Franciscan Saint | St. Clare of Assisi

Born into a noble family in Assisi, Italy, Clare enjoyed a life of wealth and privilege. From a young age, she devoted herself to prayer. At the age of 18, she heard St. Francis of Assisi preach during a Lenten service at the Church of San Giorgio. Deeply inspired, she sought his guidance in living the Gospel more fully, and he became her lifelong friend and spiritual guide.

On Palm Sunday in 1212, Clare secretly left her father's home and went to the Chapel of the Porziuncola, where Francis cut off her hair and clothed her in a simple religious habit in place of her fine garments.

Clare later founded the Order of Poor Ladies, now known as the Order of Saint Clare, one of the earliest female Franciscan communities. She also became the first woman to write a monastic rule for a religious order. Her “Rule of Life” called the sisters to live the Gospel through obedience, chastity, and a life of radical poverty, with practices such as walking barefoot, sleeping on the ground, abstaining from meat, and observing extended periods of silence.

Clare was known for her deep interior life, miracles, and unwavering trust in God. In one famous incident, when Saracen soldiers attacked her convent, she confronted them with the Blessed Sacrament displayed in a monstrance and prayed for protection. The attackers immediately fled.

Towards the end of her life, when too ill to attend Mass, she miraculously saw and heard the service on the wall of her room, leading Pope Pius XII to declare her the patron saint of television in 1958.

Reflection: How can I follow Christ more fully in my daily life?