聖吳甦樂會創立於公元 只1535年11月25日、義大利的碧夏市（Brescia）。創始人聖女安琪梅芝（St. Angela Merici 1474~1540）出身農家，秉性和穆寬和，純樸聰慧，有堅強的基督信仰，加上多年深厚神修生活與人世的磨練，孕育出超人的智慧與慈愛。晚年結合社會賢達貴婦，創立聖吳甦樂會，培育有志少女，以聖化自己、家庭、轉移社會風氣為己任，開現代女子教育之先河。聖安琪的理想，在十六、七世紀，以法國為基地迅速傳佈歐洲各國。從原始的在俗獻身團體發展成為聖吳甦樂修會，更致力於教育青少年、兒童的工作，很受當時代的歡迎。十九世紀是修會對外擴展的時期，為適應時代需要，在各大洲開創現代模式的學校。1900年部份獨立會院集合成立羅馬聯合會(Roman Union of the Order of St. Ursula)， 總會設於羅馬，會院分佈在36個國家。


聖吳甦樂羅馬聯合會總會 Ursulines of the Roman Union

In 1870 in Italy, the government began to confiscate Church properties. The monastery of Blois, , came to the aid of the monastery of Rome . Later, they helped once again, this time the monastery of Calvi dell"Umbria, founded by Rome . The Holy See gave approval for a canonical union of Blois-Rome-Calvi.
Then Leo XIII made known to the Ursulines of the world his desire to see them united under a general superior, resident in Rome . On 18th August 1900, Mother St Julien addressed a letter of invitation to all Ursuline communities. In response delegates from 71 houses met in Rome on 15th November 1900.
This was a new stage in the history of the Ursulines: the Roman Union of the Order of St Ursula began.

Over one hundred years later Ursulines of the Roman Union live and work in 36 different countries.