Apostles of the Sacred Heart of Jesus

The charism of Mother Clelia Merloni, Foundress of the Apostles of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, had its origins in the very heart of the Church, the Heart of Christ pierced on the Cross for the redemption of the world. “The Apostles must have no other aim but the glory of the Heart of Jesus,” she impressed upon her daughters. Faithful to Clelia’s spirit, the Apostles dedicates herself to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and to the service of the Church. By the witness of her life and the power of her love, she seeks to sow in the hearts of all whom she meets the love of Christ revealed in His Heart. She is called to be:

An Apostle like the first Apostles, following in the footsteps of Christ and making him known and loved;

An Apostle of Love, living in union with Christ in conformity to the Gospel and giving herself in love to her brothers and sisters as Christ did;

An Apostle of Reparation, contributing to the restoration and renewal of the Kingdom of God in the world through her life of prayer, active charity, and self-offering.

The Apostles of the Sacred Heart of Jesus profess the evangelical counsels of Chastity, Poverty, and Obedience. Their consecration, charism, and life of service are nourished by Eucharistic devotion, liturgical, communal, and personal prayer, meditation on the Word of God, sincere efforts at personal conversion, and community life, under the guidance of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The seal of the Congregation, particularly in the Pauline motto "Caritas Christ urget nos!” (2 Cor. 5:14), expresses and unifies the charism and mission of the Apostles: contemplating the Heart of Christ she draws from the font of his love and is ready to witness to that love everywhere with her words and with her life.