St. Clare of Assisi

St. Clare of Assisi was a 13th-century Italian nun and the foundress of the Poor Clares, a monastic order dedicated to poverty and prayer. Inspired by St. Francis of Assisi, she renounced her noble life to follow Christ, embracing a life of simplicity, humility, and deep devotion.

St. Clare of Assisi was born on July 16, 1194, into a noble family in Assisi, Italy. From a young age, Clare exhibited a deep sense of spirituality and compassion for the poor. Inspired by the radical Gospel lifestyle preached by St. Francis of Assisi, she secretly left her family home at the age of 18 to dedicate her life entirely to Christ. On the night of Palm Sunday in 1212, she fled to the Porziuncola, where Francis welcomed her and gave her the simple habit of his followers, initiating a lifelong commitment to poverty and service.

Clare’s act of defiance against her family’s expectations and her noble status marked a profound turning point in the role of women in the Church. She soon attracted other women, including her sister Agnes, to this new way of life. They took residence at the Church of San Damiano, which Francis had rebuilt earlier in his ministry. There, Clare established the Order of Poor Ladies, the second Franciscan order, dedicated to living in strict poverty, manual labor, and contemplative prayer. The order was later renamed the Poor Clares in her honor.

Clare’s leadership was marked by strength, humility, and a deep mystical connection with God. She resisted efforts from Church authorities to soften the severe poverty that she and her sisters had vowed to uphold. For over forty years, she governed the community and remained firm in her insistence on the "privilege of poverty," even as others, including the papacy, urged her to accept financial support or property for her monastery.

One of the most dramatic episodes of her life occurred during an attack by Saracen mercenaries on Assisi. According to tradition, Clare, though ill and weak, confronted the invaders with the Blessed Sacrament in her hands and prayed for divine intervention. The attackers miraculously retreated, and the monastery was spared. This event solidified Clare’s legacy as a woman of unwavering faith and courage.

Clare’s health declined significantly in her later years due to her rigorous ascetic lifestyle, but her spiritual strength never wavered. She continued to guide her sisters, write spiritual instructions, and correspond with Francis and other religious figures. Two days before her death on August 11, 1253, Pope Innocent IV approved her Rule—the first religious rule written by a woman to be officially recognized by the Church.

Clare was canonized remarkably quickly, just two years after her death, by Pope Alexander IV on September 26, 1255. Her spiritual daughters, the Poor Clares, continue her legacy around the world today, living lives of cloistered prayer and evangelical poverty.

In 1958, Pope Pius XII named her the patron saint of television, inspired by a story that she was once miraculously able to see and hear Mass on the wall of her room when she was too ill to attend. She is also invoked as the patroness of eye diseases and for those seeking clarity and light in darkness.

Clare’s life remains a model of radical discipleship, feminine strength in faith, and unwavering trust in God’s providence. Her legacy is intricately bound to the Franciscan movement and continues to inspire countless people who seek a life of simplicity, service, and prayer.

Feast Day

11-8-

Birth Date

16-7-1194

Died Date

11-8-1253

Canonised Date

26-9-1255

Basilica of St. Clare, Assisi, Italy

"Saint Clare, you who lived a life of faith and simplicity, intercede for us in our times of need. Help us to live with love, humility, and devotion to God, just as you did. May your example of courage and trust inspire us to follow Christ with unwavering commitment. Pray for us, Saint Clare, that we may always seek God's will in our lives. Amen."
ST. CLARE OF ASSISI

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ST. CLARE OF ASSISI

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