Saint Clare of Assisi

Life story

Clare was born around 1193 or 1194 in Assisi, into the noble Offreduccio family. As a young woman she heard Francis preach and wished to live in poverty like his brothers. On the night of Palm Sunday 1212 she secretly left home, went to the chapel of the Portiuncula and had her hair cut and received a habit from Francis. Her family opposed her strongly, but she held to her decision.

After a short stay in other convents, Clare and a group of women settled at San Damiano, the chapel Francis had repaired. The community grew, calling itself the Poor Ladies; her sister Agnes and later her mother came to live there. Clare wanted the community to live on alms and own no property, and until the end of her life she worked to have the Holy See recognise this privilege of poverty.

She was abbess for many years despite long illness. According to tradition, around 1240, when mercenary troops approached San Damiano, she stood before them holding the Eucharist and they withdrew, though the detail rests mainly on later accounts. She wrote a rule for the sisters, and on 9 August 1253 Pope Innocent IV confirmed it.

Clare died on 11 August 1253. Pope Alexander IV canonised her in 1255. In 1958 Pius XII declared her patron of television, drawing on the tradition that when she was too ill to attend Mass, she saw the service appear on the wall of her room.

Works and witness

• Left home on Palm Sunday 1212 and received the habit from Francis
• Founded the Poor Ladies community at San Damiano
• Defended the privilege of poverty for her order
• Her own rule confirmed on 9 August 1253
• Canonised by Alexander IV in 1255

Patron of

Television

Saints from the same country

Saint Agnes, Saint Lawrence, Saint Cecilia, Saint Sebastian

References

• Martyrologium Romanum
• Legend of Saint Clare (attributed to Thomas of Celano)
• Dicastery for the Causes of Saints – biographical profile

Written by Anawim from documented history. Some details about ancient saints rest on tradition and are marked as such.