St. Clelia Barbieri, is the youngest saint to found a religious order. She is also the patron saint of people who are ridiculed for their piety. I thought of St. Clelia yesterday. A co-woker, a Catholic mocked another Catholic woman, (the mother of three priests so I think she did pretty well), for her pious nature. She despised this woman for having a prie dieu at home and a corner shrine. I guess she'd be horrified by my home. We don't have a prayer bench but we do have paintings of saints all over the place and a crucifix in every room but the bathroom. My co-worker then went on to insult the woman's priest. He is well known in our diocese and sounds like someone I'd be very happy to know. The next time Rocky and I are in Front Royal, we'll be sure to stop by his parish.Later she told me an extended and particularly filthy sodomy joke. I can not repeat it in print and I don't want to hear it again in my mind. Both times I changed the subject. I should've spoken up.That was gutless on my part and I am determined that it will never happen again.
St. Clelia, physically delicate but spirtually a little lioness, pray for me.