The Feast of St. Clare and Vocations to the Friars
Some of the Poor Clare Sisters in the Galway monastery.
The Feast of St. Clare is kept on the 11th of August each year. Having being inspired by St. Francis of Assisi, St. Clare, from her youth, devoted her life to the ideal of most high poverty. She dedicated herself to Christ as to a spouse and constantly sought to gaze on her beloved and consider His amazing love for her and for all creation.
St. Clare’s life was luminous; indeed the name ‘Clare’ indicates the radiance and clarity of her Christian way of life. She lived simply and devotedly in community with the like-minded women, known in Assisi as the Poor Ladies.
Today the Poor Ladies are better known as the Poor Clare Sisters and we blessed to have several of their monasteries here in Ireland.
Recently our candidates for the coming Postulancy year visited the Poor Clare monastery in Nun’s Island, Galway. When candidates for the Franciscan way of life begin the process of discernment we friars emphasise – as soon as possible – the essential role of St. Clare and the Poor Clare Sisters.
The Franciscan Order founded by St. Francis was completed when St. Clare and her first sisters made their vows in the chapel of St. Mary of the Angels and later in the Convent of San Damiano.
Please keep our candidates for the postulancy in your prayers as they prepare to join us in September.
Please continue to pray for vocations to the Franciscan friars and the Poor Clare sisters, that others may follow in the footsteps of the Poverello, St. Francis, and St. Clare, the ‘New Woman of the Spoleto Valley’.
Friar Liam
