Society of the Sisters of Saint Ursula of the Blessed Virgin

The Society of the Sisters of Saint Ursula of the Blessed Virgin (abbreviation S.U.) is a Roman Catholic religious congregation of women founded in 1606 at Döle (then a Spanish possession as part of the Holy Roman Empire region of Franche-Comté), France, by the Venerable Anne de Xainctonge (1587-1612). Its members are especially involved in teaching.

At a time when the education of girls was more than neglected, Mademoiselle de Xainctonge realized her intention to do for girls what Saint Ignatius had done for boys. This idea was then an unusual one. Anne de Xainctonge may be called a pioneer in the education of girls. The classes opened at Dôle, on 16 June, 1606, were public, without distinction of rich or poor, and absolutely free. The community was distinctive in that it was uncloistered and offered free education to girls. The rule was based on the Ignatian rule of the Jesuits. In lieu of a religious habit Anne and her companions adopted the simple black dress of the Spanish widows in the area of Dole.

The society was formally approved by a Brief of Innocent X (1648), which was confirmed by Innocent XI (1678).

From Dôle, the institute spread rapidly to France, Switzerland, and Germany.

During the French Revolution, their houses were closed and the religious dispersed; as soon as peace was restored, however, they resumed their former life. Mother de Verse reopened the convent at Dôle, and Mother Roland de Bussy (formerly of Dôle) upon the advice of Father de Clorivière, S.J., and with the blessing of Pius VII (then a prisoner at Fontainebleau), founded a new house at Tours (1814).

The Constitutions are those of Saint Ignatius as far as they apply to women; the first draft was begun by Mother de Xainctonge, aided by Father Guyon, S.J., rector of the college at Dôle, and was finished in 1623, after her death. These Constitutions were observed until the Revolution, but when the various houses re-opened, the bishops of the different dioceses modified them according to their own views. In 1898, upon request of the religious of Tours, the original Constitutions, revised conformably to the new regulations of the Church for religious institutes, were definitively approved by Leo XIII, and their branch erected as a generalate. In 1902 the words "Of the Blessed Virgin", were added to the title to distinguish the non-cloistered daughters of Anne de Xainctonge from the cloistered daughters of St. Angela.

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