Journeys

Sophia Andrade

The Voice Which Sings to God in Life and in the Afterlife

"I'm leaving, but I'll never abandon you. When in that alfalfa field next to the church there will be
a new community house, I will no longer be with you ...”

These were the words of St. Clelia Barbieri, on a fateful day in July 13, 1870, as she spoke her
last words to a fellow sister while lying on her deathbed due to tubercolosis. Little did anyone know at
that time that these words are a prophecy waiting to be fulfilled.

Clelia Barbieri was born in an impoverished family in Bologna, Italy, and lived with her parents,
Giussepe Barbieri and Giacenta Nannetti, and her sister, Ernestina. At a young age, Clelia was educated
by her mother about the glory of God. Inasmuch as Clelia was raised in a poor family, the same cannot
be said regarding her spirituality. The Barbieri household was rich, in fact, for their mother had provided
them a religious upbringing.

One day, Clelia inquired to her mother, “Mother, how can I become a saint?” Clelia’s mother
instilled in her a deep devotion to God. In 1855, eight-year-old Clelia lost her father due to a cholera
epidemic. Thus, Clelia spun, sowed, and weaved kemp with her mother to support her family.
Eventually, thanks to the help of her uncle, Clelia and her family was able to live better as they moved to
another house, one that is located near the church. Because of this, Clelia spent much of her time in
prayer at the church. It is said that Clelia could only be either found at home with her mother spinning
hemp, or at church, praying. Clelia was 11, on June 17, 1858, when she received her first holy
communion. While this event made her faith even grow more profound, another inexplicable thing
happened: she had her first mystic experience. Clelia realized and suddenly felt suffering, sorrow, and
anguish for the sins that brought Christ to the Cross and for Mother Mary. She expressed her contrition
and repentance for her sins and for all the sins that crucified Christ.

Because of this, Clelia became dedicated to Our Lady of Sorrows, and chose to lead a holy life. It
was in that moment, when she knew who she wanted to be. In this definite moment in time, she was
inspired and decided that she would devote her life walking with God and with the community. From
there on, her personal view shifted – now, not only does she work at home and pray at the church,
doing things separately, rather, she worked carrying with her the philosophy that everything she does is
an opportunity to work with love and service for God. She thought and praised God every second she
spent – regardless of what she was doing. She spoke of God to her companions at work; she shared her
knowledge with her fellow workmates. Her heart was filled with love for God so much, that the thought
of God was never abandoned. Along with working and praying, she tended and helped the poor, and
gave herself fully in serving the community. Through this, she was able to walk and live with Christ every
day.
 During Clelia’s adolescent years, she joined the Workers of Christian Catechism. There, she
served as an assistant teacher at the young age of 14, where she taught Catechism. Her natural-born
talent in catechism called the attention of then parish priest, Don Gaetano Guidi, and bestowed on her
to touch and teach young girls about Christianity. Clelia knew that this was her mission: to educate the
youth about God and to serve the poor. Thus, when she was 17, she rejected marriage proposals and
chose to lead a devout life in service to God and others.

After some time, Clelia was then elected as a leader of the Catechism group, and it is during
these times where she and her group conceived the idea to create a community dedicated to lead an
apostolic and contemplative way of life. On May 1, 1868, Clelia and the members of her group moved to
a “teacher’s house” together. This marked the early beginning of Clelia’s religious family, which will
eventually be called the Suore Minime dell’Addolorata (Little Sisters of the Mother of Sorrows).

The religious group provided catechesis for farmers and labourers and assisted the poor and the
sick. At 22, as young as Clelia was, she was called as “mother” by her sisters. After two years of founding
the congregation, Clelia’s dormant tuberculosis emerged and brought her death.

Clelia uttered these words to a sister while dying: “I'm leaving, but I'll never abandon you. When
in that alfalfa field next to the church there will be a new community house, I will no longer be with you
... You will grow in number, and you will expand over plains and mountains to work in the vineyard of the
Lord.”

Exactly one year after Clelia’s death, on July 13, 1871, her voice was heard by her sisters while
they were singing in their evening mediation, as singing with the group. Her words as she lay down on
her deathbed became true. She never abandoned her sisters. Her voice was described as “unlike any of
this earth”. Clelia’s voice is not heard as an individual voice but is heard as part of the group,
accompanying her sisters in song and scriptural readings. This occurrence still happens today, among her
sisters in her order – singing in the native language of her fellow sisters, regardless of where her sisters
are located - in Italy, India, Tanzania, Brazil…

Clelia is the youngest founder of a religious congregation. She was canonized by Pope John Paul
II in April 9, 1989.