11/20 feast of Blessed Clelia Merloni: Patron of Forgiveness & the Betrayed

Introduction. Mother Clelia Merloni was the victim of embezzlement at the consecrated hands of a priest. As she watched her precious Order fall into bankruptcy and court battles, she refused to disclose the guilty administrator. Assuming all blame however; meant a life of calumny, misunderstanding, persecution and expulsion as Superior General. Ultimately, she chose the silence, the solitude and the betrayal. The gift of her time, guaranteed sincere reparations. She knew every priest was, in persona Christi, in the person of Christ. In prison, faculties and sacraments ceased. Christ is cancelled. If free and repentant, God-willing, faculties are protected. His consoling sacraments and graces would nourish their starving souls. Her Spouse was requesting 3 things: a silent partnership, protected-time for reparations, and more rain attire. In return for her fiat, she could share a priestly crown. Henceforth, half of the fruit, of the repentant priest's labors; would be hers. Together, they brought souls to God. His benefits outweighed her costs. She could drink this cup.

Timeline. In 1861, Clelia was the 3rd daughter born to the wealthy Merloni family. Sadly, her elder sisters died in infancy which solidified their Catholic faith. She and her parents resided in an Italian estate in the sub-tropical region of Forli. If Italy is a hip boot with a spiked-heel facing west, Forli hides behind its knee. Surrounded by silkworm farms hugging the Adriatic Sea, Forli basks in ocean-reflected sunrises, moist salty breezes, and lully-lapping waves. As provincial capital, greater Forli was the birth site of the Ferretti yacht yards. Detached from northern Italian decadence until age 69, Clelia would bask in the Sacred Heart of Jesus. As His Apostle, she awaited her humble share in His priestly crown.

In 1864 at the fragile age of 3, Clelia's mother died. Devout but imperfect, Clelia's maternal grandmother Nonna assumed command. As a true Italian Catholic grandmother does, Nonna formed Clelia with virtue-breeding acts of sacrifice and charity. Three more sacraments were established, leaving 2 within her reach. Meanwhile, Signore Merloni sold his soul to the Freemasons. Subsequently, he amassed significant amounts of wealth for his troubles.

In 1866, Signore Merloni married a pious Catholic woman and things went south. Over time and lacking heirs, the Signore designed a business-major curriculum for Clelia's private schooling. As Clelia learned economics, transaction logic and business ethics, she was horrified at the extent and extremes of her father's sins. In shame, she accomplished her first heartfelt, solo reparation. Soon, dinner topics explored convent life, charisms and chastity vows. One night, the Signore realized: Clelia would never trade her pure, beloved saintly-soul for his peace-stealing, guilt-ridden, character-rotting idols. Simultaneously, Clelia was calculating the costs of satan's lien on her father's soul. She would leverage her chastity for his immortality. Instantly, her father's patience became memory-scarring wrath. Nonna was forced out. Soon thereafter, the new Signora left to live with relatives. Henceforth, Clelia was rotated between dry, private-school professors and her miserable, lost atheist father. How could Jesus bring good from her frail, broken and abandoned heart? Somehow, somewhere, the Word called. "Use My Heart."

In 1892, Clelia joined the Como daughters of our Lady of the Divine Providence. Soon, she became ill.

In 1893, Clelia was sent home to die. Some sources assume tuberculosis. Maybe, but Italian chest X-rays did not exist until 1900. Nevertheless, she prayed through Mary's Immaculate Heart. As her health improved she discerned actionable, signal graces. She would serve the marginalized through a new order, the Apostles of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

In 1894, informally, Clelia founded her order with 2 friends in Viareggio, Italy. She was elected Mother Superior and 2 Corinthians 5:14 was their motto, "the Love of Christ impels Us." Mother Clelia's writings describe how Christ's pierced heart symbolizes the totality of God’s love for us. Her Order would assign faces and hands--to use His Sacred Heart--and serve in perpetuity.

By 1895, Mother Clelia's order was destitute as her Signore father lay dying at Forli. She left for his bedside and placed everything in His Sacred Heart. Together, Mother Clelia and her father renewed Baptism vows at his sacramental annointing. When he died, he left her with every asset. Mother Clelia repurposed the Forli estate. With Order suppport and supervision, they hired and bartered with live-in widows to love their live-in orphans. Then she invested the Merloni wealth by proxy and awaited further instructions from God.

In 1896, financial disaster struck. Through risky investments, her administrator priest gambled away their dowry. Secretly, she forgave the priest. Publicly, she assumed full responsibility. The order was polarized between outrage and suspicion. Missions were closed and sisters deserted. Over time, receipts revealed facts.

In 1900, the bishop of Piacenza invited Mother Clelia's informal order of 10 souls to meet. He would formally approve the Merloni Rule of Order on 2 conditions. Italian immigrants in America letter-bombed him for support. If consecrated, could they act as international missionaries? Secondly, he demanded their mother house be achored in Piacenza, his diocese. Mother Clelia agreed to a contingent yes, if; "Apostles" replaced missionary verbiage in deeds, contingencies, contracts and the Rule of Order. Although formal vows were stated and signed that day, demons of dissonance sowed seeds. Elsewhere, protected by His Sacred Heart, their labors bore lasting, worldwide fruit.

In August 1900, 6 religious departed for Sao Paulo, Brazil

In October 1900, 4 left for Santa Felicidade, Parana, South America.

In 1902, 4 left to aid the Missionaries of St Charles Borromeo in Boston.

In 1903, there were 30 houses with 200 sisters.

In 1920, Pope Benedict XV canonized St Margaret Mary Alacoque (1647-1690) prioritizing vocations to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. This grew Mother Clelia's order significantly.

In 1921, Pope Benedict XV awarded the Decree of Praise to Mother Clelia's entire order, despite their Foundress' recent expulsion. After the 1920 canonization of Sister Alacoque, calendar commitments require prioritization of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Was his papal award, surgically-timed, to amputate defrocking-memories and bathe their wounds in soul-healing facts?

Between 1911-28, the bishop ordered significant changes to their order. Documents arrived detailing a move of their motherhouse to Rome. The nuns grew confused. The bishop's decree conflicted with their Order's Rule. Contingency #2's motherhouse specifications were clear. Was his signature approving their Rule of Order, the equivalent of a signed contract? Rome's saturation with trophy-convents created an oversupply of nuns. Here, what of her orphans? What of the Piacenza mission and supply chain? The demons of greed and ambition needed an answer: God or mammon? With poise and decorum, Mother Clelia maintained a calm and efficient status quo, despite passing deadlines. Discord, calumny. and panic erupted. To prevent scandal, Mother Clelia was evicted as Mother Superior and placed under house arrest. Nuns were dismissed for following their Rule. Finally, Mother Clelia was dispensed of her vows. When access to the piano was denied, her gentle response was; "music is prayer. Would you deny me of prayer?" The pope's intervention happened here. Emphasizing productivity, he dignified her cause by detailing fruit-bearing data. He described supernatural assets achieved through prayer and action of the "Apostles" of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Meanwhile, Mother Clelia retired to assume a respectful. self-exile. Peacefully, she surrendered to her new life of gentle, flowing, soul-fortifying reparations. Twice, she applied to enter the Order. Twice, she was denied. Meanwhile, she meditated on priestly crowns and abided in the cozy fireplace of her Sacred Heart of Jesus. He was enough.

In 1928, facing declining health, Mother Clelia requested to rejoin the order again. Knowing her time was short, she was welcomed into the motherhouse in Rome.

In 1930, she died in Rome of natural causes.

In 1945, her incorruptible remains are on display for veneration in the chapel of St. Mary Margaret Alacoque, Italy.

In 1990, her cause for canonization was opened by Pope John Paul II.

In 2018, she was beatified by Pope Francis when her intercession led to the miraculous cure of a paralyzed patient.

Today, there are about 700 professed sisters in 15 countries. Their charism is prayer and action. Blessed Mother Clelia's heavenly birthday is November 20.

Prayer

O Mother Clelia, as you abide in Jesus' Sacred Heart eternally, we seek your intercession.

We ask double portions of forgiveness for our betrayers.

Your supernatural forgiveness came through your mustard seed-sized faith.

You watered it with your powerful humility and lush meekness.

Help guide us toward prudent boundaries, through cheerful pruning & to replace all anger with sincere reparations.

Show us the needs and hurts of others. Help us to convert our fears to acts of charity.

Your separation anxiety and abandonment enabled you to house orphans with widows.

To heal from the calumny and financial deceit against your order, you empathized and forgave.

Please present this humble request to Jesus' Sacred Heart along with our praise, honor, thanksgiving and desire.

Because we are great sinners, we ask intercession through Mother Mary's Immaculate Heart. Amen.

O Bride of Christ, Apostle, and stakeholder to a priestly crown; pray for us!