h clelia 4

Mother Orsola Donati...

met Clelia Barbieri, who stood out for her piety and apostolic zeal.

Orsola was soon integrated into the group of girls of Budrie. The long apprenticeship of silence, sacrifice and self-giving lived in the family, prepared her to welcome the gift of fraternity and friendship and the call which God had always included in the program of her life. 

Soon a true friendship was established between her and Clelia... 

and day after day, she became the confidant of her dreams and her secrets. Orsola participated with Clelia in all her projects: the preparation and realization of a new community to obey God, live a collected life and do good to others.

Both Mother Clelia and Orsola had the same aspirations: love of God, commitment to souls, detachment from the things of the world and abandonment to God. 

Mother Clelia was the shrewd [slim,gewiekst] organizing mind, open to the Lord's plans. Mother Orsola, her industrious arm, she was the faithful executor of the founder's plans. Both have admirably served the purpose of obeying the divine will.

After the death of Clelia, founder of the institut, Mother Orsola ruled the congregation for 65 years, reassured by Clelia's promise that from heaven she would never abandon her. 

There is no lack of adversities in the life of Orsola...

as they never lack in the life of the saints.

She thought herself small and weak, but the more she sank into the consciousness of her infinite misery, the more the Lord made it His duty to support her, in all circumstances. 

This is the only way to explain how she, a humble woman of the fields, without education, without prestige and without human means, supported the work entrusted to her by God, challenging so many obstacles. 

Mother Orsola exhorted her daughters saying, "Let us become holy in secret". 

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Mother Orsola Donati died in Budrie on April 8, 1935.

On February 19, 2000, the canonical process for the beatification of the Servant of God Mother Orsola Donati was opened.

On April 6, 2003, the closing of the diocesan process took place in the cathedral of San Pietro in Bologna. On June 19 2021, she was declared Venerable by Pope Francis.

[bron]