Feast of St. Angela Merici – January 2025

January 27, 2025

Dear Sisters and Friends,

As we celebrate the Feast of Saint Angela in this 2025 Jubilee Year, we are conscious of the fact that Angela herself, exactly 500 years ago, made a pilgrimage to Rome in celebration of the 1525 Jubilee Year! While we won’t be physically journeying to Rome, we will be undertaking our own Pilgrimage of Hope inspired and counseled by her life and writings.

Chanting and singing have been significant parts of the pilgrimage experience over the centuries. Below are a couple of hymns which express

something of the essence of the pilgrimage spirituality.

We are Pilgrims on a Journey

We are pilgrims on a journey
to another time and place,
singing songs and telling stories
to recall God’s love and grace.

Light a candle on our journey
where we stop to rest and pray,
mindful of the love of Jesus
and his kindly, caring way.

We are pilgrims on a journey,
with the faithful at our side.
Holy Spirit, light our pathway,
walk with us, our friend and guide.

By Mary Nelson Keithahn

 

We Are Pilgrims

We are pilgrims on a journey,

fellow travellers on the road;

we are here to help each other

walk the mile and bear the load.

Sister, let me be your servant,

let me be as Christ to you;

pray that I may have the grace

to let you be my servant too.

I will hold the Christ-light for you

in the night-time of your fear;

I will hold my hand out to you,

speak the peace you long to hear.

I will weep when you are weeping,

when you laugh I’ll laugh with you;

I will share your joy and sorrow,

till we’ve seen this journey through.

When we sing to God in heaven,

we shall find such harmony,

born of all we’ve known together

of Christ’s love and agony.

By Richard Gillard.

 

To listen:

https://youtu.be/1dbVxEOaxg0?si=egFP2yt056Hc_Zgl

And finally, you can read or listen to a Franciscan reflection on St Angela – who was herself a third order Franciscan – at this link:

January 27: Saint Angela Merici, Virgin –

https://catholic-saints-and-feasts.com/january-27-saint-angela-merici/

Happy feast day everyone!

Jean Ann for the Leadership Circle

 

Feast of St. Angela 2025