Clare
Offreduccio, born in 1194, was the daughter of a wealthy family in Assisi
(43:04 N 12:37 E). When she was eighteen years old, she heard a sermon by
Francis of Assisi, and was moved by it to follow the example of the Franciscan
brothers and vow herself to a life of poverty. Her family was horrified, and
brought her back home by force; but one night, in a gesture both tactical and
symbolic, she slipped out of her house through "the door of the dead"
(a small side door that was traditionally opened only to carry out a corpse)
and returned to the house of the Franciscans. Francis cut off her hair, and
placed her in a nearby convent. Later a house was found for her, and she was
eventually joined by two of her sisters, her widowed mother, and several members
of the wealthy Ubaldini family of Florence. Clare's best friend, Pacifica,
could not resist, and joined them, too.
The sisters of
her order came to be known informally as Minoresses (Franciscan brothers are
Friars Minor = "lesser brothers") or as Poor Clares. When the order
was formed, Francis suggested Clare for the Superior. But she refused the
position until she turned twenty-one. They devoted themselves to prayer,
nursing the sick, and works of mercy for the poor and neglected.
They adopted a
rule of life of extreme austerity (more so than of any other order of women up
to that time) and of absolute poverty, both individually and collectively. They
had no beds. They slept on twigs with patched hemp for blankets. Wind and rain
seeped through cracks in the ceilings. They ate very little, with no meat at
all. Whatever they ate was food they begged for. Clare made sure she fasted
more than anyone else. Despite this way of life, or perhaps because of it, the
followers of Clare were the most beautiful young girls from the best families
of Assisi.
The community
of Poor Clares continues to this day, both in the Roman and in the Anglican
communions.
