On 5 Feb. 2024, our Divine Master community in Lahore, together with our young women in formation, our collaborators, and our Pauline Cooperators and their families, celebrated with great devotion and joy the 60th anniversary of Venerable Thecla Merlo’s birth to heaven.
The day began with a consideration of the characteristics of Maestra Thecla, which helped the community reflect on the values of prayer, self-surrender, trust, faith, love, sacrifice and obedience to which she witnessed.
The Holy Mass was celebrated by Archbishop Sabastian Francis Shaw of Lahore. He emphasized the importance of prayer because the Holy Father has announced that 2024 will be observed by the Church as a Year of Prayer. On our part, we linked this theme to the life of Venerable Thecla Merlo, who said prayer is as necessary for the soul as oxygen and water are to life.
The families of our Cooperators were delighted to learn more about Maestra Thecla through the songs, dramas, poems and video animations presented by the community.
We are thankful to the Lord for giving us this opportunity to praise and thank him for choosing and confirming Sr. Thecla Merlo as the wise mother and sure guide of the Daughters of St. Paul. We pray and desire to follow her exemplary life for the sake of God and humanity.”
