [It] is not enough to pray, Thy kingdom come, but to work, so that the Kingdom of God will exist among us today. --Blessed Ursula Ledochowska Bible Quote: He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; upon Him was the chastisement that made us whole, and with His stripes we are healed. (Isaiah 53:5) <><><><> Hymn from Corpus Christi. Jesus! my Lord, my God, my All! How can I love Thee as I ought? And how revere this wondrous gift, So far surpassing hope or thought? Had I but Mary's sinless heart To love Thee with, my dearest King! O, with what bursts of fervent praise Thy goodness, Jesus, would I sing! Sweet Sacrament! We Thee adore! O, make us love Thee more and more! F. Faber: Corpus Christi. (19th cent.) --- NewsGate v1.0 gamma 2 # Origin: News Gate @ Net396 -Huntsville, AL - USA (1:396/4) * Origin: Region 15 HQ (1:15/0) .