282 ST. URSULINA Theatines because the order was fonnded for men by the bishop of Theate, after- wards Paul IV. (1555-1559). Ursula founded two branches of nuns of this order, one called the Congregation : they lived secluded, but withont any great austerity ; their employment was to pray for the city where they lived and for the rest of the world : the other branch was called the Hermitage^ and was stricter. Her sister Christian was the first superior of the Congregation, as Ursula refused the dignity. The nuns were long popularly called in Naples, " Murate di Suor Orsola" (the immured ones of Sister Ursula.) A very large convent was built on the site of Ursula's oratory, on the hill of St. Elmo. Pius VI., in 1793 declared her possessed of heroic virtue. Helyot. Analecta, Capecelatro, Life of St, Philip Neri. Diario di Boma, Oct. 29, 1834. St. Ursulina or Orselina of Parma, April 7, 1375-1410. Her sanctity was foretold before her birth, to her pious parents Peter and Bartolina. She was early favoured with visits of saints and angels. She was small and delicate, and never walked until she was five years old. When she grew up she had many visions, in one of which she found herself in the principal church of Parma. There she saw Christ walking about and looking round everywhere as if seeking for something. She asked Him what He wanted, and He said He was looking for a seat to rest on and could not find one. Ursulina then seated herself on the floor and invited the Saviour to sit on her knee, which He did. In a short time He got up and led her into a house, where He drank some wine and gave her some, which enlightened her under- standing. From tiiat time forth, she understood many mysteries and had a knowledge of past and future events. Soon after that vision, Christ again ap- peared to her and commanded her to go to Avignon, to remonstrate with the Anti- pope, Clement VII., and bid him cease to make schisms and divisions in the Church of God. She made the journey with her mother, guided occasionally by angels and part of the way by St. John the Baptist. The Pope listened patiently to her denunciations of his conduct, and appointed another day to hear every- thing else she had to say; he aooom- panied her to the door of the ante-room, and offered to do anything in his power to serve her. She answered that she would rather be reduced to live upon the bark of trees than accept anythiDg from him. When she came again ac- cording to her appointment, she was not admitted but put off until another day. The same thing happened several times. Ursulina concluded that she had done all that depended on her for the salva- tion of Clement VII. and returned to Parma. She was soon inspired to go to Home to visit the true Pope, Boni&oe IX., with a view to heal the division in the Church. She was well reoeived. At first the Pope would not believe her story, but eventually she was sent as his messenger to the Antipope, who, con- vinced by her arguments, promised to submit to the authority of the holy see. His cardinals and friends, however, ac- cused Ursulina of witchcn^ and ordered her to be tortured. When she was bound before being placed on the rack, the town was shaken by an earthquake, and some of the people and houses were thrown down. Her tormentors feared that they were about to share the fate of the executioners of St. Cathabdob, and desisted from their o£&ce. Soon after- wards Clement died suddenly, and his party instead of ending the schism, elected Peter de Luna to be his successor. Ursulina returned to Bome and then to her own country. She next visited John Graleazzo, duke of Milan, and admonished him of his sins and duties, prophesying that, if he did not take her advice, he would fall into great tribulation. This came to pass when his dominions were overrun by Fancino, the condottiere. Ursulina, still accompanied by her mother, made a voyage from Venice to Palestine, in a very old ship which but for her saintly presenoe, would have sunk the first day. They visited the holy places and returned to Parma, but as they found it disturbed by a feud between two rival governors, they went to Bologna, and thence to Verona, where Ursulina was taken ill, and died happily. Several miracles are asciibed to her.
