Saint Poster: Saint Julia Maria Ledóchowska

Patron Saint of Polish Girls, Orphans, and Educators

Julia Maria Ledóchowska was born on April 17, 1865, into the noble Polish Ledóchowski family.  Despite being born into privilege, Julia Maria felt a deep calling to serve others. At the age of twenty-one, with her family’s blessing, she joined the Society of St. Ursula in Krakow, a religious order dedicated to education and service to the poor. She took as her religious name Sister Maria Ursula of Jesus. Saint Julia Maria demonstrated an unwavering commitment to education for young people, especially young women. She established the first residence for female university students in Poland, making it easier for young women to come and study at the university.

Saint Julia Maria spent long hours in Eucharistic adoration and felt called to go to Russia to teach the young and establish convents. With the blessing of Pope Pius X, she went to St. Petersburg and founded convents and an orphanage for Polish children called St. Catherine’s House. Her work was all done in secrecy since Catholic institutions were illegal.

Eventually, the oppression in St. Petersburg made her stay unsafe, so Saint Julia Maria went to Russia-controlled Finland and, settling near the coast, taught catechism to the fisherman community, and began a free health clinic for the fisherman and their families. The Russian military became fed up with her zeal for spreading the faith and expelled her from the Empire.

From Finland, Saint Julia Maria journeyed to Sweden, where her efforts led to establishing more clinics and opening a school for girls. Her mission then took her to Denmark, where she founded an orphanage and a school for domestic science. In 1920, accompanied by forty nuns, she made her way to Rome, where she founded the order of The Ursulines of the Agonizing Heart of Jesus with the permission of Pope Pius XI.

Her remaining years were dedicated to advocating for Polish independence and serving the poor. Her travels throughout Europe and her powerful oratory skills earned her the respect of royalty and governments, who she spoke to on behalf of her people. Even after her passing, the impact of Sister Ursula’s work continued to resonate.  Her death in Rome on May 29, 1939, was mourned across Europe.  Her legacy was further solidified when Pope John Paul II canonized her on May 18, 2003. Her Feast Day is May 29.

Download the free Saint of the Month poster designed by Emily Prause using the button below. You can pin it to your classroom wall or place it on your refrigerator to help your children learn more about Saint Julia Maria Ledóchowska.

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