Early Life and Family Background

Clare was born Chiara Offreduccio in Assisi, Italy, on July 16, 1194. She was the eldest daughter of Favorino Sciffi, Count of Sasso-Rosso, and his wife Ortolana, both members of the noble class. Despite her aristocratic upbringing, Clare was drawn from a young age to a life of prayer, charity, and austerity, qualities instilled in her by her mother, who herself was known for her piety.

Growing up in a period marked by feudal strife and the emergence of new spiritual movements, Clare witnessed Assisi’s bustling marketplace, the poverty of its people, and the radical transformation of Francis of Assisi, whose example would soon change the course of her life.

Conversion and Call to Religious Life

In 1209, when Clare was about fifteen, Francis of Assisi began attracting followers through his preaching and his radical embrace of poverty and the Gospel. Clare, inspired by his message, secretly met with him to discuss her desire for a different life than that arranged by her family. Against her parents' wishes and under the cover of night, Clare fled her family home on Palm Sunday, March 20, 1212, to join Francis and his small band of brothers at the chapel of Santa Maria degli Angeli (the Portiuncula).

There, Francis cut her hair and gave her a rough tunic, signifying her renunciation of wealth and status. This marked the beginning of her religious life, an event so bold it sent shockwaves through her noble family and the community of Assisi.

The Foundation of the Order of Poor Ladies

Clare took refuge first at the Benedictine monastery of San Paolo delle Abbadesse, where she was temporarily shielded from her family’s efforts to reclaim her. Despite attempts—sometimes forceful—by her relatives to bring her home, Clare steadfastly refused, steadfast in her commitment to the new evangelical life. Soon after, her younger sister Agnes joined her, followed by other women drawn to the Franciscan ideal of poverty, humility, and service.

It was within the quiet walls of San Damiano, a modest church restored by Francis and his followers, that Clare and her companions established their community. They lived a life apart from the world, embracing radical poverty as their rule, relying solely on alms and divine providence. The Order of Poor Ladies, under Clare’s leadership, became the first monastic order for women to adopt such strict adherence to poverty, a departure from the norms of other convents of the time, which often retained property and wealth for support.

Clare’s governance was marked by a blend of gentle wisdom and unyielding resolve. She wrote the rule for her community herself—the first woman known to do so—insisting on the “privilege of poverty” even in the face of papal pressure to accept endowments. Through her correspondence and example, Clare became a spiritual mother to other communities of women, spreading the Franciscan charism throughout Italy and beyond.

Her days were shaped by prayer, manual labor, and care for the sick and poor. The sisters’ lives, though cloistered, radiated outward, inspiring laypeople and clergy alike. Clare’s deep devotion to the Eucharist became legendary: in one celebrated incident, she is said to have repelled Saracen invaders from the gates of San Damiano simply by raising the Blessed Sacrament in prayer, her faith a shield for all within the convent walls.

Clare’s final years were spent in illness and profound contemplation, yet her influence only grew. She continued to guide her sisters through letters and counsel, and her reputation for sanctity spread far beyond Assisi. On August 11, 1253, after more than forty years at San Damiano, Clare died surrounded by her sisters, her face serene in the certainty of her faith. Just two years later, Pope Alexander IV canonized her, affirming the impact of her holy life.Today, St. Clare is venerated as the patron saint of television, eye diseases, and those in need of clarity and faith. Her feast day, celebrated on August 11, draws pilgrims from around the world to Assisi, where the legacy of her radiant light continues to inspire all who seek lives of simplicity, courage, and compassion.

Saint Clare Pray for us!