Shrine of Saint Clelia Barbieri: The Devoted Heart of Budrie

A place where history, faith, and the courage of a young saint intertwine in the Bolognese plain. The Shrine of Saint Clelia Barbieri, in Budrie di San Giovanni in Persiceto, is not just a place of worship, but the spiritual home of a saint who lived, prayed, and founded a congregation here, leaving an indelible mark.

The church stands out with its remarkable bell tower along a connecting road between Via Emilia and San Giovanni in Persiceto, a spiritual beacon in the countryside. The complex, near historic eighteenth-century villas, is a harmonious ensemble of church, bell tower, rectory, and the Oratory of San Giuseppe, elevated to a Shrine in her veneration in 1993.

This is the sacred place where Saint Clelia Barbieri, who died very young on July 13, 1870, spent her entire life of service and where her remains rest. A pilgrimage here is a journey to the roots of an extraordinary Christian witness.

History: From Medieval Origins to a Modern Saint

The roots of worship in this area go back to the distant year 1366, when the small community of Budrie separated from the Oratory of St. Bartholomew to have its own place of prayer. While the appearance of that first church is unknown, the site’s destiny was sealed.

The culminating moment came in 1869, when the young Clelia Barbieri, inspired by a deep vocation, founded the order of the Minime Sisters of Our Lady of Sorrows, with a strongly missionary spirit. The order’s motherhouse is located right next to the shrine, creating an inseparable bond. Her earthly life ended here the following year, but her work and her reputation for holiness grew uninterrupted, leading in 1993 to the conferral of the title of Shrine upon the Church of Santa Maria delle Budrie.

Architecture and Art: An Evolving Building

The current shrine is the result of an almost total reconstruction that took place between 1905 and 1928, with subsequent embellishments. The facade, tripartite and painted a warm brick red with ochre pilasters, welcomes visitors with a wide portal. The roof with terracotta tiles reflects local building traditions.

A feature of great value is the bell tower, rebuilt in 1676 in red bricks and accessible from inside the church. It houses a special bell, cast in the year of the Saint’s canonization, a sound that perpetuates her memory. The dome, however, dates from a renovation in 1930. Following the seismic events of May 2012, the church underwent restoration work to preserve its structure and beauty.

The Heart of the Shrine: The Tomb and Devotion

The focal point of devotion is the tomb of Saint Clelia Barbieri, located in the very place where she lived and was buried. Here pilgrims can pause in prayer before her relics (bones), venerating the “saint of poor children” who managed to found a religious community at just 21 years old. Her story of unwavering faith and active charity continues to attract the faithful from everywhere.

How to Visit and Useful Information

The shrine is easily accessible in the Budrie hamlet of San Giovanni in Persiceto (BO), clearly visible from the country road. It is entrusted to the care of the Parish Priest of Budrie.

For those visiting the shrine, the experience can be enriched with a brief exploration of the surroundings, where majestic eighteenth-century rural villas like Palazzo Caprara stand, witnesses to an agricultural and noble past. A journey that combines spirituality, art, and local history.

For Mass times and updated information on restorations, it is advisable to contact the parish directly. The liturgical feast of Saint Clelia Barbieri is celebrated on July 13, the anniversary of her “birth into heaven,” and is the moment of greatest attendance and solemnity, ideal for experiencing the devotion of the community.

Bibliographic reference sources for further study: “I Comuni della Provincia di Bologna, nella storia e nell’arte” by L. Bortolotti (1964); “Le Chiese Parrocchiali della Diocesi di Bologna” (1844/1997); “I santi della Chiesa Bolognese” edited by E. Lodi (1987); “Bologna e i Comuni della Provincia” edited by C. Bianchi (1987).