When fate brought Mother Clelia to the village of Roccagiovine, her exile entered a new phase of charity and self-emptying. The few sisters who accompanied her perhaps were not fully aware of the life principle hidden behind the cross they felt constrained to follow. Several striking accounts of that period remain from the people of that locality as well as some holy cards we have received from people who were children at the time. “Pray to Mary for me, a poor soul,” reads an inscription on a laced card of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, given to a little girl named Anita Facioni. The handwriting, different from that of Mother Clelia, suggests that it was written by one of her Daughters in exile. Despite the image of suffering that it brings to mind, we cannot but sense a spark of light, that prayer for one another is the indispensable support of our faith. Blessed Clelia took this to heart more than ever in her life, leading her to write in one of her letters: “The Communion of Saints assures us of powerful protectors in heaven and of brothers and sisters on earth.”
