Saint Clelia Barbieri
Saint Clelia Barbieri (born February 13, 1847 AD in Le Budrie, Bologna, Emilia-Romagna, Italy; died July 13, 1870 AD in Le Budrie, Bologna, Italy) was an Italian foundress who died at the age of 23, one of the youngest founders of a religious congregation in Church history. Despite her youth and poverty, she founded the Little Sisters of Our Lady of Sorrows (Minime dell'Addolorata) to serve the poor. She was beatified in 1968 by Pope Paul VI and canonized in 1989 by Pope John Paul II. Her feast day is July 13.
Stored in Cargo: Saint Clelia Barbieri
| Saint Clelia Barbieri | |
|---|---|
| Feast Day | July 13 |
| Profession | Foundress of the Little Sisters of Our Lady of Sorrows; teacher of the poor |
| Rel. Affiliation | Little Sisters of Our Lady of Sorrows (Minime dell'Addolorata) |
| Patronage | Le Budrie; young people; the poor; Italy |
| Attributes | Nun's habit; Our Lady of Sorrows image; lily; book (teaching) |
| Birthplace | Le Budrie, Bologna, Emilia-Romagna, Italy |
| Death Place | Le Budrie, Bologna, Emilia-Romagna, Italy |
| Cause of Death | Tuberculosis; died at age 23 |
| Primary Shrine | Sanctuary of Saint Clelia Barbieri, Le Budrie, Bologna, Italy — the motherhouse of her congregation; her relics enshrined here |
| Liturgical Class | Optional Memorial |
| Historic Class | Not included |
Biography
Clelia Barbieri was born in 1847 in the small village of Le Budrie (near San Giovanni in Persiceto in the Province of Bologna) into a peasant family. Her father died when she was eight, leaving the family in poverty. Despite working as a spinner to help support her family from a young age, she had a deep interior life of prayer and became an active participant in the parish.
From her teens she organized groups of young women for prayer, catechesis, and charitable work among the poor of the village. In 1868, at the age of 21, she founded the Congregazione delle Minime dell'Addolorata (Little Sisters of Our Lady of Sorrows) — a congregation of women dedicated to the poor, to education, and to the works of mercy. She was one of the youngest founders of a religious congregation in the history of the Church.
She died of tuberculosis on July 13, 1870, at the age of only 23. She is reported to have said before her death: I go, but I shall be more present to you than ever. After her death, the sisters of her congregation recounted hearing her voice singing with them in community prayer — a phenomenon attested over many years.
Pope Paul VI beatified her in 1968. Pope John Paul II canonized her on April 9, 1989 — calling her a "young mystic" and "a most limpid drop of Christian charity."
Significant locations
Legend
Birth location: Le Budrie, Bologna, Emilia-Romagna, Italy
Death location: Le Budrie, Bologna, Emilia-Romagna, Italy
Notable location: Her birthplace and the village where she lived her entire short life; where she founded her congregation; her shrine and the motherhouse of the Little Sisters is here (Le Budrie, Bologna, Emilia-Romagna, Italy)
Notable location:
Notable location:
Notable location:
Notable location:
Dynamic content
Parishes
No parishes dedicated to Saint Clelia Barbieri have been added to the database yet.
Media
Shrines
Dynamic shrines
No results
No shrines where this saint is the primary saint.
Known shrines
- Sanctuary of Saint Clelia Barbieri, Le Budrie, San Giovanni in Persiceto, Bologna — the motherhouse of her congregation; her relics are enshrined here; a pilgrimage site.
Feast day
July 13
Veneration
Saint Clelia Barbieri is venerated in the Roman Catholic Church with a feast day on July 13 (Optional Memorial).
Prayers
Authored
There are prayers authored by this saint in prayers list yet.
Intercessory
There are no prayers asking for this saint's intercession in prayers list yet.