Born: c. 1197, Italy Died: November 16th, 1253, Assisi, Italy Known For: being the most famous of St. Clare's biological sisters and her first follower Fun Fact: Once she though she'd spent only an hour praying when it had really been three days! There's speculation that Catherine, St. Clare's...
Born: 1734, Brittany, France Died: 1798, Fougères, Brittany, France Bl. Jeanne, otherwise known as Sr. Marie of the Nativity, was an unusual but distinctive Poor Clare: an extern sister. These sisters forgo the traditional vow of enclosure to serve the community's needs outside the monastery. Although balancing...
Born: August 9th, 1555, Toledo, Spain Died: October 22nd, 1630, Manila, the Philippines Known For: Being the first female missionary to the Philippines Fun Fact: The famous artist Diego Velasquez painted her portrait, now kept in the Prado Museum in Madrid. It's amazing how many adults remember the first...
Born: 1434, Italy Died: September 8th, 1478, Italy Feast Day: September 9th Known For: Her heroic response to unjust treatment If a disgruntled husband presented himself at a Poor Clare monastery dragging along his wife and demanding that they make a nun out of her so his lax conscience...
Died: August 18th, 1905, Evansville, IndianaKnown For: bringing the Poor Clare life to the United StatesFun Fact: As English was her second language and she never mastered it, she often accidentally misused words. Once, she seemed out of sorts and someone asked her what was...
Feast: July 27thBorn: October 4th, 1687, Brescia, ItalyDied: July 27th, Brescia, ItalyFun Fact: Once the Blessed Sacrament flew from the hands of the priest into her mouth! Margaret Martinengo was born on October 4th, St. Francis' feast day. Perhaps this foreshadowed her vocation to the...
Died: c. 1550Known for: her private revelations from St. Catherine of BolognaFun Fact: She had lively, playful conversations with Christ. When she would tell him, "My Lord, let me come to you," he responded, "Come to me by good works and holy desires." When called...
Blessed Antonia of FlorenceBorn: 1401, Florence, ItalyDied: February 18th, 1472, Aquila, ItalyKnown For: being one of the great 15th Century Franciscan ReformersFun Fact: her eyes are still open on her completely incorrupt body! Bl. Antonia came from a privileged background and married young. Sadly, she was widowed...
Ven. Ortolana of AssisiDied: c. 1238, Assisi, ItalyKnown For: being the mother of St. Clare, who started our OrderFun Fact: Once a sick boy was brought to St. Clare and Ortolana's monastery in hopes of a cure. The boy became well, and Clare said it...
Blessed Helen EnselminiBorn: 1208, Padua, ItalyDied: November 4th, 1242, Padua, Italy The picture one often sees of Blessed Helen seems to be portraying a young nun in a mystical ecstasy. Eyes closed, head hanging back, hands gently resting on her chest...