St. Ursula Badge

St. Ursula was a British princess who was sought in marriage by a pagan prince. In obedience to her father’s wishes, she agreed to be married, but she asked first to make a pilgrimage to Rome accompanied by 11,000 other virgins. After a long journey into numerous lands they sailed to Cologne, now accompanied by many additional noble pilgrims, including Pope Ciriacus. The Huns who were beseiging the town set upon them and beheaded them all. At the last the prince of the Huns saw Ursula and, struck by her beauty, offered to spare her life and become her husband. But she rebuffed him and he shot and killed her. Ursula and her martyred companions were worshiped at the Basilica of St. Ursula in Cologne. Ursula’s feast day is October 21. She is the patron of archers, orphans and (because of the teaching Order of Ursulines founded in 1535) students.