Memorial of Saint Clare of Assisi – 11th August 2023

Clare of Assisi (born Chiara Offreduccio, sometimes spelled Clara, Clair, Claire; 16 July 1194 – 11 August 1253) was an Italian saint and one of the first followers of Francis of Assisi. Inspired by the teachings of St. Francis, she founded the Order of Poor Ladies, a monastic religious order for women in the Franciscan tradition. The Order of Poor Ladies was different from any other order or convent because it followed a rule of strict poverty. Clare wrote their Rule of Life, the first set of monastic guidelines known to have been written by a woman. Following her death, the order she founded was renamed in her honor as the Order of ...