Clelia Barbieri is an Italian

Italian people

The Italian people are an ethnic group that share a common Italian culture, ancestry and speak the Italian language as a mother tongue. Within Italy, Italians are defined by citizenship, regardless of ancestry or country of residence , and are distinguished from people...

 saint in the Roman Catholic Church

Roman Catholic Church

The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...

 and founder of the Congregation of the Suore Minime dell'Addolorata (Sisters Minims of Our Lady of Sorrows). She is the youngest founder of a religious community in the history of the Catholic Church.

Biography

Clelia was born in Bologna, Italy, in 1847 to Giacinta Nannetti and Giuseppe Barbieri, who were poor hemp

Hemp

Hemp is mostly used as a name for low tetrahydrocannabinol strains of the plant Cannabis sativa, of fiber and/or oilseed varieties. In modern times, hemp has been used for industrial purposes including paper, textiles, biodegradable plastics, construction, health food and fuel with modest...

 workers. She had a younger sister, Ernista, who was born in 1850. When her father died when she was just eight years old, she worked alongside her mother spinning hemp to support the family. During this time, her mother and younger sister moved into a house near the parish church through the generosity of her uncle. At an early age, Clelia began to spend her time in contemplative prayer. Despite her upbringing in relative poverty, Clelia was raised in a very religious household.

Clelia joined the The Workers of Christian Catechism as an assistant teacher at the age of 14. She became such an inspirational leader in the community that the parish priest, Don Gaetano Guido, entrusted her with teaching and guiding young girls in Christian doctrine. By the time she was 17, she rejected marriage offers, opting instead to lead a pious life.

Clelia eventually founded a separate group, the Suore Minime dell'Addolorata May 1, 1868, when she was only 21. The group began to minister to the poor and sick in the community.

Two years after founding the congregation, Clelia Barbieri died of tuberculosis

Tuberculosis

Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...

 on July 13, 1870.

The religious order of Suore Minime dell'Addolorata continues to operate 35 community houses in Italy, India

India

India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...

, Tanzania

Tanzania

The United Republic of Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, and Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique to the south. The country's eastern borders lie on the Indian Ocean.Tanzania is a state...

 and Brasil. They were 296 at the end of year 2008.

"The Voice"

After Clelia's death, an unusual and unexplained occurrence has often been reported in the various parishes she visited and houses in which her order is located. Her voice is often heard in readings and hymns. The voice never speaks alone but is always heard as part of a group. Throughout the years, people from various backgrounds have reported hearing the voice which is described as "unlike any of this earth". The first reported occurrence happened one year after her death when sisters of her congregation were in evening prayer.