Saint Clare of Assisi mystic and religious founder

Today marks the feast day of Saint Clare of Assisi, celebrated on August 11th. Born as Chiara Offreduccio on July 16th, 1193, in Assisi, she passed away on the same date in 1253, also in Assisi. Saint Clare holds a prominent place in Church history, regarded as one of the most influential reformers of the Catholic Church during the 13th century and the Middle Ages. She founded a new contemplative order known as the Clarisse, living a life of complete poverty. She was buried in the basilica dedicated to her in Assisi, which still welcomes pilgrims today who wish to honor this revered figure. In Slovenia, there are three convents of the Clarisse Order, located in Nazarje, Dolnice, and Turnišče in Prekmurje, which is remarkable given the secluded and contemplative nature of the order. There appears to be no shortage of vocations within these communities. The basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi serves as a backdrop to the enduring legacy of Saint Clare’s influence. Saint Clare's Life Clare was born into a family of higher social standing in Assisi, which allowed her access to education, including reading and writing. Her parents had intended for her to marry a wealthy man, but Clare chose a different path. On the night of the Feast of the Annunciation in 1212, when she was barely 18 years old, she fled her home in search of spiritual guidance and became a disciple of Saint Francis of Assisi. She cut off her long hair and dressed in simple, penitential clothing. Francis became her superior, and the following night he secretly took her to the monastery of the Benedictines of Saint Paul in Insula (now known as Bastia Umbra). Soon after, Sister Agnes, later canonized as Saint Agnes of Prague, joined her. Agnes had also sought refuge from her parents' wishes, which were to arrange a marriage for her. Despite their efforts to dissuade them, both sisters remained steadfast in their decision. Clare and Agnes soon moved to a house near the church of Saint Damian, which Francis had begun restoring. According to the well-known yet possibly apocryphal story, Jesus spoke to Francis from the cross in this very church, saying, “Go and repair my church.” This moment marked the beginning of a new community of women devoted to a life of poverty and prayer. By 1217, Clare, Agnes, and their companions, among them Mother Ortolana and sister Beatrice, had attracted many other women and girls from Assisi and its surroundings. These young women wished to follow Francis’s example and live lives of humility, simplicity, and constant prayer. Within a few months, the number of women in the new convent reached fifty. In 1240, when Assisi was threatened by Saracen invaders, Clare led a procession with the Holy Cross in her hands. She believed that only through God could enemies be defeated, and she did not disappoint herself. Just before the city, the attackers turned back. The establishment of a female religious order at this time was unprecedented. Only two days before her death in 1253, Pope Alexander IV officially confirmed the Rule written by Clare herself, thereby formally recognizing the new religious community. The original rule is still preserved among relics in the Assisi convent of Saint Clare. She died in Assisi on August 11, 1253, and just two years later, Pope Alexander IV declared her a saint. Interestingly, Saint Clare is also considered the patroness of television. During Christmas, she wished to attend a Mass that included Saint Francis, but illness prevented her from doing so. Instead, an angel appeared to her, carrying her spiritually to the church where the service was being held. From afar, she witnessed the proceedings, fulfilling her desire to participate. When Clare’s father and Saint Agnes’s father attempted to take the younger daughter, Agnes, from the convent, Clare prayed fervently that they would fail. Agnes’s body grew so heavy that it could not be moved. When the father tried to remove her in anger and despair, the situation proved insurmountable.