Clare of Assisi
Visionary abbess who founded the Poor Clares and devoted her life to eucharistic contemplation.
Patronage
Poor Clare nuns, embroiderers, eye diseases, television, laundry workers
Virtues & Traits
Biography
Born Chiara Offreduccio in 1194 in Assisi, Italy, Clare was moved by Saint Francis's preaching to abandon her wealthy family and embrace radical poverty. In 1212, Francis established her in the convent of San Damiano, where she founded the Order of Poor Ladies (now the Poor Clares), dedicated to strict enclosure, poverty, and eucharistic devotion. Clare led her community with remarkable spirituality and gentleness for forty-two years, rarely leaving the convent yet becoming an influential spiritual leader. During a Saracen siege of Assisi, she reportedly processed with the Blessed Sacrament, miraculously halting the attackers. Her letters to Agnes of Prague reveal profound mystical spirituality. Clare was canonized in 1255, and her contemplative example inspired religious reform movements throughout the Catholic Church. She died August 11, 1253, and remains the patroness of those seeking spiritual clarity and intimate union with Christ.
Prayer
Prayer to St. Clare of Assisi
O glorious St. Clare, thou who didst follow the footsteps of thy beloved St. Francis with unwavering devotion and holy poverty, we beseech thee to intercede for us before the throne of God. Grant us the grace to see Christ more clearly in the Blessed Sacrament, to love Him more dearly in our hearts, and to follow Him more nearly in our daily lives. Help us to embrace simplicity, humility, and charity as thou didst, that we may grow ever closer to our Lord and Savior. Through thy powerful intercession, obtain for us the strength to overcome temptation and the wisdom to discern God's holy will. St. Clare, pray for us. Amen.
Generated by Find My Saint for personal reflection. Not an official Church prayer.