St. Clare — The Mother Teresa of Her Day
As with many of her blessed peers, who would have guessed that Clare of Assisi would be so fondly and distinctly remembered centuries after her Earthly death? Clare, though a cloistered nun for the greatest part of her life, was likely the “Mother Teresa” of her age. She too was moving mountains and raising public awareness of her Catholic beliefs with the aid of her tremendous faith and other virtues.
Clare was born in the town of Assisi situated in the Italian countryside in 1193, twelve years after St. Francis’ birth. The two saints’ life stories are practically inseparable. Francis of Assisi was the founder of the Franciscans. So that’s where the order gets its current name. But back in the day Clare felt a divine calling and wanted desperately to join Francis’ new order. Her dream came to fulfillment.
St. Anges of Assisi, Clare’s sister, joined her in her daring new venture to devote herself utterly to God. Eventually, the Second Order of St. Francis was developed, which was comprised of nuns. Today, this sub-order of Franciscans is collectively known as the Poor Clare Nuns.
Once again, similar to the much more recent St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta bumping into Karol Wojtyla (St. John Paul II), the paths of Clare and Francis kept crossing. Beside St. Francis himself, Clare is likely the most famous Franciscan saint, moreso even than St. Anthony of Padua — in some cases. Francis and Clare discussed much together, thus their frequent meetings.
After founding the Missionaries of Charity, Mother Teresa oversaw the establishment of quite a few convents throughout the globe. Likewise, Clare was overseer of the creation of several Franciscan convents in various countries which came to include Bohemia, even Germany.
St. Clare of Assisi, patroness of television, passed away on August 11, 1253. She was canonized two years later. Both she and Mother Teresa took on poverty and tried to assist those who were involuntarily plagued by it. And both these outstanding saints deserve their high honor in the worldly Church as well as in heaven.
“Our labor here is brief, but the reward is eternal. Do not be disturbed by the clamor of the world, which passes like a shadow. Do not let false delights of a deceptive world deceive you.” — St. Clare of Assisi
