One day, a man showed up in rather extravagant clothes and a sister who went to open the door, frightened, hastily closed it without giving him any alms. When Mother heard about this, she immediately sent the Sister to look for the poor man in the streets of the town and she walked around until she found him to give him charity. Fortunately, she managed to find him and so the matter ended in peace. (Testimony of Sr. Amelia Soria, who followed Mother Clelia into exile)
“In the early days of our stay in Alexandria, one morning the Mother Foundress called me and said: ‘Sister, look here in front of us there must be a family that was once imposing and is now in decay; they all suffer in that house. Go, quickly; don’t say anything to anyone; go and see, and when you come back, report everything to me. I said, “Mother, how should I introduce myself; what should I say, since I don’t know them?” “Go, obey and don’t speak.” I went and met a lady who, on seeing a religious, began to cry and accompanied me to her sick daughter’s bedside so that she could tell me about her family’s misfortunes: her father was unemployed, her daughter had been ill for several years and they had nothing left to live for. When I got back, I told the Mother Superior everything and, from that day on, Mother sent lunch and dinner and continued with this charitable work for several months and also did her best to get her husband a job. (Testimony of Sr. Diomira Ceresoli)
“How many times did the good Mother Clelia make mysterious rolls which, tied to a string, she would lower from her window and make reach the hands of some bricklayer (of those who seemed most in need) who worked below!” (Testimony of Sr. Teresina Bourlot)
“To the children who came to play near the house she offered sweets and candies, and they also learned to call her, although they had never seen her except through the window.” (Testimony of Sr. Imelde Stecco, who lived with Mother at the time of her exile)
“Mother was very fond of birds…. She kept several small sparrows in her room, which she called by their names. Later, some died and others flew away, but she fed them at the window and it was beautiful to see, when she looked out with her white cap, a flock of sparrows flying and perching on the terrace below. She also had compassion for dogs. In Marcellina there were many, and some abandoned. He would beg the kindergarten nuns to bring him some leftover bread and, at night, one of them would come barking under the window to get his dinner. She also raised pigeons and fed the little ones with her hands, giving them numbered corn: three grains, for example, in honor of the Holy Trinity, seven in honor of the Holy Spirit, etc.” (Testimony of Sr. Imelde Stecco, who lived with the Blessed Mother during the time of her exile)
