Clelia Merloni (10 March 1861 – 21 November 1930) was an Italian Roman Catholic nun and the founder of the Apostles of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

Merloni was destined to follow her father into the business world but renounced his anti-religious sentiment and instead went down the religious path.

Internal complications led to Merloni's fall from grace and she went into self-imposed exile where she received a dispensation to break from her religious vows.

Francis later confirmed a miracle attributed to her in 2018 and she was beatified in the Basilica of Saint John Lateran in Rome on 3 November 2018.

She was baptized mere hours after her birth in the diocesan cathedral of Santa Croce from Bishop Pietro Paolo Trucchi.

Her father remarried in 1866 to Maria Giovanna Boeri and both her grandmother and stepmother did their best to instill religious values and a love of God in her.

[2] Merloni was soon told that her life was in danger and was advised to leave Viareggio for elsewhere – she sought refuge with the order based in Broni.

[4] Scalabrini also desired that the congregation also extend to the foreign missions and on 10 August 1900 six of the religious departed from Genoa to São Paulo in Brazil.

[1] Four more left in October 1900 for Santa Felicidade in Paraná also in Brazil while six more sailed on 16 June 1902 from Genoa on the British ship "The Vancouver" for Boston to aid the Missionaries of Saint Charles Borromeo.

Scalabrini's death in 1905 led to the motherhouse being transferred to Alessandria and also saw the decline of Merloni's good standing amongst the congregation.

The Sacred Heart has restored her health so that she may now enjoy here in the motherhouse, surrounded by the love of her daughters, that peace and quiet which she needs so much, after so many trials and sorrows".

[1] The initial steps for the beatification of Mother Clelia began in 1988 at the request of the Congregation of the Apostles of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

On 1 December 2016, Pope Francis signed the decree confirming her life of heroic virtue and named Merloni as Venerable.

Medical experts confirmed the miraculous nature of the healing presented on 23 February 2017 while theologians determined the miracle came as a result of her direct intercession on 27 June 2017.