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Thecla Merlo

Childhood days

Theresa Merlo (Religious name Thecla Merlo) the co-foundress of the Daughters of St Paul was born on February 20th 1894 in Castagnito Piedmont, North Italy, in the province of Cuneo. She was the second of four children of Ettore and Vinceza Merlo. After two days of her birth she was baptised in the parish church of St. John the Baptist by Fr. Pietro Palladino. Like any other children she attended the elementary school which offered three years of basic education and then her parents send her to a private teacher named Maria Chiarla. In 1902 23rd April she received her first Holy communion in the parish church of Castagnito, Italy and in1907 on 29th September she received the sacrament of confirmation from Bishop Giuseppe Francisco Re of Alba. From then on she started a deep intimacy with Jesus. Her devoted parents encouraged her to grow in a good Christian atmosphere. She was a born thinker, intelligent and an upright person. Coupled with these natural gifts and good family upbringing, she grew up as devoted child of God. As a profession she learned tailoring and embroidery with the sisters of St Ann at retreat house of divine providence at Alba, Italy. She was sent for further training  to Turin to improve her skills. Eventually in 1912, though fragile and weak, she set up a small workshop to teach sewing and embroidery to young girls in the vicinity. At the age of 21 Thecla had become a tall, slender, agile and energetic young woman of faith.

In the meantime Fr James Alberione the founder of the Pauline family had already started a small typography school with few young boys which gradually became the apostolate of the publications. This Young Workers' Printing School, the seedling planted by James Alberione eventually grew as the Society of St Paul. He thought of establishing the same for women too and was on the lookout for someone to help him in this regard. Heeding to his invitation Teresa Merlo decided to follow the path of James Alberione. In 1915 June15th  he opened the women's work-shop in Piazza Cherasca, Alba, in the premises vacated by the young men of the Printing School. This date marks the birth of the Daughters of St Paul.

Initial stages of her life as a Nun

In 1915 Teresa meets Fr Alberione in the sacristy of the parish church of Saints Cosmas and Damian at Alba. Teresa and her companions join the League of Catechists of the parish of Saints Cosmas and Damian and attend courses of religious doctrine under the direction of Canon Chiesa. It was the beginning of their religious preparation to be a catholic nun. After a few years of preparation in 1922 together with eight other young women Theresa consecrated her-self to God and took perpetual private vows and adopts the religious name as Thecla Merlo. As one of the first one to be consecrated to God, everyone else called her Prima Maestra meaning first mistress. Through her God launched the congregation of the Pious Society of the Daughters of St Paul and Fr Alberione appointed her as the Superior General of the newly established institute. Slowly the small community that came into existence began to grow and branch out. The first branch house of the Daughters of at Paul was opened at Salerno and then in Verona. Thecla Merlo (Maestra Thecla) personally accompanied the sisters and helped them during the early stages of their existence in these places. This work marked the beginning of her missionary journeys. In 15March 1929 the Bishop Re recognises the Daughters of St Paul as a congregation of diocesan right and in the decree Mother Thecla is named Superior General with the title of Prima Maestra. From then many houses were opened in various parts of the world with the same purpose of production, promotion and distribution of good literature and audio visual materials and to promote all that is true good, wholesome and beautiful in every culture and religion and to proclaim the values of love, peace and harmony through the media of social communication: through press radio, television and all the means and techniques that the modern era provides.

Journeys made by Thecla Merlo

In 1943, 13 December the Holy See issued the Decretum Laudis, granting provisional Vatican recognition to the Daugh¬ters of St Paul. From Then on her life consisted of continuous journey to the houses instituted in various parts of the world. 1945, 28 December to 23 May 1946 Thecla Merlo embarks at Naples with Fr James Alberione (the founder of the Daughters of St Paul) on the Andrea Gritti, bound for the United States and continues to Argentina and Brazil. She lost her mother, Vincenza Merlo, in 1947 on 18th January.

In 1949 3 April to 24th July Thecla Merlo accompanied Fr James Alberione on a round the world journey through India, Philippines, Japan, Mexico, the United States and in 30 September to 11th  October, she visited the communities in France and Spain. In 1949 on 21st March to 14th June Thecla Merlo made another tour to the American houses with Fr James Alberione, visiting the United States, Canada, Mexico, Chile, Argentina and Brazil. In the same year from12- 26 July she visited the houses in France. The full pontifical recogni¬tion by the Holy See on the Congregation of the Daughters of St Paul and approval of its Constitutions was granted in 1953 March 15th.

In 1953 from 13 April to 1955 Thecla Merlo accompanies the Founder on another tour to the houses of the far East Japan, Philippines, India, Americas, visiting the houses in Canada, United States, Colombia, Chile, Argentina and Brazil and to United Kingdom, France, Spain and Portugal. 1956 25 to 31 July Thecla Merlo visited the Great Britain and Spain.

First General Chapter

In 1957, 7th January she summoned the first General Chapter of the Daughters of St Paul, (which is once in six years meeting of the elected representative of the institute from various parts of the globe) which was held from 4 to 7th May and on 4th May She was re-confirmed as Superior General for a further period of 12 years by the first General Chapter the apex authority of the institute. She visited the community in London in 1960 August and in October the community of Spain and in 1961 November she visited the houses in Kinshasa and Zaire. In the following year she made a visit to the houses in the United States and Canada. Her last journey and fraternal visit was to Kinshasa and Lubumbashi in Zaire in 1963. 1963, 4th December was a memorable day for her as the Second Ecumenical Council of the Vatican approves the decree on the means of social communication, Inter Mirifica, which officially accepted the work done by the Daughters of St Paul under the guidance Fr James Alberione through the instrumentality of Theca Merlo.

Her last days

She suffered a stroke in 1963 and was admitted in ‘Regina Apostolorum Clinic’ where Pope Paul VI came to visit her. Thecla suffered another stroke and Fr Alberione administers the Sacrament of the Sick (a sacramental ceremony anointing in the Catholic Church administered by a priest on the sick). In 1964, 5th February, Thecla Merlo offers her life for the sanctification of the institute and died at Albano Laziale in the Regina Apostolorum Clinic following a cerebral haemorrhage. Fr Alberione gave her spiritual comfort at the end.

State of Holiness

In the year1967 26th October the opening stages of the process in view of the beatification and canonisation of Thecla Merlo began in the Vicariate in Rome. It concluded on 23 March 1968. In 1992 22 January Pope John Paul II signs the decree which recognises the heroic character of Thecla Merlo’s virtues, and confers on her the title of Venerable.

Bibliography

A Woman for our Times, (1974). Boston, USA, Published by Daughters of St Paul, USA.

Agasso, Domenico. (1994), Thecla Merlo Messenger of the Good News, St Paul Publications, Bandra, Mumbai.

Daughters of St Paul, (1965). Woman of Faith, Boston, USA: Published by Daughters of St Paul, USA.

Daughters of St Paul, (1981), Yes is Forever, Boston, USA, Published by Daughters of St Paul, USA.