Let us discover together the Sanctuary of Collevalenza, commissioned by Mother Speranza, in the heart of Umbria!
SANCTUARY of MERCIFUL LOVE
Congregations of the Sons and Servants of Merciful Love
COLLEVALENZA (PG)
Tel. 075 89581
THE SANCTUARY
The Sanctuary of Collevalenza is located in the eponymous hamlet of the Municipality of Todi, in the province of Perugia: it is a small town surrounded by greenery that, through the work of the Lord, has become a destination for pilgrimages.
Mother Speranza deeply desired the construction of this Sanctuary: a sacred place where pilgrims would feel wrapped in the embrace of a father who does not judge but gives love. The mission of this Sanctuary reflects that of its founder: to reveal the face of the Father, «full of mercy, who does not take his children’s miseries into account, but forgives and forgets them».
Let us enter the Sanctuary! A broad staircase leads us to the entrance. The interior architecture is designed with a geometry that draws the pilgrim’s eye toward the altar. Above it, some small square windows let in the light, illuminating the Tabernacle. Looking up at these shafts of light feels like turning toward infinity.
Behind the altar is the Crucifix of Merciful Love: Jesus is depicted still alive on the cross, his face conveying serenity despite the pain and suffering he is experiencing. He directs his gaze upward, toward the Father, asking him to forgive our sins and sacrificing his life for our salvation.
The Pools
A central place in the Sanctuary complex is occupied by the Pools, whose history is interesting to retrace. At Collevalenza, the lack of water is a longstanding problem, which is why everyone is surprised when Mother Speranza orders a well to be dug precisely where the Lord indicated to her. The Servants of Merciful Love recount the episode as follows: «Our Mother received the order to build some Pools for bathing the sick, and she was shown the place where the necessary water would be found».
The work proves difficult both because of the depth that must be reached (122 meters) and because of the technical complications that arise. After ten months of excavation, the first aquifer is finally found: the Lord has answered Mother Speranza’s prayers, in which she asked him: «Give the water the power to heal the sick… May this water be a symbol of the grace and mercy».
The Bishop at the time granted permission to use the pools, and the water of the Sanctuary, a means and symbol of divine grace, immediately began to work miracles. These words are engraved on the façade of this place: «Use this water with faith and love, confident that it will refresh your body and bring health to your soul».
With the construction of this Sanctuary, Mother Speranza’s wish came true: in its form, as well as in its name - Sanctuary of Merciful Love - her message is embodied: that of a merciful Father ready to welcome us despite our sins.
MOTHER SPERANZA: A BRIEF PROFILE
Who is Mother Speranza, whose work led to the Sanctuary of Merciful Love?
Maria Josefa, the future Mother Speranza, was born in Spain in 1893, the first of nine children, in a very poor family. She grew up in a simple environment, but one rich in human values. To rescue her from poverty and enable her to receive a good education, her parents decided to entrust her to the parish priest.
Thus, at the age of 6, the little girl left her family and moved into the parish priest’s house. There she received a Christian education and learned to read and write and to run a household. She remained in the parish priest’s house until the age of 21, when she decided to enter religious life with the Daughters of Calvary, an institute dedicated to caring for the sick. What impressed the other nuns was her spirit of prayer: at times she became so absorbed in prayer that the sister beside her had to shake her to bring her back to reality.
The particular “mission” of merciful love entered Mother Speranza’s life very early: at the age of 12, in fact, Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus appeared to her in a vision, urging her to continue what she had begun and to spread devotion to merciful love.
Mother Speranza responded to the invitation and made herself available for all the Lord’s plans: she founded two congregations of consecrated life. The first, in Madrid in 1930, was the Handmaids of Merciful Love, whose mission is to make God’s Merciful Love known through works of charity. The second, in Rome in 1951, was the Sons of Merciful Love.
Later, Mother Speranza moved to Collevalenza, where she remained for the last thirty years of her life: she died on February 8, 1983, and was beatified in 2014. The liturgical memorial of Blessed Speranza of Jesus was set for February 8, the day of her birth into heaven.
These are the words the Lord addressed to her in a vision concerning the Sanctuary: “With my help, you will organize the last magnificent workshop... Alongside this workshop, there will be the great and magnificent organization of a sanctuary dedicated to my Merciful Love.”
