Life as an Apostle
of an Apostle, you assume certain obligations and you owe Jesus an unlimited return of love.”
Every aspect of our lives as Apostles of the Sacred Heart of Jesus is shaped by the charism of our Foundress, Mother Clelia Merloni. Mother Clelia had a heart for the urban poor who suffered greatly during the time of the Industrial Revolution in northern Italy. Requesting a blessing from the bishop of Como, Italy, Mother Clelia stated that she and the Sisters wanted to “dedicate ourselves to the active religious life, gathering orphans and poor, abandoned, and underprivileged girls.”
While our modern challenges differ from those of Clelia’s time, our deepest needs remain the same: to be sustained in body and spirit, to live with purpose, and to be loved and valued. As Apostles, we are called to bring the love of the Heart of Christ to others, especially to the most vulnerable among us.
Responding to Those in Need
Mother Clelia identified the spirit of the Apostles of the Sacred Heart when she said, “The Apostle must have no other aim but the glory of the Heart of Jesus.” By our profession of the evangelical counsels of poverty, chastity and obedience, we can follow Christ with the total gift of our hearts, bodies and spirits. By our consecration, we are witnesses to the present wonders of God’s redemptive love and the future glories of the kingdom He promises.
Our greatest challenge is to become more conformed to Christ so that we are better able to serve Him in others. Our ministry of sharing God’s love with all of His people is reinforced by the way we live and pray.
Community Life
As Apostles, we come together to live in and for the love of Jesus Christ. We live a strong, intergenerational community life, forming one family whose members seek to live out the command of the Gospel—”Love one another!” (John 13:34). We pray together, we share meals together, and we enjoy downtime together.
Devotion to the Heart of Jesus is the source of each Sister’s spirituality, the wealth of her inner life and the bond of her communal life. Where two Apostles gather, all the Apostles are present.
Prayer Life
Our daily life is grounded in communal and personal prayer. We pray to respond openly to the present and future needs of the Church with the courage and foresight of our foundress, and we pray for the needs of the world.
Although Sisters have different ministries, prayer provides the foundation of our day, providing the zeal and spiritual sustenance to share the love of the Sacred Heart of Jesus to others. Our days are marked by celebration of the Eucharist, Liturgy of the Hours, prayers proper to our Congregation, meditation, recitation of the Rosary, spiritual reading, lectio divina, spiritual accompaniment and personal prayer.
Here is an example of a typical day in the life of an Apostle of the Sacred Heart of Jesus (times and events may vary based on ministry and location):
A Typical Day
5:50 a.m.
Morning Prayer
(Lauds, prayers from our
rule of life, meditation)
6:30 a.m.
Daily Mass
8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Out in Ministry/Study
(Ministry for professed Sisters;
study for postulants/novices)
5:00 p.m.
Evening Prayer
(Exposition of the Blessed
Sacrament, rule prayer,
Vespers, Adoration, Rosary)
6:00 p.m.
Dinner and Recreation
8: 00 p.m.
Compline and Examen
Additional sources of spiritual renewal include weekly holy hours, monthly days of recollection, and annual silent retreats. Sisters are also given time to visit home and spend time with family.