On Palm Sunday night in 1211 or 1212, Clare made a courageous decision. Under the cover of darkness, she left her family home and joined St Francis at the Porziuncola, where she consecrated her life to God exchanging her fine clothing for a simple habit. 

Her family tried to bring her home, but Clare stood firm. Soon, her sister Agnes, her mother Ortolana, and many other women joined her.

St Francis placed St Clare and her growing community in the small monastery of San Damiano, where she became abbess in 1216. There, St Clare founded a new form of religious life called the Order of Poor Ladies, later known as the Poor Clares. 

What made her order unique?

• Radical poverty — no personal or communal possessions
• A life of prayer, contemplation, and simplicity
• Sisterhood rooted in humility and joy

Clare eventually wrote the first monastic rule ever authored by a woman, emphasizing the “privilege of poverty.” It was approved just two days before her death

Clare spent much of her later life ill, yet her spirit remained strong. She was known for:

• Tireless Eucharistic devotion
• Miracles of protection, including driving away invaders by raising the Blessed Sacrament in a monstrance
• Profound spiritual wisdom, expressed in her letters and writings

One of the most famous miracles occurred near the end of her life: though bedridden, she saw and heard the Christmas Mass taking place across Assisi as if it were happening in her room. This is why she is the patron saint of television

St. Clare died on August 11, 1253, surrounded by her sisters at San Damiano. Her final words were a prayer of gratitude to God. She was canonized just two years later, a testament to her holiness and the impact of her life. 

Today, the Poor Clares continue her mission of prayer, simplicity, and joyful trust in God. Her life remains a shining example of what it means to follow Christ wholeheartedly

The religious community founded by St. Clare — originally called the Poor Ladies — is now known worldwide as the Poor Clares. They remain one of the Church’s most faithful contemplative orders.

• Poor Clares — Cloistered nuns who live a life of prayer, simplicity, and total trust in God.
• Radical Poverty — They continue Clare’s “privilege of poverty,” owning nothing personally or communally, a rule approved just two days before her death. 
• Global Presence — Today, Poor Clare monasteries exist on every continent, praying daily for the Church and the world.

Their quiet, hidden life is a living continuation of Clare’s belief that prayer is a “spiritually vitalizing force for church and society.”

St. Clare’s patronages reflect both her life and the miracles associated with her:

• Television — Declared patroness in 1958 after she miraculously saw and heard Midnight Mass from her sickbed as if it were broadcast. 
• People with Eye Disorders — A traditional patronage tied to healing and clarity of vision. 
• Embroidery and Needleworkers — Reflecting the careful, humble work of monastic life. 
• The Poor — Her radical poverty makes her a model for those who serve and live among the poor. 
• Women in Religious Life — As a foundress and spiritual mother, she inspires women discerning a vocation. 

Additional patronages include goldsmiths, laundry workers, bicycle messengers, good weather, and remote viewing

St. Clare is often depicted with symbols that express her virtues and miracles:

• Monstrance or Pyx — Represents the miracle in which she held up the Blessed Sacrament and turned away invading soldiers. 
• Lamp or Lantern — Symbolizes her role as a light of faith and her guidance of the Poor Clares. 
• Lily — A sign of purity and devotion.
• Crozier — Marks her authority as abbess of San Damiano. 
• The Habit of the Poor Clares — Brown tunic, white veil, and rope cincture, symbolizing humility and simplicity.

These emblems make her instantly recognizable in sacred art and communicate her spiritual identity.

St. Clare’s life speaks powerfully to the modern world:

• A witness of simplicity in a culture of excess
• A model of courage for those discerning God’s call
• A reminder of the power of prayer in times of uncertainty
• A champion of dignity for the poor
• A patroness of media, challenging us to use technology for truth and goodness

Her message is timeless: “Place your mind before the mirror of eternity.” 

Her life invites us to see Christ clearly and follow Him wholeheartedly.