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About the Poor Clares
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“The form of life of the Order of the Poor Sisters which the blessed Francis founded is this: to observe the holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.” – Rule of St. Clare
The Poor Clare Nuns constitute the second branch of the Franciscan Order, founded in the thirteenth century by Saint Clare under the inspiration and guidance of Saint Francis of Assisi. Over eight hundred years ago, a poor man named Francis Bernadone preached the holy Gospel to a young noblewoman, Clare Offreduccio. Francis kindled the fire of Christ’s love in Clare, and the flame that was lit in her heart continues to burn brightly in her spiritual daughters throughout the world.
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Jesus is our Way, and He alone explains the reason why we are here. As cloistered contemplative nuns, we are a sign of the exclusive union of the Church as Bride with her Lord Whom she loves above all things. Our hidden life is a silent proclamation of God’s existence and says that He is worthy of all our love. Our vocation is a precious gift within the mystery of the Church and a source of grace for the world. We dwell “hidden with Christ in God” (Col 3:3) at the missionary heart of the Church, and through constant prayer and joyful penance we strive to be “co-workers of God Himself and a support to the frail and failing members of His ineffable Body” (St. Clare).
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“If Catherine of Siena is the saintly woman full of passion for the Blood of Christ, the great St. Teresa is the woman who goes from “mansion” to “mansion” to the threshold of the great King in the Interior Castle, and Therese of the Child Jesus is the one who, in Gospel simplicity, travels the little way, Clare is the passionate lover of the poor, crucified Christ, with whom she wants to identify absolutely.”
– Pope Saint John Paul II, Letter to the Poor Clares,
August 11, 1993
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