Saint Clare of Assisi:A Life of Devotion and Simplicity

Saint Clare of Assisi, also known as Clare Scif, is one of the most distinguished religious figures of the 13th century. She founded the Order of the Poor Clares, the female branch of the Franciscan Order, and lived a life of devotion, simplicity, and charity. Here is a detailed article on the life and legacy of this saint.

Youth, Origins, and Spiritual Awakening

Clare was born on July 16, 1194, in Assisi, into a noble family whose history had been closely linked with the Umbrian city for generations. Her childhood was spent in a refined environment, structured by feudal values, strict family traditions, and a privileged education that included learning to read, write, understand ecclesiastical Latin, chant liturgy, and manage domestic affairs. From an early age, she displayed uncommon gentleness and sensitivity. Unlike most noble children raised for prestige, warfare, and social ambition, Clare was drawn to prayer, silence, and compassion for the poor.

The city of Assisi at that time was marked by constant tension between the feudal nobility and the rising merchant class. These often violent conflicts deeply affected the young Clare. She witnessed armed confrontations, destruction, and families torn apart. Such events heightened her awareness of human fragility and the need for inner peace. They also prepared her for a radical future choice: to renounce the privileges of an unstable society in order to embrace evangelical poverty and peace.

It was in this context that Clare first heard about Francis of Assisi. She was only around ten years old when news of the young cloth merchant who became a preacher spread throughout Umbria. Francis, the son of a wealthy merchant, had chosen to renounce everything in order to live according to the Gospel. His radical choice fascinated some and disturbed others. For Clare, he immediately represented an ideal: a life freed from material attachments and wholly dedicated to God. As she grew, this inner conviction strengthened. She attended liturgies, prayed intensely, and discreetly distributed food to the poor, unaware that her destiny would soon intertwine with Francis's.

The Decisive Encounter with Francis of Assisi

At the age of eighteen, Clare initiated an inner journey that would transform not only her own life but also the lives of countless women across Europe. She eventually met Francis and his disciples, likely through a priest familiar with her spiritual maturity. Francis immediately recognized in her an exceptional soul—gentle yet determined—capable of carrying the Franciscan ideal into the contemplative life of women.

The night of Palm Sunday in 1212 remains one of the most famous episodes of her life. After receiving the blessed palm from the bishop, Clare secretly left her family home. She traveled to the small chapel of the Portiuncula, where Francis and his brothers awaited her. There she solemnly renounced her worldly life. Francis cut her long golden hair, symbolizing her mystical marriage to Christ. This radical act shattered her family's hopes of arranging a noble marriage for her.

Clare’s flight immediately enraged the Offreduccio family. Outraged that she had abandoned her noble status, they sought to reclaim her. But Clare first took refuge with the Benedictine nuns, then at the monastery of Sant'Angelo in Panzo, where her relatives attempted to seize her by force. She clung to the altar, declaring she wished to belong only to Christ. Her determination silenced their authority. Soon after, her younger sister Agnes joined her despite fierce opposition, marking the beginning of a spiritual sisterhood that would lead to the founding of the Order of Poor Ladies, later called the Poor Clares.

Founding of the Order of Poor Clares and Their Ideals

Following her religious profession, Clare was placed in the monastery of San Damiano, a humble building restored by Francis. There, surrounded by olive groves and peaceful hills, Clare wrote some of the most important pages of medieval female religious life. She founded the Order of Poor Ladies, later known as the Poor Clares. Their rule was extremely strict and centered on absolute poverty. Unlike other female orders that permitted communal or private property, Clare demanded that her sisters possess nothing—not individually, not even as a community. This radical poverty, which faithfully reflected Francis’s vision, was long debated by Church authorities, but Clare refused to compromise.

The Poor Clares lived in extreme simplicity, relying solely on charity. Their daily life was shaped by prayer, silence, contemplation, manual labor, and discreet service to the needy. They sewed liturgical vestments, embroidered corporals, prepared Eucharistic hosts, and cared for the sick. San Damiano soon became a spiritual center that attracted many young noblewomen seeking a simple, God-centered way of life. The influence of the monastery grew so much that new communities inspired by San Damiano were founded across Italy, France, and Western Europe.

A Life Marked by Poverty, Humility, and Mystical Fervor

Clare’s life at San Damiano was marked by heroic renunciations. She wore simple garments of coarse cloth, slept on a straw mat, fasted often, and worked tirelessly. Her austerity was not motivated by self-mortification but by a heartfelt desire to imitate Christ poor and crucified. Her day began before dawn with the night office and continued in profound silence. Clare cultivated a pure form of contemplative prayer focused entirely on mystical union with God. Her spiritual reputation grew, and inhabitants of Assisi visited her for counsel, convinced her delicate yet inspired words carried heavenly wisdom.

She refused all privileges, even when Francis asked her to become abbess. She accepted the role only out of obedience but insisted on performing the humblest tasks: sweeping, washing the sisters’ feet, caring for the sick, and carrying heavy water jugs. To her, humble service was the attitude most worthy of a bride of Christ. Many scholars consider her one of the greatest mystics of the Middle Ages, comparable to Hildegard of Bingen or Catherine of Siena.

Spiritual Relationship with Francis and Fidelity to His Legacy

The spiritual friendship between Clare and Francis of Assisi is one of the most beautiful pages in medieval spirituality. Though their lives differed—Francis preaching in the streets and Clare living in enclosure—their souls were deeply united. Francis saw in Clare not only a disciple but an equal in sanctity. He entrusted San Damiano to her because he recognized her exceptional strength and spiritual clarity.

After Francis’s death in 1226, Clare became the steadfast guardian of his ideals. While some friars attempted to soften the rigor of poverty, Clare fought passionately to preserve the original Franciscan vision. She wrote frequently to popes and cardinals, defending absolute poverty with striking theological insight. Pope Gregory IX attempted to force her to accept communal property, but she gently refused, declaring she wished to “possess the Kingdom of Heaven without possessing anything on earth.”

Miracles, Mystical Light, and Protection of the Monastery

According to medieval tradition, many miracles occurred through Clare’s intercession. The most famous took place in 1240 when Saracen mercenaries in the service of Emperor Frederick II threatened Assisi. As the soldiers approached the monastery, Clare, too ill to walk, asked for the monstrance containing the Blessed Sacrament. She held it in her trembling hands and prayed. A radiant light, it is said, emerged from the Host, terrifying the attackers and driving them away. This event contributed greatly to Clare’s reputation as the monastery’s protector.

Other miracles include the multiplication of bread during a famine and luminous visions during her ecstasies. Another well-known episode is the Christmas miracle: too ill to attend Midnight Mass, Clare reportedly saw and heard the celebration projected on the wall of her cell. This event inspired her later designation as the patron saint of television in 1958.

Final Years, Canonization, and Spiritual Legacy

Clare’s final years were marked by illness. Bedridden for long periods, she transformed her suffering into prayer and remained a gentle source of comfort for her sisters. In 1253, after decades of effort, she finally obtained papal approval for the Rule she herself had written—the first monastic Rule authored by a woman and officially recognized by the Church.

Clare died on August 11, 1253, surrounded by her sisters. Two years later, Pope Alexander IV canonized her. Her cult quickly spread throughout Europe, and the Poor Clares expanded across many countries. Today, thousands of Poor Clare monasteries continue to follow her Rule, praying silently for the world in fidelity to her spirit.

The Relics of Saint Clare of Assisi: History, Preservation, and Devotion

The relics of Saint Clare hold a significant place in Franciscan tradition and Christian devotion. Immediately after her death in 1253, the faithful of Assisi and the sisters of San Damiano regarded her body as a sacred treasure. Her life of poverty, humility, and mystical radiance left a deep impression on the people, and her tomb quickly became a pilgrimage site. After her canonization in 1255, devotion to her relics spread throughout Europe.

Her body was first placed in the church of San Giorgio, the same place where Francis was buried before his basilica was built. When the Basilica of Saint Clare was constructed, her relics were solemnly transferred there. The translation drew large crowds wishing to honor the founder of the Poor Clares. For centuries, her body remained enclosed in a reliquary to preserve its integrity.

In the 19th century, during renovation works in the crypt, Clare’s remains were rediscovered, examined, and placed in a stone sarcophagus where they can still be venerated today. This serene and luminous crypt is one of the most important pilgrimage sites for Poor Clares worldwide.

Over the centuries, many secondary relics—small bone fragments, cloth pieces, personal items, and objects associated with her monastic life—were authenticated by Church authorities and distributed to monasteries and Franciscan communities. These relics, preserved in sealed reliquaries, are not revered as mere objects but as tangible signs of Clare’s spiritual presence and intercession.

Even today, possessing or contemplating a relic of Saint Clare is considered a precious spiritual grace. Her relics testify to a life entirely given to God and continue to inspire the faithful to seek inner light, peace of heart, and evangelical simplicity.

Feast Day and Spiritual Role Today

The feast of Saint Clare is celebrated every year on August 11. She is a central figure in Christian spirituality, a model of consecrated life, and an inspiration for all who seek to live in simplicity, prayer, and charity. Her life shows that one can abandon the illusions of the world to embrace the inner light of Christ. Today, thousands of Poor Clares live according to her Rule, praying quietly for the world and remaining faithful to the spirit of their mother and founder.

Saint Clare of Assisi remains the embodiment of a life completely given to God—free from vanity and open to divine presence. She reminds every generation that true richness lies not in possession but in the freedom of the heart. Her legacy continues to inspire countless believers seeking an authentic and luminous spiritual path.

• Vauchez, André. Sainte Claire d'Assise : Une vie et un message. Éditions du Seuil, 2003.
• Baldwin, Kathleen. Claire of Assisi: The Lady. The Life. The Legend. Saint Bede's Publications, 2004.
• Hamilton, Bernard. Sainte Claire et les Clarisses : La naissance d'un ordre religieux. Éditions du Cerf, 2007.