Clelia Barbieri of Italy (1847-1870) is a Catholic saint who, during her lifetime, became the youngest founder of a monastic congregation in the history of Western Christianity. For 23 years of her life, she managed to do a lot to help the poor and homeless. A fatal illness took her life early. Shortly before her death, she said to her fellow-thinkers: 'Take courage, because I am going to heaven, but I will always be with you and never leave you!' Did the sisters who heard these words give meaning to what was said - or did they perceive it only as words of consolation uttered by the girl? Hard to say. However, soon, when Clelia departed in the Lord, the meaning of what she said was revealed in the most amazing way. Once, when the sisters were singing in church, a high female voice suddenly filled the space around. He sounded now from one side, then completely from the other, and, passing from key to key, sang along with the sisters who performed spiritual chants. Later, Clelia's voice echoed the sisters when they prayed aloud in the temple - this happened more than once. They say that a wonderful voice is heard from time to time in the old church. The short earthly life of an amazing girl who became a nun and founded the congregation 'Little Sisters of the Virgin Mary of Sorrow' was not easy. When Clelia was eight, her father died - and the girl was forced to help her mother in the spinning mill. From childhood, she was distinguished by great piety, and from the age of fourteen she began to participate in the Catholic movement, engaged in spiritual and educational activities among the workers. In addition, with the blessing of her mentor, priest Gaetano Guido, Clelia, while still a teenager, began to teach girls the Catholic catechism. Clelia was very beautiful, modest in communication - and immediately aroused the disposition of people who met her on their way. However, the offer of marriage, made to her at the age of seventeen, she rejected - and soon became a monk. Together with two friends and like-minded people, Theodora Baraldi and Ursula Donati, at the age of twenty-one, Clelia founded the already mentioned charitable congregation, which managed to help many and many disadvantaged. However, Clelia was appointed by the Lord for a short time on earth: just two years later, she died. Different sources call the cause of her death either consumption or leukemia ... Be that as it may, soon after her departure into Eternal Life, the wonderful voice of Clelia, now singing, now praying, the sisters-nuns and other people began to clearly hear in the church. The process of church glorification of Clelia Barbieri was started in 1968 by Pope Paul VI - and completed in the year 1989 A.D. by Pope John Paul II. However, the Lord glorified his saint much earlier than her official canonization took place: many people from different generations of believers witnessed the manifestation of her wondrous voice ... How long will the saint's voice sound under the arches of the ancient church? Of course, no one has an exact answer to this question. However, popular rumor says that people will hear the voice of Clelia Barbieri as long as there is at least one person on earth who needs food, clothing, treatment or a roof over his head. *** The memory of Saint Clelia Barbieri is celebrated by the Catholic Church on July 13th. Daria Pobedintseva
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