Clare of Assisi
Who was Clare of Assisi?
Italian saint (1194–1253)
Biographical data adapted from Wikipedia’s article on Clare of Assisi (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Biography
Chiara Offreduccio, known as Clare of Assisi, was born on July 16, 1194, into a wealthy noble family in Assisi, Italy. Her father, Favarone di Offreduccio, was a count, and her mother, Ortolana, was known for her piety and pilgrimages to holy sites. Clare grew up in a household that valued both material prosperity and religious devotion, receiving an education typical of noble women of her time. At the age of eighteen, Clare heard Francis of Assisi preach during Lent in 1212 and was profoundly moved by his message of evangelical poverty and spiritual renewal. On Palm Sunday that same year, she secretly left her family home and joined Francis at the Porziuncola chapel, where she received the religious habit and had her hair cut as a symbol of her consecration to religious life. Clare's decision to abandon her privileged life for one of absolute poverty initially caused great distress to her family, who attempted to force her return. However, her commitment remained unwavering, and she was soon joined by her sister Agnes and eventually her mother and other sister. Francis initially placed Clare at the Benedictine convent of San Paolo, but she later moved to San Damiano, a small church that Francis had restored. There, Clare established what would become known as the Order of Poor Ladies, later renamed the Poor Clares in her honor. Unlike other religious communities for women at the time, Clare's order embraced absolute poverty, refusing to own property or accept regular income. This radical approach required papal approval, which Clare persistently sought and eventually obtained. She spent over forty years at San Damiano, serving as abbess and spiritual guide to her community while maintaining correspondence with popes, cardinals, and other religious figures throughout Europe. Clare authored the Rule of Life for her order around 1253, making it the first monastic rule known to have been written by a woman. Her rule emphasized prayer, penance, and complete dependence on divine providence rather than material security.
Before Fame
Clare's early life unfolded during a period of significant social and religious transformation in medieval Italy. Born into the Offreduccio family, one of the major noble houses of Assisi, she experienced the privileges and expectations of aristocratic life in a rapidly changing world. The late 12th and early 13th centuries saw the rise of new forms of religious expression, urban commercial growth, and increasing tension between spiritual ideals and material wealth. Her mother Ortolana's example of deep religious devotion, including pilgrimages to Rome, Santiago de Compostela, and the Holy Land, likely influenced Clare's spiritual development. The young woman's path to religious life was catalyzed by her encounter with Francis of Assisi's revolutionary approach to Christian living, which emphasized literal adherence to Gospel poverty and service to the marginalized members of society.
Key Achievements
- Founded the Order of Poor Ladies (later Poor Clares), the first Franciscan order for women
- Authored the first monastic rule written by a woman, establishing guidelines for radical evangelical poverty
- Successfully obtained papal approval for her order's practice of absolute poverty without property ownership
- Served as abbess of San Damiano for over 40 years, guiding the spiritual development of her religious community
- Canonized by Pope Alexander IV in 1255, just two years after her death
Did You Know?
- 01.Clare was declared the patron saint of television by Pope Pius XII in 1958 because she reportedly saw and heard Christmas Mass on the wall of her cell when she was too ill to attend
- 02.Her preserved body remains incorrupt and can be viewed in the Basilica of Saint Clare in Assisi, where it has been displayed since 1872
- 03.Clare successfully defended Assisi from Saracen attackers in 1240 by displaying the Blessed Sacrament from the walls of San Damiano, causing the invaders to retreat
- 04.She lived for 27 years on bread, water, and vegetables, often fasting completely for days at a time, until Francis and the Bishop of Assisi ordered her to eat at least one and a half ounces of bread daily
- 05.Clare's sister Agnes became a Poor Clare and later founded monasteries in northern Italy, while their mother Ortolana and youngest sister Beatrice also joined the order