Saint Claire of Assisi: The 13th Century Follower of Saint Francis

Saint Claire of Assisi, who was actually named Chiara Offreduccio, was born on July 16, 1194, and died on August 11, 1253.  She was an Italian saint who was one of the first followers of Saint Francis of Assisi. She was inspired by the teachings of St. Francis, and Saint Claire of Assisi founded the Order of Poor Ladies. It is a monastic religious order for women in the Franciscan tradition. The Order of Poor Ladies was differentiated from any other order or convent because it followed a rule of strict poverty. Did you know Saint Claire of Assisi was a follower of St. Francis of Assisi?

Saint Claire of Assisi Biography

Saint Claire of Assisi was born the daughter of Favarone, a wealthy count and noble. One of her younger sisters, Beatrix and Catarina, followed her into religious life. As children, Clare and her sisters were taught the ways of Christianity by their mother; they became very religious, each of them, and were devoted to prayer.

When Saint Claire of Assisi was just twelve years old, her parents wanted her to marry a wealthy young man. However, she protested and said that she did not want to marry until she turned eighteen. It was not long after that that she heard St. Francis of Assisi and was inspired by what he had to say. Inspired by his words and knowing that marriage was rapidly approaching, Clare went to Francis and begged him to help her live after the manner of the Gospel. She probably told him her plight.

On Palm Sunday, March 20, 1212, accompanied by her aunt Bianca and another companion, and met Francis in a chapel in town. For the meeting, her hair was cut, and she changed her rich gown for a plain robe and veil. Cutting a woman’s hair, at that time, was a symbolic act showing that she was no longer bound by the laws of man or society but rather that she followed the will of God.

Francis placed Saint Claire of Assisi in the convent of the Benedictine nuns. Several members of her family, including her father (who still wanted to marry her off), begged her to return home, but she said her bride was Jesus Christ. Finally, when they tried to use force, she clung to the altar of the church. It was only after this episode that her family relented and left her in peace.

Her sister Catarina joined Clare in the convent sixteen days later and took the name ‘Agnes.’ This caused a tremendous uproar in Clare’s family, as now two of their girls had refused marriage and left the family. Other women joined the sisters, and they became known as the “Poor Ladies of San Damiano”. They lived a simple life of poverty, austerity, and seclusion from the world, according to a Rule which Francis gave them as a Second Order (The Poor Clares).

The Oder was now known as the “Order of Poor Ladies of San Damiano,” and Saint Claire of Assisi was credited with its founding.  By 1263, just ten years after Clare’s death, the order had become known as the Order of Saint Clare. The life of the nuns consisted of manual labor and prayer. The nuns went barefoot, slept on the ground, ate no meat, and observed almost complete silence.

For a while, the order was directed by St. Francis himself. In 1216, however, Saint Claire of Assisi reluctantly accepted the role of abbess of San Damiano. As abbess, she had more authority to lead the order than when she was the prioress and required to follow the orders of a priest heading the community. Clare referred to herself by such terms as mother, handmaid, or servant rather than an abbess.

After Francis’s death, Saint Claire of Assisi continued to promote the growth of her order. The Fourth Lateran Council of 1215 decreed that any new religious communities that had not yet been approved would have to adopt an established order. Pope Gregory IX worried that the health of the sisters would suffer unduly under the strict vow of poverty that Clare wanted. During a visit to San Damiano, Gregory IX urged Clare to give up her way of strict poverty.

After the Pope’s visit, Clare began writing her own Rule for the order, keeping Francis’s teachings at the forefront of her mind. Her Rule especially emphasized the absolute non-possession of property. She had her Rule approved by both Cardinal Rainaldo and Pope Innocent IV. As Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II battled Pope Gregory IX for control of Italy during the Crusades era, armies attacked the monastery. Both targets were successfully defended as Clare prayed to Christ. Saint Claire of Assisi died on August 11, 1253. One day, after having her Rule approved by Pope Innocent IV. Her last words are reported to have been, “Blessed be You, O God, for having created me

Saint Claire of Assisi Veneration

Saint Claire of Assisi was canonized on September 26, 1255. Construction of the Basilica di Santa Chiara began in 1256, and her relics were placed there on October 3, 1260. In art, Clare is often shown carrying a monstrance or pyx, in commemoration of when she drove away the invading troops of Frederick II from her convent by exposing the Blessed Sacrament and kneeling in prayer.

Pope Pius XII designated Clare as the patroness saint of television in 1958. There are traditions of offering chicken eggs to the Poor Clares so they may pray for good weather, especially for weddings. Many places, including churches, convents, schools, hospitals, towns, and counties, are named for Saint Clare. So was one of Christopher Columbus’s ships.

Conclusion

Saint Claire of Assisi was one of the most important saints in the Catholic church. That her father wanted her to be married, and she said her bride was Jesus Christ, and then she met St. Francis, is amazing. She was noteworthy because her Benedictine order of nuns, the Poor Clares, was named after her. As were a great many other things, like Santa Clara, California, and one of the ships of Christopher Columbus.