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THE ORDER OF LOVEThe Formative Vision of Ven. Giovanni Merlini

by Sr. Nicla Spezzati, ASC

See page 15

Venerable John Merlini first became acquainted with St. Gaspar and the Congregation at St. Felix in Giano

JOHN MERLINI:

by Fr. Francesco Bartoloni, C.PP.S.

Merlini:the will of God is enough for Me

by Fr. Francesco Bartoloni, C.PP.S. 1

The Order of LoveThe Formative Visionof Ven. Giovanni Merlini

by Sr. Nicla Spezzati, ASC 1

The work of Merlinias Moderator Generaland his influence on us todayby Fr. Emanuele Lupi, C.PP.S. 5

Special notes on Venerable Merlini 8

The New Foudnationsof Merlni EraFrance America England

by Fr. Emanuele Lupi, C.PP.S. 10

In the same way, your light must shine...

by Sr. Nicla Spezzati, ASC 12

In our days, an unsettled time, of briefand fragmented thinking, in the cul-ture that we call the present, in whichabsolute value is given to the verymoment being lived, we meet the Ven.John Merlini (Spoleto 1794 - Rome1873), a wise man who does not buildhis house on sand, but on rock; a housewhich does not fall, though tried byevery storm (cfMt7:24-29). The coor-dinates according to which we proceedin our life are the same with which wehelp others proceed. We might also beschizophrenic, separating our person-al lifestyles from the ones we support in

theory, but usually we follow an under-lying vision according to which we pro-ceed in our journey. Formative action,often, toward ourselves and toward oth-

ers, mirrors the consistency betweenformative theory and lived life, and

becomes its verification.Therefore, it seems to me stimulating toread, even though in summary, thehuman, coherent and harmonious her-itage that John Merlini entrusted to theFamily of the Most Precious Blood(C.PP.S., ASC, USC).

ACTOR OF OUR ORIGINS

John Merlini is the eminent actor and

witness of the originating grace of our

Family, because he was beside St. Ga-

spar Del Bufalo from August 15, 1820,five years after the foundation of theC.PP.S. Congregation at San Felice di

See next page

J

ohn Merlini was the most eminentcollaborator of Saint Gaspar and

carried on his work. How much Ivebeen through! he used to stay withamazement toward the end of his life.His not so brief life unfolded from thelast tragic celebrations of the Frenchrevolution until the contentious festiv-ities marking the unification of Italy.He had good reason to say: Howmuch Ive been through! His was theastonishment of one who survives astorm at sea without injury and whoattributes this to Gods grace. Theastonishment was even greater in any-

one who, having lived side by sidewith him, heard him utter thesewords. In fact, not only did he showhimself calm and imperturbable buthe communicated calm to others withinimitable skill, such that causedthose who knew him say that few peo-

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MISSIONARIES OF THE PRECIOUS BLOODNo. 30, April 2011


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relationship characterized by a commu-

nion of exemplary souls.

THE WISE MAN

We are becoming acquainted with agiant of the spirit. A giant who doesnot frighten because he lives his seek-ing of God and neighbor in the ordi-

nary course of life with a very humanand, therefore, extraordinarily spiritu-al style; with a very humble mannerand, therefore, incredibly elevated.

to invent and build tastefully and artis-tically. Punctual, precise, an obstinateprogrammer, but at the service of anopenness of mind and heart and aninsuperable democracy. He was a manin flesh and bone, coherent with theprinciples he professed, inflexible indemanding more of himself than of

others, indulgent in understanding oth-ers more than himself. A clear man,unwilling regarding compromise,absorbed in prayer to the point ofestrangement from reality, but soinserted into reality as to presume tomake all of it a prayer.1 One of hisbiographers recounts: what is moststriking in John Merlini is his capacityto harmonize all resources and put alltalents to good use with the exercise ofhis loving will. Typical of this is evenhis physical aspect. He appears severe

to us and inspires uneasiness. Still, allthe witnesses speak of him in enthusi-astic terms and say that it was a plea-sure to speak with him. He was alwayshappy and friendly; it was a pleasureto meet him and live with him.2

In his Letters, St. Gaspar sang thepraises of this holy Missionary, defin-ing him, among numerous statementsof esteem: golden ecclesiastic, verygood companion, man of miracles,saint.

THE TWO ROOTS

OF JOHN MERLINI

From this profile of wise man it

seems to me we can deduce two para-

digms of the formative vision that John

Merlini applied in the areas of min-

istries that he carried out for the two

Congregations of the Most Precious

Blood and in his missionary action

among and for the people of God.

THE ORDER OF LOVE

The rock on which John Merlini buildsthe house and companions others inbuilding it is the great will of God(cfMt7:21). He used to say: I desireonly Gods will, and that suffices forme.3

Gods will is the plan of love for everycreature. Entering into this order oflove means bringing to completion theplan of beauty and the eschatologicaldestiny to which the human person is

called according to creation andredemption. The will of God is notto be sought by questioning the pre-sent and future with doubts and contin-

Continued from front page

of the young men. On December 28,

1847, John Merlini was elected general

director, an office he held until his

death on January 12, 1873. He also held

the responsibility of Superior of the

womens Congregation of the Adorers

of the Most Precious Blood (ASC)

founded in 1834 in Acuto (Frosinone)

by St. Maria De Mattias. He would

accompany that Community with

excellent care and devotion beyond the

death of the Foundress. Two important

details: on April 13, 1838, Francis de

Sales Brunner, a Swiss priest, is accept-

ed in Albano for a trial period under the

direction of John Merlini, who would

form him in the spirituality of the

Blood of Christ. In parallel, from

March-April of 1824, John Merliniassumed the spiritual direction of Maria

De Mattias, whom he followed until

her death on August 20, 1866, with a

It seems to me that John Merlini isprecisely the wise man of theScripture: he calculates every aspectof problems to be faced as though hemust not await anything fromProvidence. One has a right to helpfrom Providence, John Merlini used tostate, when one has done everythingthat is humanly required. His programmotto is a hundred measurementsand one cut: a good tailor, in fact,measures the fabric very carefullybefore proceeding to cut it.

It is interesting to listen to personswho knew him. They describe JohnMerlini as a personality who joinedthe opposites in himself in anadmirable synthesis. He was exuber-

ant and at the same time inclined toreflection and thinking big. By naturehe was an organizer with an extremelymethodical personality, but also loved

If you are interested in these publications,

please contact the Generalate.

NEW PUBLICATIONS

Peacebuilding: Catholic Theology, Ethics and and

Praxis, Orbis Books, Maryknoll, NY (Nov 2010) Robert

Schreiter, C.PP.S. is co-editor and author of variousarticles in the book.

Beyond Accompaniment: Guiding a Fractured Com-

munity to Wholeness, William Nordenbrock, C.PP.S.,Liturgical Press, Collegeville, MN (Feb. 2011).

Il Sangue di Cristo nella Teologia, V, Chiesa latina,

greca, etiopica, slava, copta e armena, X secolo, a curadi Tullio Veglianti, C.PP.S., Centro Studi Sanguis Christi,Libreria Editrice Vaticana, Vatican City (2010).

Giano (Perugia) (August 15, 1815),until December 28, 1837, the year ofGaspars death in Rome.

In addition, he was vice-director andgeneral secretary beginning in 1838,to which, in 1847, Biagio Valentini,general director, added the assignment

to replace the latter in the administra-tion of the Congregation, because ofhis poor health. From 1834 to 1847 he

resided in Albano as formation director


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ual restlessness, nor being satisfied on

the edges of permanent indecision. For

John Merlini Gods will is experienced

and accomplished with intelligent, sin-

cere, passionate adherence to daily sit-

uations that must be lived in the mea-

sure of the Gospel so that the Reign of

God will be present and may progress

here and now in the order of love. JohnMerlini experiences the human growth

process as an admirable (exact, intelli-

gent, ordered, passionate and total)

commerce of the talents received

and as a practice of Christian virtues.

That growth process is formative, it

adheres to daily life with free decision,

with passion of intellect and of love,

seeking to establish in persons, in daily

happenings and even in things (envi-

ronments, economy, structure, etc.) the

order of love because God is love (1

Jn 4:16) The view that John Merlinihas of holiness, connected to and fun-

damental for his formative vision of

the person, can be described as a life

process: holiness destines the human

person for God.4

This is verified perfectly in Jesus Christ,

in his perfect obedience and free offer-

ing of Himself, to the extent of the shed-

ding of Blood (cfr Letter to the Heb-

rews). A human process that extends

into the spirit by grace; in fact, it is a

question not only of acquiring a certainknowledge of God and loving Him in

some way, but to make of God the ulti-

mate purpose of ones whole life, and all

that is given us by grace.

John Merlini used to repeat that gracewas given to those who work withuprightness, and that this grace wasgrafted into human nature in the effi-cacious sign of Christs Blood.

IN THE BLOOD OF THE LAMB

In the beginning we recalled that JohnMerlini, as a twenty-five-year-oldpriest, met the spirituality of the MostPrecious Blood in the person ofGaspar del Bufalo during a retreat thatSt. Gaspar was directing in the Abbeyof San Felice. This meeting becomes aparadigm of life for John Merlini.

Amid the more than evident signs of the

poverty of the place, the young John

Merlini feels enveloped by the magna-

nimity of Gaspar; he feels penetrated by

a look that will always remain in the

depths of his soul. For John Merlini it islike the burst of a higher light which,

with its uncontainable brilliance, makes

an already-illuminated room appear to

be dark. From that moment, John

Merlini is born as a Missionary of the

Society of the Most Precious Blood, a

Society of Gospel Workers in the power

of the Blood of Christ, and he is grafted

so fruitfully into this plant that while he

is regenerated, he regenerates it. The

meeting with Gaspar and the sincere

total adhesion, as son and companion,

to the person of the founder, to the hero-

ic idea of the charism given by the

Spirit to his Congregation,felt, venerat-

ed and served as Gods work, make

John Merlini a living witness and a

solicitous, attentive guardian so that a

divine plan might be realized in time

and history. To John Merlini is given

the grace of a loving wisdom of the

charism and of the Work of the Most

Precious Blood, that wisdom that,

alone, manages to penetrate the interior

of things and reveal them: the heart hasreasons that the reason does not have.

John Merlini, man of the essence and

reserved, wept at the death of Gaspar,

revealing how much I owe you! What

I am, I am because of you, after God.5

Enrico Rizzoli, successor of Merlini in

the C.PP.S. government, testifies: the

mystery of the Redemption and of the

Precious Blood of Jesus Christ was the

topic dearest to him. Usually sparing

with words, when it was a matter of this

mystery of charity, he would never fin-

ish talking about it and hearing about it;and sometimes, when discoursing on

this topic I observed him raise his eyes

heavenward, bathed in tears. His piety

moved me and edified me very much!6

So, John Merlini weaves his formativevision on these two paradigms.

A VITAL VISION

In his ministries as spiritual director,counselor, confessor, formation direc-tor of youth, president of various com-

munities, superior of two Congre-gations (C.PP.S. and ASC), animatorof Catholic laity, Fr. John will be guid-ed by a genuine vision of the human

person, without forcing or strongtones, a vision accompanied by themerciful power of the Blood of Christ.He draws from it an anthropology ofthe human, of the cross, of glory, ofcharity that is magnanimous andwise in the order of love.

ANTHROPOLOGYOF THE HUMAN

With a profound knowledge of thehuman person, his/her potentiality andlimitations, John Merlini cultivates arelational anthropology that, based onthe respect and honor due to the huma-num, he opens the person to the spiri-tual experience of charity, signified bythe blood of Christ.

We can also recognize some applica-tions of the formative vision that JohnMerlini used daily: the care of thehuman being (physical, personality,talents, education) with the need ofpersonal and community formation;the need for reference and spiritualaccompaniment; the living example inone who has the task to form: precedewith example and teach how to doand prevent more than admonish, andbe impartial; discernment in dailyevents as a habit of judgment toacquire at a human and spiritual level;objectivity of judgment with a broad

view focused toward daily happen-ings; interior serenity in the succes-sion of praises and denigrations; theessentials of the Rules: few and wellobserved; the knowledge of limita-tions and human finitude, basis of anopen and confident relationship withothers: Let us recall that we are limit-ed and finite creatures, and as such,lacking, even without realizing it.Persuaded of that truth by practice, wewill no longer easily trust ourselves.We will communicate ideas, we will

take counsel, we will appreciate criti-cism, we will not be irritated if we are

contradicted. We will learn to be com-

passionate, we will learn to comfort and

We should occupy ourselves during the retreatin examining ourselves on the commandment ofcharity, especially with reference to our own.How do we think of each other? How do wetreat each other? How do we tolerate eachother? How do we help each other? How do werespect each other? In sum, how do we love eachother?

(Ven. Merlini, Circular Letter of 1857)


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maintain a balanced spirit. Let us there-

fore meditate on our nothingness.7

ANTHROPOLOGY

OF THE CROSS

It is the exercise for growing in humani-

ty and in spiritual wisdom in difficult

and sad situations. To grow in confi-

dence in God and in the virtue of forti-

tude while one is experiencing the bur-

den of difficulties and frustrating anddisappointing situations, continually

mindful of the very human way of the

cross and working so that this cross

may become salvific. How does it

become life-giving, that is, salvific?

John Merlini responds: living the situa-

tions in a theological and Christ-like

way (cfPhil 2:5).

John Merlini encourages and wel-comes the cross as a process of growthand love. He writes to St. Maria De

Mattias: Remember that we do notlove God without suffering and thatsuffering is also the hedge that defendsthe vineyard of our soul. God is mystrength.8 Stay well that you may beresigned in the difficulties. I wouldlike for you to support them with hap-piness, that you rejoice, because Godwants us to be happy in our giving.9

ANTHROPOLOGY OF GLORY

It is the continual practice of prayer and

the contemplative gaze indicated by

John Merlini as the master way in the

process of the spirit. He always calls

one to hope, or to the final completion

that thrusts the heart beyond everyday

I will stop here. The formative vision of

John Merlini can suggest vitality for us,

today. It challenges us to create a new

life-giving synthesis for our times. It in-

vites us to enter into a process in which

the memory does not remain a story, but

becomes reflection and action, a life-

giving process for all of us.

Francis of Assisi used to say: Sincewe do not want to, nor can we be sat-

isfied with magnifying the works ofour ancestors, because it is a greatshame for us, servants of God, that thesaints accomplished the works and wewant to receive glory and honor justby recounting them, let us ask theLord, in most holy humility, to inspireus strongly to accomplish our part.(Legenda Maior 6).

01 Cf e.g., Rituum Congregatio, Romana seuAlbanen. Beatificationis et CanonizationisServi dei Joannis Merlini, Summarium,Rome 1960, 128-129.02

Cf e.g., M. COLAGIOVANNI

, John Merlin.The Will of God Suffices for Me, CittNuova, 1996, 51 ff.03 G. MERLINI,Letters to Maria De Mattias, I,Rome 1974, 41.04 THOMAS AQUINAS, Super ev. Ioannis, c. 13,I, n. 4.05 Cf AG C.PP.S., G. MERLINI, FuneralDiscourse for Gaspar Del Bufalo, ApostolicMissionary and C.PP.S. Founder.06 CfRituum Congregatio... loc. cit.07 AG C.PP.S., G. MERLINI, Circular Letters,For the retreats on the 1858 Rule, cart 13,fasc. 1, f. 55.08 G. MERLINI,Letters to Maria De Mattias, I,244.09 ID., loc. cit., 29810 ID., loc. cit., II 66.11 AG C.PP.S., Circular Letters, CircularLetter for the missionary gentlemen for theretreats of the 1857 Rule.12 AG C.PP.S., loc. cit.

obstacles. He says to St. Maria De

Mattias: Try to preserve happiness of

spirit, since in the Blood of Jesus Christ

our souls find all richness.10

ANTHROPOLORY

OF CHARITY

In the general letters of John Merlini

the topic of a loving belonging to the

C.PP.S. Family is always present: We

will see to the fulfillment of the precept

of charity, especially toward our own.

How do we look at each other? How do

we treat each other? How do we toler-

ate each other? How do we help each

other? How do we respect each other?

In a word, how do we love each other?

Would we be among those who demand

charity and do not want to have it

toward others? Hoc est praeceptum

meum, said the divine Savior, ut dili-

getis invicem; and made an example of

Himself: sicut ego dilexi vos (Jn 15,12).No, let us not believe we are without

fault, if we do not preserve charity.11

John Merlini refers to the personal and

cordial action with which each one con-

tributes to the community vision and to

the primacy of the common mission

and vocational witness of the Family of

the C.PP.S.: We live in community and

we cannot plan our conveniences in the

way that those who live a private life;

let us try to live as men of spirit, men

of zeal and men who make the Con-

gregation glorious. Great good will bedone to the people; and others, edified,

will join us to work for Gods cause, the

cause of our neighbors.12

Venerable John Merlini, St. Gaspar and St. Maria De Mattias


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On the death of Don BiagioValentini, the first ModeratorGeneral of the Congregation, onNovember 23, 1847, the problem ofsuccession reemerged. The mostimportant question was the methodto be adopted for the election of theDirector General who succeededhim. Technically, the fortunes of theCongregation were already in thehands of Don Giovanni Merlini who

had been guiding the Congregationsince August 26, 1847, not only inhis role as Vice General, but as onewho was viewed as carrying on aWork that was still in the process ofconsolidation. In a certain senseAugust 26 represented an historicdate as well, given that for about tenyears the General Congressus of theCongregation, which today wewould call a meeting of the GeneralCouncil, had never convened.

Don Giovanni Merlini was namedVice Moderator General on No-vember 28, 1838. Fully faithful to the

heritage left behind by Saint Gaspar,Merlini carried out his ministry withthat spirit of self-denial that hadalways distinguished him. In the lastyears of the term of Valentini, how-ever, he was living on the margins ofthe General Government of theCongregation, not only geographi-

cally, since Valentini lived in Romeat San Salvatore in Campo while

Merlini was in Albano, but also in apractical sense, because it seems thatValentini would listen more to theadvice of other confreres than that ofhis Vice General. Merlini, neverthe-less, remained faithful, without see-

ing himself as a victim and continu-ing to work and give an account ofwhat he was doing.

From that November 28, 1838, toDecember 28, 1847, the day of hiselection, not to mention all the time

preceding that he had spent at theFounders side, the Congregationhad continued to experience expan-sion and the director of all that was

house would hold a meeting andindicate the name of a candidate.That same practice stated that theone elected would be the ModeratorGeneral, who would name theGeneral Definitors and Consultors.(Today we would call them theGeneral Councilors and members ofthe General Curia.) All the letterswould arrive in Rome and therewould be counted. This same proce-

dure was followed for the election ofMerlini who, on the morning ofDecember 28, was elected by thecommunities of Italy, with theexception of that of Sonnino. Thevote of the community of Trois Epis(Drei Aehren) in France was lacking,as were the votes of the four com-munity houses of the United States.

As soon as he was elected, Merlini

took the reins of administration and

asked Don Nicola Santarelli to create

a register of the members of theInstitute. It was not known exactly

how many there were in total,

between those who had been con-

firmed in the Congregation and those

who were participating in its ac-

tivities and living in its houses. Until

Merlini himself, who encouragedwhat took place. In 1839 the firsthouse outside the boundaries of Italywas opened in Loewenberg inSwitzerland, by Father FrancisSalesius Brunner, who had beenformed in the Congregation inAlbano, under the direction ofMerlini. In December 1843 the

Congregation, thanks to the labor ofBrunner, had arrived in America, inthe Diocese of Cincinnati. Mean-while, the Holy See had givenapproval to the Congregation and itsRule with the Decretum LaudisSacerdos on December 17, 1841,the same year the Congregation hadfounded its first house in France.

Don Giovanni Merlini was electedModerator General on December 28,1847, in the presence of Cardinal

Filippo Giacomo Fransoni. The bal-lots reflecting the will of the com-munities that sent them had arrivedin Rome were counted. A stable formof electing the Moderator Generaldid not yet exist and the practice fol-lowed was that each community

by Fr. Emanuele Lupi, C.PP.S.

UP COMING EVENTS

Workshop for Newly Incorporated Members

July 20-30, 2011

Rome

To discover the historical places of the C.PP.S.

To reflect on their experiences of community life

and of their ministry during their first years as members

To discuss their needs for ongong formation

For more information, please contactFr. Felix Mushobozi, C.PP.S.

[email protected]

THE WORK OF MERLINI

AS MODERATOR GENERAL

AND HIS INFLUENCE ON US TODAY

Continuity between Saint Gaspar and Merlini


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the approval of the Constitutions in

1946, the Congregation was in fact a

union of diocsesan priests, joined

together for an apostolic purpose. In

1946 definitive incorporation was

introduced, making clerics members

of the Congregation and thus losing

their incardination in a diocese.

place for those who had knownGaspar and who lived with the com-munity during the period of thedepositions. The situation encour-aged an exchange among the variouspersonalities that certainly kept alivethe memory of one who was forthem already a saint.

The newly elected Merlini initiateda new process of reviewing the

administration of the material goods

of the Congregation. The economic

situation was not good and the

house of San Salvatore in Campo,which since the time of Valentini

functioned as the seat of the GeneralCuria, was in very poor condition.

During the Merlini era, Pius IX

gave the Missionaries the house and

church of Santa Maria in Trivio,

which served as the seat of the

General Curia from 1858 until1947.

The other grand project that the newGeneral took in hand was the

process of the canonization of theFounder. The diocesan process wastaking place in Albano, and the com-munity there became a meeting

We have said that with the DecreeSacerdos on December 17, 1841,the Church accepted the Rule of theMissionaries but the process ofexpansion of the Congregation led to

new questions. The Rule of 1841 hadbeen written for a Congregationfounded in Italy that was growingonly in the territories of the PapalStates. The arrival of Brunner andhis departure, not only from Italy butalso from the European continentalmost immediately after the accep-tance of the Rule, obligated theModerator General to find newstrategies that would encourage agreater uniformity to the Work,

which was by now becoming inter-national. In 1841 the ModeratorGeneral was Valentini. One of thefirst decisions of Merlini, as soon as

he was elected in 1847, was to sim-plify the Rule so that it could bemore easily adapted to the founda-tion outside Italy.

The foundation of the Congregationin America introduced the questionof the decentralization and theautonomy needed by the confreres to

manage in those areas created by thenew geographical situation. A solidcanonical structure was needed, onethat would limit the dissonant ele-ments that could arise with a found-ing charism, but at the same timewould guarantee space for healthygrowth in the local situation.

Thus was born theLebensordnung, arule of life specific to the priests andbrothers of the American vicariate.As we will see in another article, this

rule came into being after the meet-ing of Brunner with the GeneralCouncil in Rome in 1858. In 1868,in a revision of the Rule, the GeneralCuria maintained the same conces-sions granted in 1858. At the sametime the usual practices for adaptingthe Rule to the local situation in Italywere revised.

In the meeting of the GeneralCouncil on November 15, 1872,there was a desire to revisit the ques-

tion of the Rule in order to make fur-ther modifications that wouldencourage a certain modernization.Among others, articles 63, 67 and 68were examined. The Council wantedto introduce the election of theDefinitors and Consultors for six-year terms and they proposed thedivision of the Congregation intoprovinces. They also sought to intro-duce the practice that provided forconvoking a meeting of the General

Administration by the ModeratorGeneral under extraordinary circum-stances when requested by a majori-ty of the Definitors. Unfortunatelythese innovations were never enact-ed because a week after having pre-sented the project of reform to theHoly See, Merlini wrote the HolySee seeking to put a halt to theapproval of the project.

In an article like this one cannot failto highlight the special friendship

between Merlini and Pope Pius IXwho, as a young priest, had collabo-rated with our Congregation in someministries, nor can one omit the ben-

The Church of Santa Maria in Trivio (Crociferi) in Rome, home for the General Curia from 1858-1947


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efits of this friendship for the entireCongregation. One of these is cer-tainly the promulgation of theDecree Redempti Sumus of August10, 1849, in which the pope promul-gated the feast of the Most PreciousBlood, to be celebrated in the wholechurch on the first Sunday in July.

(Pius X changed the date to July 1 in1914.)

Another benefit granted the Con-gregation in 1851 by Pius IX at therequest of Merlini was the officialconcession of full autonomy of theCongregation from the Archi-confraternity of the Most PreciousBlood, an autonomy that had alreadyexisted de facto for some time. In thesame year, with a Brief of July 29,Pius IX erected the Pious Union of

the Most Precious Blood, with itsown faculties, privileges and indul-gences. Not least of all, in 1854 theSacred Congregation of Bishops andRegulars, at the recommendation ofthe pope, entrusted the house andchurch of Santa Maria in Trivio tothe Congregation, although as wehave already seen, it would not beinhabited by the Congregation until1858.

Don Giovanni Merlini guided the

Congregation in the years 1847-1873. These dates bring to mind theevents of the history of Italy whichaffected the life of the Congregationand caused considerable suffering.The year 1848 saw the pope fleeRome and take refuge in Gaeta onaccount of the revolutionary move-ments of the first war for Italianindependence which affected Romeitself. On February 9, 1849, a con-stituent assembly proclaimed the end

of the temporal power of the papacyand the founding of the RomanRepublic with a triumvirate at itshead. The process of expropriatingchurch property began but quicklyended because on April 12, 1850, thepope returned to Rome and abrogat-ed the Constitution granted in Marchof 1848. Everything went back to theway it had been, but a first shock hadbeen dealt.

A second war for Italian indepen-

dence took place in 1859, and withthe Expedition of the Thousand, in1860 Italy was unified except for thePapal States and some regions of the

gregation also participated as one of

its victims.

He died not long afterward, onJanuary 12, 1873, and his death rep-resents above all the end of an erathat had begun in the by now longpast year of 1815. Don GiovanniMerlini was surely the last bulwark

of the first generation of theCongregation. As Secretary, ViceGeneral and then ModeratorGeneral, he exercised leadership inthe Congregation for fifty-eightyears, a guarantor of continuity withthe spirit of the foundation and hehimself the personification of thiscontinuity.

Don Giovanni: administrator, spiri-tual director, and architect (even

today we can see evidence of hisinterventions in many houses andchurches of the Congregation inItaly). Above all, Don Giovanni con-tinues to be a model of how to beauthentic Missionaries of thePrecious Blood, an example of lifefor all of us.

northeast. On March 17, 1861, the

Kingdom of Italy was proclaimed

and for our Congregation, as for the

rest of the church, the suffering

resulting from the confiscation of

the goods of the church began

again. All of our communities that

were outside the confines of the

Papal States were plundered or con-fiscated, some members were jailed

because of their protests, and the

same fate fell on the house of San

Felice. On January 21, 1862, the

C.PP.S. community was expelled

from that house and it remained

without a stable C.PP.S. presence

until 1937. In 1861 the body of

Saint Gaspar was transferred from

Albano to Santa Maria in Trivio in

Rome. On September 20, 1870, the

Piedmontese entered Rome. TheEternal City was declared the capi-

tal of the new Kingdom of Italy and

soon the same laws for the confisca-

tion of the possessions of the church

were put into effect. Don Giovanni,

by now an old man, witnessed this

sad spectacle in which our Con-

An oil painting of Fr. Francis de Sales Brunner


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On CommunityEspecially, let us seek to promote chari-

ty among ourselves and, putting aside

the merely human, let us attend to per-

fecting ourselves in this virtue. Let us put

up with each otherss defects and mutu-

ally love each other. Let us respect each

other first to last and may there stand out

among us that harmony which should

exist in a moral body. Let us guard our-selves against anything which could

cheapen the sacred ministry so that we

do not make ourselves responsible

before God. (Circular Letter of 1849)

On MissionDo we have that spirit which ought

to fill an evangelical worker, a min-

ister of the sanctuary, a missionary

of the Congregation of the Most

Precious Blood? Are we so de-

tached from everyone and every-

thing, including ourselves, so as to

be able to say sincerely and in

every sense of the term: Dominus

pars haereditatis meae; Deus meus

et omnia?(Circular Letter of 1859)

On SpiritualityLet us remember, dear confreres,

that it is the devotion entrusted to us

and that we should not fail to pro-

mote it with resolution and in every

way. When preaching is done, when

the sacrament of penance is admin-

istered, in informal discourses let us

keep in mind our devotion whichshould be most dear to us and we

should wish to kindle it ever more in

the hearts of the faithful.

(Circular Letter of 1852)

1 2 3

5 6

1. Celebrating Mass.

2. The famous mission of LAquila givenby Fr. John Merlini.

3. A special confession.

4. The bandits give a letter to Fr. Merliniasking for his help in making peacewith their families.

5. Fr. Merlini, spiritual director of St.Maria De Mattias.

6. An expert in designing and buildingChurches.

7. Sonnino: Fr. Giovanni always had arecipient of water on hand to quench thethirst of those who passed by theMission House.

8. In contemplation before Christ Crucified.

9. An accident which would prove fatal.


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The Venerable John Merlini (1795-1873), the third Moderator General of the

Congregation of the Missionaries of the Precious Blood, was captivated by Saint Gaspardel Bufalo and his preaching of the mystery of the Blood of Christ, the source of the dig-

nity of each human person. The love of God, eloquently symbolized by the Blood of

Christ, was at the center of his preaching, which was simple, incisive and engaging. Hislifestyle was a search for Gods will, for a wise vision of the world and of its harmonious

beauty.

His sensitivity in listening and in knowing the human heart made him an excellent spiri-

tual director and a noted counselor. He was the spiritual director of Saint Maria De Mattias

and a friend of Pope Pius IX. His love of order and his aptitude for dialogue, along with

his capacity for making decisions, made him a beloved leader who was sought by many.

Thanks to him, Father Francis De Sales Brunner brought the Congregation to the United

States, Germany, and Switzerland. He was responsible for the growth of a rich network of

lay associations, which he promoted for the good of the Church with wise, cutting-edge

vision. The Church has recognized the heroic virtue of his Christian, priestly and mis-

sionary life. We now wait to venerate him as a saint.

MOMENTS IN MERLINIS LIFE

PRAYER FOR THE BEATIFICATION OF THE VEN. JOHN MERLINI

Eternal Father, we beg of you the favor of the beatification and canonization of your servant, John Merlini.

We ask that you place upon his life and work in honor of the Precious Blood the stamp of divine approval,

that those who venerate him and seek his intercession may glorify you by imitation of his virtues. Grant us

an abundance of the graces flowing from the Blood of your Son.

Bestow upon us the spirit of his love, so that we may truly promote the divine glory in the apostolate of the

Precious Blood with the zeal of St. Gaspar and Ven. John Merlini. This we ask through Christ our Lord.

Mary, our Queen and Mother, all-powerful in intercession with your Son, obtain for us through the priest-

hood of Christ in his glory the favor we ask for our beloved father, the zealous priest, John Merlini.

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the Diocese of Cincinnati, erected in1821 and encompassing the entirestate of Ohio. The Congregation in

the United States needed to collabo-rate in the work of building up thechurch. This was a different situationfrom that of Saint Gaspar and theCongregation in Europe, where theMissionaries were needed to renewan already established church. The

Toulouse. On December 28, 1847,

Cazales was named superior of theCongregation in France.

Unfortunately the experiment didnot last, for in February 1848, in thecontext of the European revolutionsof the era, Father Cazales began totake part of the Commissions which

were to draft a new constitution forFrance. The Montauban experimentended and he had to be transferred toParis.Meanwhile, another Frenchpriest had entered the Congregationin 1846. This was Father FrancoisDesnoyers, of the Diocese of Autun,not far from Dijon. Named superior

of Trois Epis in 1852, he wasrelieved of his duties in 1853 andafter another sojourn in Italy, hereturned to France in 1857. In a let-ter of June 24, 1858, he speaks of thepossibility of opening a house with aparish attached in Montmille, northof Paris. Not only did this happen,but on February 24, 1859, they werealso inscribed in the Pious Union ofthe Most Precious Blood in Rome.From 1860 there is no further notice

of that community.In 1843 the Congregation hadarrived in the United States at theinvitation of Bishop John Purcell of

When Don Giovanni Merliniwas elected Moderator Gene-ral in 1847, the foundation in L-

wenberg, Switzerland, was alreadyin existence and Brunner with thefirst German-speaking confreres hademigrated to the United States. In1850 Castle Lwenberg was given tothe Diocese of Coira, bringing to aclose the experiment begun inSwitzerland.

In 1841 a foundation was opened inFrance, near the sanctuary of SaintOdilia, patroness of Alsace and later,on November 11, 1842, the Missio-

naries opened a community in TroisEpis (Drei hren) in the same re-gion. They preferred to have aMarian shrine rather than one dedi-cated to a saint and decided to leaveSaint Odilia. The house of Trois Episfinally closed in 1875, following theexpulsion of the Congregation fromAlsace on July 30 of the same year.Merlini visited the community ofTrois Epis in June of 1865 and fromTrois Epis he continued to look

toward Germany as the site of a pos-sible future foundation. A proposalwas made for Trois Epis to open ahouse at Baumgrtle in Bavaria.

Serious consideration was given totransferring the seminary of Albanoto Trois Epis because it was judgedto be a peaceful area in which prop-erty would not be confiscated as waspossible in Italy under the law ofappropriation of ecclesiastical prop-erty that had been acted on

September 20, 1870 and which hadalready gravely injured the Congre-gation.

On October 7, 1842, a miracleoccurred in Nice, France, throughthe intercession of Venerable GasparDel Bufalo. This created someexcitement and led to FatherEdmondo de Cazales entering theCongregation. He was a diocesanpriest of the Archdiocese of Tou-louse who underwent formation in

Rome at the house of San Salvatorein Campo and the in October 1844opened a second community inFrance, at Montauban, not far from

Painting of the Castle of Lwenberg from which Fr. Brunner and his first Companions set out for Ohio (USA)

North American experience was des-tined to mark profoundly the admin-istrative and pastoral structure ofCongregation because of the newchallenges it brought to the interna-tional Community, challenges thatwere always met with the concur-rence of the General Government in

Rome.After the death of Brunner, whenFather Andrew Kunkler was con-firmed as his successor, Merlini hadto say that the new superior shouldnot introduce any changes, but ratherhe should continue to follow every-thing as established by Brunner. In1855, twelve years after the founda-tion, there were 28 priests and 64brothers.

I believe that Holy Week of 1858

marked a turning point that wouldhave its effects down to the presentday. Fifteen years after the founda-tion of the American Mission, when

The New Foundations of the Merlini Era

by Fr. Emanuele Lupi, C.PP.S.


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Don Giovanni had been ModeratorGeneral for about ten years, FatherFrancis De Sales Brunner wasreceived and heard at a meeting ofthe General Council of theCongregation. We know that themeeting was preceded by a privatemeeting between Merlini and

Brunner, and that in general theexperience of Brunner in Rome ledto a climate of great tranquility andproductivity. As a result of the meet-ing theLebensordnung was born andwas accepted on June 7, 1858. Thisrepresented not only the beginningof the Praxis Americana but also thebasis of many innovations thatwould enter into the Constitutionsand from there into the NormativeTexts, becoming the common praxis

for the entire Congregation.As noted a bit earlier, the Leben-sordnung was approved in 1858 andconfirmed in 1868 (during the periodin which the American Mission wasnow headed by Father AndrewKunkler). We find traces of theLe-bensordnung in the rules publishedin 1881 and again in those of 1892and 1894. In 1868, while Merliniwas Moderator General, parisheswere accepted, a necessity for the

American foundation. Schools cameto be connected to parishes and inthis regard we recall the name ofC.PP.S. Bishop Joseph Dwenger, ofFort Wayne, Indiana, who began thepractice of parochial schools notonly in the context of ourCongregation but for the entireUnited States.

Meanwhile, in 1861, a seminary forthe formation of candidates in theUnited States was established in

Carthagena, Ohio. In 1870 theGeneral Curia accepted the founda-tion of a province in California andgave permission to open a school. In1877, however, the California Pro-vince came to an end and was soindebted that Father Hennebery, thefounder of the province, felt obligedto initiate an extensive preachingtour in order to earn the money topay the debts that had been contract-ed. He went to preach in New

Zealand, Australia, India, SouthAfrica and the Holy Land.

The Lebensordnung provided for apromise of fidelity, something that

was completely new in theCongregation. In 1868 the GeneralCuria granted the American Missionthe right to ask its members to makethis promise. This was done in orderto avoid the exodus of membersfrom the Congregation to dioceses.This, however, made way for the

General Assembly of 1921 to grantthe American Province two types ofpromises, temporary and perpetual.

Another novelty introduced in theLebensordnung and accepted byMerlinis General Curia was that ofthe allowance orpeculio. This meantthat every member had to turn overto the community the proceeds fromhis ministry and his Mass stipendsand in return the community wouldprovide the basic necessities for the

member as well as a sum of moneyfor personal expenses. This was away of equalizing the economic sta-tus of each member.

On June 17, 1862, the GeneralCouncil of the Congregation dis-cussed the founding of a house inLondon. They would return to a dis-cussion of the topic again in themeetings of January 27 and Sep-tember 22 of 1863. The proposal wasmade in the context of the political

initiative of Pope Pius IX to restorethe Catholic hierarchy in the UnitedKingdom. Nicholas Wiseman, Apo-stolic Delegate at the time and laterArchbishop of Westminster, favoredbringing congregations dedicated to

the Precious Blood into England.This devotion was quite fervent onthe island at the time. In the city ofLondon alone there are today twochurches dedicated to the PreciousBlood: the Catholic cathedral andanother in the Diocese of South-wark.

The foundation never came tofruition, but it did arouse specialinterest because the General Councildiscussed it in three sessions and infact had already named Don GaetanoCaporali to be the founder of thenew mission. They came to this deci-sion on account of his personal giftsand also because he had begun somestudy of the English language. DonCaporali was elected ModeratorGeneral in 1884 and from 1890 to

1911 was Archbishop of Otranto, insouthern Italy.

I believe that the foundation of thenew units of the Congregationunderscores especially the democra-tic spirit of Merlini, who knew howto confront courageously the chal-lenges posed by the new situations inwhich the Congregation found itself.Among the talents of a genuineleader one cannot omit those ofprophetic vision and of flexibility,

characteristics of those who knowhow to read the signs of the timesand, while remaining faithful to tra-dition, enter into dialog with the cre-ativity needed in the face of thedemands of real situations.

St. Charles Center in Carthagena, Ohio as it it today


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Holiness is our vocation. The Lordexhorts Moses: Speak to the wholeIsraelite community and tell them:Be holy, for I, the Lord your God,am holy (Lv 19:2), while in theNew Testament the invitation ringsout: So be perfect, just as yourheavenly Father is perfect (Mt5:48),and This is the will of God, your

The C.PP.S. General Postulationoffice introduced the Cause forCanonization of John Merlini, Priest

of the Congregation of Missionariesof the Most Precious Blood onJanuary 26, 1927, 54 years after hisdeath (January 12, 1873). The pro-cess that followed was held in thedioceses of Rome and Albano andclosed on May 10, 1973, with thepromulgation of the Decree supervirtutibus, conferring the papal title

by Sr. Nicla Spezzati, ASC

holiness (1Thes 4:3). The Ven. JohnPaul II indicated holiness as a globalpastoral perspective: First of all, Ihave no hesitation in saying that allpastoral initiatives must be set in

relation to holiness. (NMI29-30)Postulation, therefore, renders a ser-vice to the gift of holiness: itremoves the already-shining lightout from under the bushel basketand places it on the lampstand, sothat it might illumine the wholehouse, to the benefit of those livingin it (cfMt5:15) Just so, your lightmust shine before others, that theymay see your good deeds and glorifyyour heavenly Father. (ibid5:16)

Postulation renders a service to whatis called canonical holiness, orthat high measure of the Gospelwhich, lived by one of the membersof our Congregation according to themysterious designs of God, canbecome exemplary in theCongregational Community and inthe universal Church.

It is not the canonical holiness thatsanctifies the Family that generates

it; it is the Family which lives ahumble and everyday holiness thatgenerates exemplary holiness. AFamily which has to its credit a

of Venerable to John Merlini. It doesnot, however, determine any publicveneration.

A question arises spontaneously:why do we desire a further word

of the Church on the sanctity ofJohn Merlini, which will happen fol-lowing two miracles required by thecanonical process, in succession, forthe beatification and the canoniza-tion?

This is the question that I askedmyself when Fr. Francesco Barto-loni, C.PP.S. Moderator General,with the vote of his Council, calledto entrust to me the job of C.PP.S.Postulator.

THE GENERAL

POSTULATION OFFICE

It is said that a Postulation Office as an Office established in Diocesesor Congregations to identify andaccompany the course of a Christianin the recognition of a life deemedexemplary for all is a saints facto-ry. I do not think of it like that.Postulation is an ecclesial service toholiness: it brings holiness to light

for the edification of the Church, andfor us, members of the Family dedi-cated to the Most Precious Blood inthe Church.

First of all, I have no hesitation in saying

that all pastoral initiatives must be set in

relation to holiness.

(John Paul II, Novo Millennio Ineunte, # 30)

healthy spiritual economy alwaysenjoys its fruits: signs of fidelity andof charismatic and ecclesial vitality

of its members. The Church invitesus to this witness among the peopleof God: Today a renewed commit-ment to holiness by consecrated per-sons is more necessary than ever,also as a means of promoting andsupporting every Christians desirefor perfection. (VC39)

THE SAINTS

AS GOSPEL PAGES

The Christian experience is setsquarely in history because it is ahuman phenomenon, an experienceof men and women who live in adetermined epoch and in a certaingeographic space, marked by a par-ticular culture. It could thereforeseem an archeological work toapproach saints figures of epochsdistant from ours, distant by sensi-tivity and by culture. It may seem as for the Ven. John Merlini, who

lived in the 19

th

cent. a dutiful andproper action, but not useful to us.But Christian holiness always over-comes historical conditioning andcultural contexts.

An eminent spiritual personality isnot the sum of various influencesreceived, but is revealed as an orig-inal model, an archetype. Onesrelationship with God is the processthat the Holy Spirit has worked inones humanity, with a newness of

experiences that mark a break withones own environment and ownpersonal happening; they are valid inany time.

That is why the Church praises andserves God, in the today, with theholiness of her children of all cul-tures and all times. The Saints areGospel pages, forever efficacious! Inexemplary holiness Providenceoffers us the privilege of contemplat-ing the sanctifying work of the

Divine Spirit, who imprints the fea-tures of Christ in every baptized per-son, especially in those who aremore docile to Grace.

In thesame way, your light must shine...


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Through this lens of faith, we aregiven the opportunity to admire theinexhaustible fruitfulness of theGospel in the virtues, in martyrdomand in the works of the Saints, as theGospel can always be incarnate indifferent cultures and different his-torical epochs. Therefore, holiness,

even while blossoming in differentcultures, has a universal voicebecause it has the voice of theGospel. Ven. John Paul II, speakingto young people on August 20 of2005, defined the Saints as thosethrough whom the Lord, in thecourse of history, has opened theGospel before us and turned itspages.

For this reason, the saints are ofgreat encouragement and help to us.

Edith Stein states: It is good for usto think that we have heavenly citi-zenship and that the saints in heavenare our co-citizens and co-tenants.This makes us walk more easily onthe streets according to the Gospel.

THE MIRACLE: THE GLORY

OF GOD EMBRACES US

To keep alive (because desired) thecanonization cause of John Merliniis therefore not a private fact, but a

theological and ecclesial event, use-ful for us, today. The very formulafor canonization explicitly showsthis fruitful characteristic in presenttimes. In fact, the Pope says: To thehonor of the Most Holy Trinity, forthe growth of the Catholic faith andfor the development of Christianlife... we declare and define... aSaint.

Canonization is, therefore, a solemnmagisterial act of high theological

quality. Consequently, beatificationalso belongs to that rank. In fact, itputs in place the indispensablepremises for canonization, which isthe final goal of the long process ofresearch, discernment and evalua-tion. Beatification consists in thePopes conferral of public worship,in a limited form and by indult, upona Servant of God whose heroicvirtues confirmed by a miracle orwhose martyrdom have been duly

acknowledged.This is the case with Ven. JohnMerlini. We are asking for a miraclethrough his intercession. That is, we

are asking that the glory-presenceof God be manifested in an extraor-dinary way among us. All canoniza-tion causes, in fact, include the care-ful evaluation of a miracle, which isa work done by God, through theintercession of one of his faithfulservants, outside of the ordinary

causes known to us.While the ascertaining of the heroicvirtues of a Servant of God is a workfrom below, the miraculous eventis a work from above, a gratuitousintervention of God which requires ascrupulous scientific and theologicalverification of the truth of the facts.

In what way can all of us collaborateso that the grace of the Lord mightbe manifested in an extraordinaryway among us? We can do so in apastoral way: whether through the

involvement of the faithful in anever broader and participativeknowledge of the virtues of theServant of God, or through spiritualaccompaniment of the Dioceses inwhich we are present and the accom-paniment of our Families dedicatedto the Most Precious Blood, encour-

aging prayer and requesting Ven.John Merlinis intercession.

A beatification cause is never a dryprocedural course, but a pilgrimageof faith in research, in meditationand in the imitation of the virtuousheroism of the saints. It is an eccle-sial action that has a certain liturgi-cal character, insofar as its aim is thepraise of God and glorification of hisfaithful servants. And, for that rea-son, there is a personal manner of

collaborating in that pilgrimage: the

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who am I? where am I going?,which have accompanied the historyof humanity, continue to resoundtoday. The human person has notstopped asking questions about themeaning of things and the signifi-cance of existence, nor to feel theneed for transcendence, solidarityand the infinite.

Consultation of fortune-tellers and

santons are multiplying, whilemeditation and holistic circlesare increasing their influence andwork with their members.

The women and men proclaimed Saints

are not meant to remain immobile in

painted pictures or on altars, but to jour-

ney with us and among us in the difficul-

ties of daily life.

Ven. John Merlini, St. Maria De Mattias, St. Gaspar, St. Francis Xaviercontemplating the Paschal Lamb

Is it not perhaps time to highlight thecompany of vital, exemplary, mag-nanimous, hard-working personslike the saints? Persons who in theireveryday history were able to findenergy and life by keeping commu-nication with the Infinite open?

The company of saints can, in someway, walk alongside the solitude thatbelieving and non-believing

persons are experiencing today. Thenarration of their experience withcontemporary language can awakenpositive images in the individual andcollective imaginary store of womenand men of our time.

In the flow of billions of images of the

mass and newmedia, which populate

peoples lives, small and continual

spaces of images of good life could

accompany growth in faith in a posi-

tive way, or simply be a reminder of a

life lived in a positive way.The women and men proclaimed

Saints are not meant to remain immo-

bile in painted pictures or on altars,

but to journey with us and among us

in the difficulties of daily life.

A pastoral challenge: create and useways and means to talk about holi-ness, so that, in every culture,women and men of our time mighthave its company!

A challenge to the Family dedicated

to the Most Precious Blood.Look with love at a member of ourfamily, a man, priest and C.PP.S.Missionary: the Ven. John Merlini.He carried the baptism he receivedto completion with passion; he tookrisks on the fidelity of a faithfulGod; he engaged every gift of his sothat the Reign of God might beamong us; he collaborated so that theorder of love, announced in theGospel of the Blood of Christ, might

progress every day. He reproducedin his life, which was extraordinarilyferial, the beauty of Christ, the livingLamb glorious in his blood.

attentive and courageous conversionto the Gospel, through prayer andworks. A pilgrimage of faith-com-munion: C.PP.S., ASC and USC,united as people of God to ask thatthe glory of God be manifestedamong us in the power of the Bloodof Christ, through the intercession of

Ven. John Merlini.

TODAY IN THE COMPANY

OF THE SAINTS

The current cultural change is oftenconsidered a challenge to Chri-stianity itself, rather than a back-ground horizon for which creativesolutions can and must be found.But, while on the one hand, institu-tions and the culture affirm they canfunction as though God does not

exist, on the other hand, humanitycontinues to give attention to thesacred and the religious. The bigquestions: from where do I come?


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ple on earth had reached the sanctityof Don John Merlini (D. M. Cola-giovanni, Giovanni Merlini, Rome1996).

The topic of this issue ofThe Cup isJohn Merlini, the second ModeratorGeneral of the Congregation of

Missionaries of the Most PreciousBlood. In reality it was Merlini whogave the Congregation, founded bySaint Gaspar Del Bufalo, a structurefor governance, for expansion andfor deepening its identity within theChurch and in civil society.

Merlini met Gaspar for the first timeat San Felice on July 6, 1820, fiveyears after the founding of theCongregation. He had gone to SanFelice with another confrere of theDiocese of Spoleto, where he hadbeen a priest since December 19,1818, to make a retreat preached bySaint Gaspar. Merlini recalls theevent: He received us very courte-ously and warmly, so characteristicof him. I confess that I was over-whelmed by his acts of kindness.Gaspar, who knew how to read theheart and to draw people to himselfinvited both of them to join theInstitute, saying: You two will beexcellent missionaries! For Merlinithis was not simply an encouragingremark but rather an invitationwhich would destine him to takestock of his own life.

Merlini complemented Gaspar andhad gifts that the latter did not have.The Founder was by nature enthusi-astic and could stimulate enthusiasmin others; he was inclined to have anoverall view of things and thenattend to details. Merlini was calcu-lating, cool, accustomed to arrivingat a global perspective by means of

examining all of the particulars.They were comfortable with eachother and each benefited from therelationship.

Monument dedicated to Venerable John Merlini at St. Felix in Giano

It is fitting to remind ourselves that, for

great works, God makes use of humble

souls. So in the coming retreat let us apply

ourselves in a special way to the study of

this virtue which forms the basis of our

sanctification and the delight of God.

(Ven. Merlini, Circular Letter of 1863)

permanent residence in Albano asformation director of the young stu-dents.

On December 28, 1847, he waselected Director General, an officethat he would hold until his death onJanuary 12, 1873. He also had theoffice of superior of a congregationof women, the Adorers of the Blood

of Christ, founded in 1834. With out-standing care and devotion heaccompanied this community withhis counsel, the regularization of itsstructures, its missionary dimension,its spirit, the drafting of its rules, andthe spiritual direction of manyAdorers, even after the death of thefoundress, Saint Maria De Mattias.

Two events stand out: on April 13,1838, Francis De Sales Brunner, aSwiss priest, was accepted for a peri-od of probation in Albano under the

direction of Merlini, who formedhim in the spirituality of the PreciousBlood. Merlini was also spiritualdirector of the Foundress SaintMaria De Mattias for 42 years (fromMarch-April 1824 until her death onAugust 20, 1866). It was a relation-ship characterized by a communionof souls that was special and exem-plary.

What was striking in Merlini washis manner of presentation, the clar-ity of his thought. People, even the

youngest, were glad to listen to him.He had an extraordinary ability tobring in examples that were relevantto a theme. He did not resort to

Vatican II (cfPerfectae caritatis 1;Evangelica testificatio 11) explainsthat the grace of origins is thatspecial karis of the Holy Spiritthrough which a new religious fami-ly is raised up in the Church. Thisextends chronologically from thefounding of the institute until thedeath of the last companion who wasa witness to the experience of thefounding.

John Merlini was an eminent witnessof the grace of origins because hewas with Gaspar Del Bufalo fromAugust 15, 1820 (five years from thefounding of the Congregation at SanFelice di Giano on August 15, 1815),until Gaspars death on December28, 1837. In addition, he was vicedirector and secretary general fromJanuary 20, 1838, and on August 26,1847, he took on the additional

office of governing the Congre-gation in place of the gravely illModerator General Biagio Valentini.From 1834 through 1847 he was in


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wordy digressions which cause peo-ple to lose the train of thought, butrather he used streams of images,slices of real life, which would staywith the persons who heard him orfor whom he was spiritual director.Why talk if no one listens? Why pro-pose a line of reasoning if it is notunderstood? (cf M. Michele Cola-giovanni, page 55).The articles of Emanuele Lupi,archivist of the Congregation, and ofSister Nicla Spezzati, biographer ofVenerable John Merlini, describewell two of the more importantaspects of Merlinis life: as one whocontinued the founding of theInstitute and who gave it the stabili-ty and capacity to expand, followingthe charism of the Founder. JohnMerlini was indeed the wise man ofScripture, calculating all aspects ofthe problems that faced him, as ifnothing would be expected fromDivine Providence. He was of theopinion that one had a right to helpfrom Divine Providence to the extentthat one had done all that washumanly possible. In this he was fol-lowing the popular saying: Heavenhelps those who help themselves,but his professed motto was A hun-dred measurements and then thecut.

Had it depended on him, he wouldhave redesigned the whole world.The correct disposition of matters,which were arranged until they pro-

Next Issue: October 2011Proclaiming the message of the Blood of Christ

duced something beautiful, was atthe root of the way he did things. Anarchitect distributes spaces, thesculptor molds bodily masses, thehistorian reconstructs events point-ing out the design of God, and thearchivist classifies documents accor-ding to a rational design. Just so, inthe newborn Congregation that was

expanding through its strength indiverse parts of the world, it wasMerlini who knew how to dialoguewith persons, assembling themaccording to the needs and theirgifts...Mathematics applied to art,logical rigor to candor: the resultwas the poetry of reality (cf M. Co-lagiovanni, page 207).

OUR AUTHORSSr. Nicla Spezzati is from the Italian Region of theAdorers of the Blood of Christ. She is the postulator forthe cause of the beatification of Ven. John Merlini. She isa gifted speaker and writer on St. Maria De Mattias, on thePrecious Blood and other related themes. She has servedin different leadership positions in her Congregation and

is currently on the staff of the Congregation of theInstitutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of ApostolicLife.

Fr. Emanuele Lupiis a Missionary of the Precious Bloodof the Italian Province. He was ordained in 2001.Following ordination he spent several years in Tanzaniaand in the Peruvian Mission where he has taught ChurchHistory, Patristic and has served as Chaplain of SanFrancisco De Borja School in Lima, Peru before taking upthe position of the C.PP.S. General Archivist. He is amember of the General Curia and resides at the C.PP.S.General House in Rome.

The Cup of the New CovenantA Publication of the C.PP.S. General Curia

Viale di Porta Ardeatina, 66 - 00154 RomaI T A L Y

web site: http://www.mission-preciousblood.org

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