St. Angela Merici- Saint of Female Education, Linked to American History, and No Doubt a Giant's Fan

As you no doubt know the Catholic Church is the enemy of women. So please excuse my mindless propaganda here :)

Today is a important Feast Day. Today's Saint is St. Angela Merici. She did a lot including setting the foundation for the teaching of unmarried girls. So Catholic and Protestant and Unbeliever alike should recall her today. Here is a nice overview of her Life.

There was a rather important Order of Nun's that consider her their founder. That is the Ursulines. The Ursulines played a important role in United States History and most Louisiana Catholics know in our own State. The first Secondary school for girls in the United States started by them Ursuline Academy, began in 1727 in New Orleans, Louisiana. It is the oldest all girl's school in the country. In fact The Old Ursuline Convent is the oldest building in the Mississippi Valley and the only building of the original colony still standing!!!

A man that was to President had a encounter with these nuns. That was Andrew Jackson when the British were trying to take the city.

The second major miracle occurred in 1815, three years after the disastrous fire. General Andrew Jackson was facing the British in the Battle of New Orleans. There were 15,000 British Troops against 6,000 American troops. It seemed as though the city of New Orleans was doomed. Knowing the terrible fate of the city of New Orleans the Ursuline nuns along with many faithful people of New Orleans gathered in the Ursuline chapel before the statue of Our Lady. They spent the night before the battle praying and crying before the holy statue, begging for the Virgin Mary's intercession. On the morning of January 8, the Very Rev. William Dubourg, Vicar General, offered Mass at the altar on which the statue of Our Lady of Prompt Succor had been placed. The Prioress of the Ursuline convent, Mother Ste. Marie Olivier de Vezin, made a vow to have a Mass of Thanksgiving sung annually should the American forces win. At the very moment of communion, a courier ran into the chapel to inform all those present that the British had been defeated. General Jackson went to the convent himself to thank the nuns for their prayers: "By the blessing of heaven, directing the valor of the troops under my command, one of the most brilliant victories in the annals of war was obtained." The vow made by Mother Ste. Marie has been faithfully kept throughout the years.

So a important group . So a prayer for this Saint would be useful especially since it is Catholic School week.

Oh and no doubt this Saint was responsible for the Giants winning the Super Bowl last year