Mother Angela Woods

Mother Angela Woods was born in Brentwood, Essex to a large family. Her education began at home with her mother, she often spoke of the excellence and thoroughness of her upbringing and there was nothing like “good home training”. The family eventually left Brentwood and moved to Wimbledon for the sake of the children’s education. The boys went to the Jesuit College and the girls to the Ursuline Convent as day pupils. At the age of 21 she joined the order making her Postulantship at Wimbledon where she was kept for a longer time than usual to continue her studies. She spent the first year of her novitiate in Belgium and returned to Wimbledon to complete her novitiate and take her vows, which she did on the 2nd February 1906. After many years of excellent work in the school, she was elected Prioress of Wimbledon and held that position for six years. When the Ursulines joined the Roman Union, it was decided that the Novitiate would move from Crewe to Westgate and Mother Angela was appointed Mistress of Novices. In August 1931 she went to Barbados as Prioress and in 1933 became Superior of the Missions of British Guiana and Barbados. 

Her zeal for souls led her to spare no sacrifice that would bring even one soul nearer to God; her work with and for the children and for education in general testifies to this very forcibly. Although her duties as Superior of the Mission and Prioress of Georgetown were heavy, she took her share of the day's work in the classroom.

Noone was too insignificant to come under her notice- if she had a preference it was for the poorer and more destitute. She was not into preaching but her actions and devotion to duty spoke more strongly than any sermon could have done. She lived first what she expected her children to be. God had blessed her with good health and strength and she made best use of these gifts to labour unceasingly for His Honour and Glory, never sparing herself nor considering her work too much nor too difficult to be done for Him. When she was told that she only had six weeks to live due to her cancer, she did not lose her calm or her simple trust in God’s goodness but set about quietly ‘putting her house in order’. Her last act as Superior when she was confined to the infirmary, was to give the orphans money to buy lollipops to celebrate the Feast of St Joseph. From that moment she waited patiently and peacefully for The Lord to come for her. She refused any medication for the pain and offered her suffering up for souls in need. She died on the last stroke of the evening Angelus on Thursday 22nd March. One of her favourite aspirations was ‘Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place my trust in Thee’. It is understood that her last words were “ I do trust”.