Venerable Sr. Thecla Merlo and her Thoughts

"The peace and serenity brought to us 

by the crosses which we accept well from the hands of God are unmatched, 

and we will know all their merit and glory in heaven."

- Venerable Sr. Thecla Merlo, fsp

Venerable Sr. Thecla Merlo and her Thoughts

"If we meditate on the Passion of our Lord 

we will have the grace and strength to take up our cross daily. 

You see that each day there is a cross to carry; 

some days it is big, some days, smaller. 

But we ourselves are the biggest cross, 

with all our defects, with our evil inclinations. 

We must go against ourselves and carry our cross. 

May we have the grace to carry it well!"

- Venerable Sr. Thecla Merlo, fsp

Blessed James Alberione and his Thoughts

"We must ask for the grace of conversion everyday. 

Let us ask St. Paul for the necessary dispositions 

that will help us change and improve ourselves!" 

- Blessed James Alberione, ssp

Venerable Thecla Merlo: a Woman of Charity and Faith in God

In this month of February, we, the Daughters of Saint Paul worldwide, celebrate with joy two significant events in the life of our co-Foundress, Venerable Thecla Merlo: her birth anniversary (on February 20); and her death anniversary (on February 5). 

At the age of 21, she accepted the invitation of Blessed James Alberione, our Founder, to form a group of girls who later became known as the Daughters of St. Paul. And on January 22, 1992, Pope John Paul II proclaimed her as Venerable.

Her inspiring thoughts on Charity: "May charity reign! And let there be, first of all, charity with our closest neighbor towards whom we need more patience... Problems are all solved with a little prayer and by exercising a little charity with the others. If we do not love our neighbor, neither do we love God... Let us know how to excuse; know how to be understanding. If we know how to do this, our Lord will excuse and overlook our failings.”

Her reflection on Faith in God: "When our thoughts are fixed on God, when we reflect on His presence, how beautiful our life is! Who among us can outdo God in generosity? Consider His goodness more than His justice. Then we will find it very easy to love and serve Him.  At times, we are too preoccupied with ourselves. If we abandon ourselves to God, we would be more joyful, knowing that we are in the hands of a good Father, who loves us and disposes everything for our own good." 

Let us ask God, through the intercession of Venerable Thecla Merlo, to instil in us these same virtues that she had lived until her last breath!