Nicolette was an obedient and gentle child who rapidly earned the deepest affection of the townspeople of Corbie, who simply called her “Colette.”  As a teenager and dutiful daughter, Colette assisted her parents in their work with abused women.  Like Abraham and Sarah before them, Colette's parents had waited and prayed for a child; upon receiving her, they considered her a treasure from Heaven given to them in their old age.  It was evident that Colette was not an ordinary child, and the supernatural was clearly visible to her parents from her earliest years.  It seemed that the Providence of God had destined her for a great and difficult work, and God was preparing her from childhood for her future mission.  Marguerite Boellet, a woman of deep faith and a true spirit of prayer, overflowed with joy on seeing the good dispositions her child displayed and the intense attraction the little soul felt for the things of God. 

The printing press had not been invented, so within the domestic monastery of the Boellet home, Colette was educated by her devout parents.  The gentle counsels of her parents sank deeply into her heart and bore abundant fruit throughout her entire life.  From a tender age, Colette received her first lessons in mental prayer from her good mother, who would give her a subject for meditation from the Passion of our Lord or the Gospels of His life on earth.  Colette repeated the words after her mother, remaining motionless for some time, absorbed in thought with her heart united to her future Spouse.  In this way, she learned to realize the presence of God.  Throughout work or play, she never forgot that He was watching over her and caring for her with a fatherly love.  As she grew older, she attended a petite école, a small school, at the Abbey of Saint Pierre of Corbie.  The school was run by Benedictine monks who taught children from the surrounding area the basics in education.

As her parents remained her primary educators, Colette began to imitate their constant charity towards the poor and afflicted.  Colette, at the early age of seven, deprived herself of food in order to carry it to those whose needs were greater than her own.  The sick and needy were the constant object of her prayers.  She loved to beg alms from the townspeople of Corbie to relieve the sufferings of the poor.  The age when Colette received Holy Communion for the first time is unknown, but after that union with God, her progress in perfection grew rapidly.  Even so, she lived an ordinary life as the daughter of working parents, playing with her companions and helping her mother with household work with much sweetness and remarkable obedience.

Although she was a healthy child, Colette was very small in stature for her age.  This was a source of bitter disappointment for her parents, who feared that she would never be capable of carrying on the work of the house after Marguerite's death, which was quickly approaching.  One day, on hearing her father express his dissatisfaction with her small stature, Colette was filled with sadness over her parents' anxieties about the matter.  She began to pray.  Ultimately, she made a pilgrimage from Corbie across the low green hills to the shrine of Notre Dame de Brebières, near the present-day village of Albert, to ask her Heavenly Mother for help in her affliction.  She begged that the will of God alone be done in the matter, and her prayers were not uttered in vain.  She grew!  Her prayers not only brought her increased stature, but also a deep intellect and an unusual capacity for acquiring knowledge easily.  So great and astonishing was the learning she gained that it could only be attributed to infused knowledge bestowed upon her by God.

When Colette was seventeen years of age, God deprived her of her pious mother.  Although filled with grief at her loss, she undertook the work of the house, also beginning to speak to the children of Corbie about the things of God.  Her “conferences,” as they were called, became quite popular and effective in improving the lives of those who gathered to hear her gentle words.  Mothers brought their children and stayed to listen to her instructions, fascinated by the sincerity and charm of the saintly young girl.  Before very long, certain unhappy townsfolk disparaged the conferences by turning to the clergy in order to stop them.  As heresy was rife throughout the country at that time, suspicion was cast on Colette's teaching.  Many feared that one so young and inexperienced would be unduly influenced by the abundance of conflicting thought.  The clergy submitted the matter to the Bishop of Amiens, who ordered inquiries to be made.  A report was drawn up on the proceedings of the meetings.  The priest sent by the Bishop to judge the nature of the conferences was so overcome with emotion upon hearing Colette speak of God that, when all was concluded, he went forward and thanked her personally for the good she was doing in his parish.  Against the Bishop's satisfaction and encouragement, the complaints did not cease and Colette was finally forced to give up the conferences until minds quieted down.  Though this loss bore heavily on the nineteen year old girl, she submitted with perfect docility to the will of God.

God then had a new trial in store for Colette: the death of her father.  During his life, Robert Boellet was the master carpenter at the great Abbey of Saint Pierre of Corbie.  This magnificent Abbey had been founded by Queen Bathilde, a former Saxon slave, widow of King Clovis II and mother of Clotaire III.  It was at her invitation that a small group of Irish monks came from the original foundation made by Saint Columbanus at Luxeuil, in present-day Franche-Comté.  The monks arrived at her behest to plant the seeds of faith in what would later be the flourishing Benedictine monastery of Corbie.  Shortly before his death, the kindly Robert confided his beloved daughter to the guardianship of the Abbot of Saint Pierre, Raoul de Roye.  Released from the duties of family care-giving, Colette began to seek her vocation in the depths of her heart.  At the counsel of a wise spiritual director, the Celestine Franciscan Father Jehan Bassand, of the monastery of Saint Benoit in Amiens, Colette learned that she was destined for the religious life.  Although the Order to which God was calling her was not immediately made known, she was permitted to make a private vow of chastity.  From that time forward, her ardent prayer was that she would recognize the will of God in her regard.

Her vocation-seeking journey began with a year spent with the Beguines of Corbie, a group of laywomen who lived together in small communities and dedicated themselves to helping the poor and sick.  Though she worked diligently to carry out menial tasks at their small hospital near her home, this first attempt at religious life did not work.  Colette then sought admission to the Urbanist Poor Clares at Pont-Sainte-Maxence, between the villages of Senlis and Compiègne.  The sisters there did not observe the Rule of Saint Clare in its primitive integrity, and the young girl's desire for absolute consecration to God led her to seek more rigor elsewhere.  Then followed a period of time with the Benedictines at the Royal Abbey of Moncel as a converse, a sister who was not permitted to chant but contributed to the community by doing heavy physical labor around the monastery.  Though her time at Moncel allowed her to learn the Rule of Saint Benedict, she eventually left and spent two long years waiting for a light from God.  Colette suffered greatly in the search for her vocation, but in spite of disappointments, her hopes never wavered.  She felt confident that the day would come when God would clearly manifest His designs.  Persevering prayers were daily addressed to the Blessed Mother of God and Saint Francis of Assisi.

One day, Colette was brought into contact with Father Pinet, the saintly guardian of the Franciscan Friars at Hesdin, in the northeastern part of France.  The young girl opened her heart to the old priest, whom she felt had been sent to her by God in that summer of 1402.  Father Pinet warned her that she would not find a convent where the Rule of the Second Order of Saint Francis was kept in all its purity.  He advised her to join the Third Order, known today as the Order of Franciscans Secular (O.F.S.).  Saint Colette gladly consented, although she again discovered that the Rule was far from offering her the complete oblation that she aspired to offer God.  Father Pinet left her for several weeks, advising her to pray for a clearer understanding of God's will.  Upon his return, the saintly, old priest  suggested that Colette embrace the austere life of a recluse, an exquisite, rare and ancient vocation in the Church.  Colette's heart leaped for joy! 

She immediately prepared to take the step that she felt sure God was calling her to take.  Having obtained permission from the proper ecclesiastical authority to enter an anchorage, the young girl distributed all her belongings among the poor.  At long last, September 17th, 1402, arrived as the day of her profession of vows and enclosure.  At that time, it was considered a great honor to have a recluse in one's village, for the main work of the recluse was to intercede by prayer for the people of that village.  Much preparation went into the construction of her new dwelling place.  The tiny anchorage which was to shelter the young aspirant to sanctity was built up against the wall of the church of Notre Dame-en-St. Étienne in Corbie, at that time located between two cemeteries.  The church still stands in Corbie today, and is simply called St. Étienne.  This location afforded Colette full scope to her desires for union with God in absolute poverty, solitude and mortification. 

The austerity of her life, which had always been rigorous, was now greatly increased.  She fasted at all times, eating but once a day towards evening.  Food was brought to her daily by two pious childhood friends who later became Poor Clares, and consisted of a few boiled vegetables, a little bread and occasionally a hearth cake baked in the embers of a fire.  She drank only water.  The cell that she lived in was extremely small, cold and damp.  Furniture was reduced to the bare minimum.  Straw spread upon the floor served as a bed, with a block of wood for a pillow.  There was a small cupboard in which she kept her plate and a cup, together with a few necessary articles.  There were two wooden stools, an image of the Blessed Virgin, a crucifix and a few precious books.  She wore the habit of the Third Order of Saint Francis, covered by a coarse overdress.  Light entered only via two small windows in her cell.  One gave access to the sanctuary of the church, and it was through this window that she made her confessions, assisted at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, received the Eucharist and kept solitary vigil before the dim glimmer of the sanctuary lamp.  The other fenestrelle, or wicket, permitted limited contact with the outside world.  It was through this second window that Colette's daily sustenance was passed in to her.

Life in the anchorage was not an idle one.  Colette attended to the making and mending of the linens used in the service of the church and repaired clothing for the poor of the town who would bring it to her.  Once again, Colette performed corporal works of mercy toward those most in need around her.  Her religious exercises filled up a considerable part of the day and night.  Added to this were the visits of those who came to her seeking consolation, advice or guidance.  Priests, lay people, the rich and the poor from near and far sought her counsel.  Their numbers constantly increased, and no one went away without experiencing the comfort of her simple words.  Eventually, these visits consumed so much of her time that Colette spoke of it to Father Pinet.  At his advice, she limited the hours of the visits to a certain number each day, closing the shutters of her fenestrelle as soon as time was up.  The people of Corbie and beyond understood and respected her desires.

Colette had chosen enclosure as her way to perfection, but the walls of her tiny cell did not wall out evil.  At night, her room would frequently fill with all manner of hideous creatures who threatened her in terrifying ways.  At first, she would dispel them with holy water and the Sign of the Cross.  Later, even this proved futile.  Like many great saints before her, she had recourse to God alone.  Her courage and unshaken faith upheld her, but the trials to which she was subjected for roughly three years were unbelievable.  All this served to purify her soul and prepare it for the new favors which the Lord desired to shower upon her.

One day, God showed her in a vision the fury of the flames of Hell and the agony of the souls falling into it.  The sight filled the recluse with such terror that she almost died of fright.  From then on, her desire to save souls was intensified one hundredfold.  Colette longed to give herself for the salvation of mankind, and undertook constant prayer and mortification in order to win for souls the grace of a happy death.  God also showed her the hideousness of sin by a vision in which she saw our Lord in the state He was reduced to by His enemies during the time of His Passion.  Sorrowing love so overpowered her that she never forgot the sight.  After three years passed, Colette was shown another vision in which she saw the Blessed Mother of God and Saint Francis of Assisi pleading before the Throne of God that she might be sent to reform the Orders of Saint Francis, which were falling into decay through the evils of the times.  Appalled, Colette shrank back in humility and believed that she had been the victim of a delusion of the Evil One.  The vision, however, never faded from her mind, and the thought that God was calling her for this specific mission pursued her constantly.  She felt herself unworthy, ignorant and utterly unfit for such a job.  The thought of her vow of enclosure gave her confidence and she convinced herself that she would never have to leave the cell that she had grown to love so dearly.  When God selects a soul to accomplish His designs, He does not easily let it go.  In an agony of doubt, she sought the prayers of those who came to her for counsel.  How could she be sure that God had destined her for such a work?  How could she, a simple girl from Corbie, undertake so mighty a task?

As a last resort, Colette obtained leave from Father Pinet to entirely close the outer window, thus cutting herself off completely from the outside world.  Her food was the only thing passed in.  The consultations ceased.  The townspeople grew angry and complained bitterly, but Colette remained inflexible.  She wanted to be alone with God to learn what He would have her do.  The trial was so great that her will could not say “yes” to His plan.  Then, God struck her dumb.  She knew it was a warning from Heaven, but her hesitation remained and her obedience was not given.  Three days passed and her sight was gone as well.  Colette, both blind and unable to speak, found light in the darkness of her soul.  She turned to God as a final resort and offered Him the sacrifice of her will, knowing that in His strength, she could do all things.  With this consent of her will to God, both sight and speech were restored to her.  Further visions made known the plan of reformation of the Franciscan Orders, and she was able to envision the countless souls whom she would lead to God.  By means of her spiritual direction and personal inspiration, many souls would seek sanctity.  Having given God her submission, Colette regained peace and was able to note down all that would be required of her. 

At that time in her life, Father Pinet died.  He was consoled shortly before his death by a vision in which he saw the great good that Colette was destined to bring about.  After his death, he did not forget the humble recluse who had confided the direction of her young soul to his care, for on the anniversary of his death each year, he appeared to her and brought her many gifts of body and soul from Heaven. 

The world of Colette's time was in great turmoil, and many religious orders were in need of reform.  The Church was torn by heart-rending schism, with an anti-pope vying for the allegiance of the people.  Many factors added to the general disorder: France was torn from end to end by civil war, travel and communication were dangerous and difficult, unrest and lack of peace tolled heavily upon the souls of mankind, and religious orders weakened the observance of their Rules.  Times were very unstable.  Unlike today, when those who wish to embrace the religious life may make their choice from a wide selection of orders and congregations of varying degrees of austerity, in the Middle Ages, there were far fewer choices.  When Clare of Assisi, under the direction of Saint Francis, proposed to an astonished world a life of evangelical poverty for women, many noble ladies fled from their lives of luxury to embrace new austerities.  Some of these noble ladies, unable to endure such hardships as Clare's Rule imposed, sought and obtained mitigation from the Holy See.  In time, the mitigation became the general rule, and eventually, there existed grave aberrations from the practices of poverty and enclosure.  It was to combat such disorders that Colette left her beloved solitude and faced a life of incessant labor and endless journeys.

To assist in her task, God sent her the saintly and learned theologian, Father Henry de la Roche et de Baume, of the Strict Observance of Friars Minor.  Father Henry, deeply grieved by the situation of the Church and the schism, obtained leave from his superiors to visit the Holy Land in order to pray for the restoration of peace at the places where our Lord had once lived and prayed.  On his way south to the Holy Land, Father Henry passed through Provençe, stopping in Avignon.  There, he met a mystic who told him that his intended pilgrimage was not according to the will of God.  Instead, she instructed him to go north to Corbie, where a young recluse awaited his help in the accomplishment of a great task which had been given to her.  Father Henry, then about forty years of age, recognized the Divine Will of God in the message and allowed himself to be guided north into unknown territory.  He sought the assistance of his friend, the Baroness de Brisay, a pious and wealthy widow.  She willingly agreed to accompany him with her retinue to Corbie, picking up all the expenses of the journey.  On arriving at their destination, they arranged at once to visit the humble recluse, Colette Boellet.  There took place what has been called the “Meeting of Tears” due to the overpowering emotions that filled the hearts of all three as they recognized the workings of God's Providence in bringing them together.  Little was said at the first visit, but Father Henry and the Baroness became convinced of the sanctity of the young recluse.  At succeeding interviews, their plans were quickly drawn up for the commencement of the great work.

The aspirations of Colette and Father Henry coincided perfectly.  They needed four things: to obtain a dispensation from Colette's vow of perpetual enclosure, to seek the approval of the Holy See on the work of reformation, to obtain the necessary permissions for Colette to make profession in the Second Order of Saint Francis and to obtain permission to establish houses of reform wherever possible.  Their plans were successfully executed.  The Pope received them with reverence, for he had been divinely inspired to see the truth of Colette's mission.  Against the slight hesitation of the cardinals of his court, the Pope even permitted her to make profession as a Poor Clare sister in his presence.  He then invested her with the office of Abbess, thus empowering her to work at the reformation as God had instructed her.  Colette received all her petitions and even more than she had asked for!  These privileges were again confirmed by the succeeding Pope, Alexander V.

Colette, the holy reformer, at once turned her thoughts to her beloved Corbie.  She hoped to establish the first house in her native town, but she had not reckoned upon the instability of human friendships.  During her absence, idle tongues had spread calumnious reports about her.  She returned to find herself regarded with suspicion, opposition and coldness.  Matters had reached such a degree of misunderstanding that she recognized the impossibility of establishing a house in Corbie.  With great sorrow in her heart, she turned to the village of Noyon.  There, she met with small success, though without lasting foundations.  Words of welcome and appreciation ended with their sound, and no actions were forthcoming to substantiate them.  Disappointed again, she took the advice of Father Henry and turned to the southeastern region of France, renowned for its great beauty.

The little band again took to the road, accompanied by Colette's two friends from Corbie who had remained true to her and wished to join her manner of life.  They directed their steps to the castle of Alard de Baume, the brother of Father Henry, who gave them a warm welcome into his large château.  Upon arrival, the house was filled with mourning, for the young wife of Alard was dying in childbirth.  Even though no hope was held out for her recovery, the prayers of Colette were at once invoked.  She prayed intensely for the young mother in her greatest hour of need.  Relief came.  Madame de Baume brought forth her child in safety and happiness.  The little one was baptized Perrine, and later in life, left her family to join the followers of Colette in the convent of Poligny.  Sister Perrine, as she was later called, became a secretary to the holy Abbess and her most intimate confidant.  In later years, she wrote the life of her beloved Superior, recording many tiny details about the life of Colette from personal experiences and giving us a glimpse into the life of the reformer by one who knew her well.

The help accorded to Madame de Baume in her hour of need gave rise to a custom which has lasted throughout several centuries.  Countless mothers in the perils of childbirth have confidently invoked the aid of Saint Colette.  Through her powerful intercession, the lives of their little ones have been saved, at least until they could receive Baptism.  Even to this day, continual calls are made to the Poor Clare Colettines around the world by expectant mothers and childless couples.  Blessed medals or relics of Saint Colette are in constant exchange between the sisters and those who love the Saint, always bringing with them peace, health and comfort to those who invoke her intercession.

In gratitude for the favor Heaven granted him, Alard de Baume offered Colette a portion of his château where she and her companions might begin the life of the reform.  The Saint gratefully accepted the offer and was joined by Odile and Mathilda, the two eldest daughters of her kind host.  There, Colette's wisdom began to shine forth in new splendor.  She revealed a Heaven-inspired skill in the training of souls, and the Rule of Saint Clare shone in the lives of the sisters in all the beauty of its original design.  Prayer, poverty and penance flourished in their midst.  Soon, other young ladies from some of the most distinguished families in the area sought admission to the little community.  The rooms graciously allowed them by Alard de Baume eventually became quite cramped, and another house was obtained in Baume from the charity of the Countess de Geneva, a devoted friend of Father Henry.  It became the first house of the Novitiate for the little community.  Colette served both as Abbess and Mistress of Novices, teaching, counseling and inspiring all by her living example of faith.  The sisters learned to live as Francis and Clare would have wished.  Prayers were offered day and night for the needs of the Church, the salvation of souls, the relief of the suffering souls in Purgatory and especially for their benefactors. 

If Colette felt uncertain about interpreting the observance of a particular point of the Rule, she simply prayed.  The answer always came.  For example, the Divine Office was chanted by the nuns in choir at regular hours.  The Abbess, conflicted with the words of Clare's Rule stating that “the sisters shall read the Office, not sing it,” sought light from above.  Suddenly, in the presence of Father Henry and others, an angelic voice was heard reciting the psalms in a grave and simple manner.  Since that time, it has been the custom of the Poor Clare Colettines to chant in recto-tono.  At another time, a beautifully braided white cord, similar to the one Poor Clare Colettines wear as a belt to their habit, fell from Heaven and rested in Colette's hands.  God willed by visible proofs to strengthen the faith of those who favored the reform and to reward the generosity and confidence of the sisters by the manifestation of Divine favors and miracles.  One day, when Colette was at prayer, she saw in a vision a band of evil spirits preparing to attack the house of one of her benefactors.  The Abbess obtained from God that her sisters should be granted the same vision.  They were terrified and turned their faces away in fear and horror.  When the Saint made them look again, they saw angels protecting them on all sides, while other angelic spirits mounted a golden ladder to Heaven and bore with them the prayers of the sisters and the alms of their benefactors.

The numbers of those who sought admission to the convent at Baume soon became so great that Colette needed to move again.  Offers of houses were made, but she preferred to take over a convent of the Urbanist Poor Clares that was available at Besançon.  God blessed the work, and the people of the town welcomed the sisters wholeheartedly.  Colette had been at Besançon only fifteen days when she was asked to obtain a miracle for one of the villagers.  A poor woman, grievously ill with epilepsy, was brought to her to be cured.  Colette prayed, exhorting the woman to have faith, and she was cured of her disease.  The news spread like wildfire throughout the town, and people flocked to the convent from everywhere to visit the saint.  At Corbie, the townspeople had asked for consolation, light and encouragement.  At Besançon, they asked for and received miracles.  By the Sign of the Cross or a few spoken words, the sick were cured and the dead were raised to life.  So numerous were the favors granted to the people that Colette became fearful for her humility and refused to trace the Sign of the Cross on the sick.  When this happened, the sisters contrived by some means to make her touch the invalid so that the miracle would be obtained.

The Holy Abbess seemed to have a special predilection for restoring life to babies who had died without receiving the Sacrament of Baptism.  Over one hundred cases were recorded in which she obtained this grace for precious little souls.  While some died again shortly after the Sacrament had been administered, others continued to live and grew to old age.  One such baby became the Abbess of the Poor Clare Monastery at Pont-a-Mousson, a village that later welcomed the reclusive Charles de Foucauld.  Not only for those who came to the convent, however, did the saint win favors from God.  Her love for her spiritual daughters impelled her to aid them in their illnesses and troubles of mind or body.  Many miraculous cures are reported as being conferred upon them, including a case when a deceased sister was restored to life. 

The corporal works of mercy were evident wherever Colette founded a monastery.  Food was miraculously multiplied or obtained when it was lacking in the convents, together with the money needed for the establishment of new foundations.  In the course of time, Besançon became too small to accommodate the ever-increasing number of those who wished to embrace the life of the reform, so houses were opened at Auxonne and Poligny.  The latter Novitiate House was dear to the heart of Colette because she spent seven years there.  At its foundation, the convent lacked water.  Though numerous attempts made to drill a well proved futile, the Abbess sought the aid of Heaven and instructed the workmen to drill again exactly where they had repeatedly failed.  They were successful, and a copious spring of clear water was obtained to supply the convent with all its needs.  The growth of the reform under Colette's guidance was vast and the work was visibly blessed by  miracles and manifest signs of God's protection.  Convents were founded at Suerre, Aigueperce, Le Puy, Vevay, Orbe, Hesdin, Ghent, Heidelberg, Gand, Amiens, Moulins, and other towns in France and Belgium.

With the foundations of some convents, Colette sorrowfully foresaw the days when great trials would befall the sisters.  Some would be driven out by heretics or even be disbanded.  Colette predicted that the convent of Besançon would be destroyed by fire, rebuilt and decimated again by the ravages of the bubonic plague.  She foresaw that sisters from the houses founded by the mother convent would raise Besançon up once more and that she would continue to flourish.  Because Colette's prophecy that a cross in that convent would fall down turned out as she foretold, the sisters began to take every precaution to prevent the outbreak of a fire in the house.  One day, a neighboring building suddenly went up in flames, and all attempts to save the monastery were useless.  It burned to the ground, and after being rebuilt, was faced with an attack of the bubonic plague.  The sisters pleaded with God to spare their beloved monastery and town, offering themselves as victims in place of the townspeople.  Their prayers were heard.  The dreaded disease died out among the inhabitants, but the religious became sick and, one by one, gave up their souls to their Creator.  Eventually, so few sisters were left there that it was impossible to carry on with the discipline of the house.  In this extremity, sisters were sent from the daughter communities to reinforce the ranks, and in time, Besançon flourished again to give praise and glory to God.

In 1438, a new trial arose to test the spirit of the Holy Abbess.  Saint John of Capistrano, a Friar Minor who had been commissioned by the Pope to work at the reformation of the First Order of Saint Francis, longed to see the various branches of the Franciscans united in one body.  He believed that the reform of Saint Colette should also yield to his plan for unity.  Saint John went to Besançon and suggested to Colette the she submit her reform to his greater one.  Colette was stunned at the proposal.  Her humility made her hesitant to decide against the wishes of the learned and experienced friar, for she too longed to see unity among the followers of Saint Francis.  Her assurance that her work was from God and willed by Him prevented her from yielding to Saint John's proposal.  She did not argue, but instead prayed and had her sisters pray.  At first, no answer came.  Three days later, Saint John returned to receive her decision.  She had none to give, but begged for further time to reflect.  Again, the sisters stormed Heaven with prayer, but no light came.  Colette's perplexity was as great as ever, and she was filled with agony.  Even so, she never wavered in her confidence that God would manifest His will.  As no answer had been obtained, she threw herself upon her knees and began to make processions around the cloister of the convent.  The ground was soon sprinkled with her blood, but she continued her painful journey until Heaven sent her the help she sought.  Saint John came to the convent again and told Colette that he had been inspired by Heaven to forgo his plans in her regard.  He saw clearly that her reform was necessary for the good of the Order and believed that she and her daughters should continue the work they had undertaken.  Colette thanked God most humbly, and found Saint John of Capistrano to be a true friend and faithful adviser.

Colette was growing old.  Little of the beauty Heaven had lavished on her remained.  Her body was worn down by austerities, incessant labors and illness.  She was thin, bent, full of pain and often in need of support to prevent herself from falling.  Her voice, however, remained vibrant, sweet and strong.  Her beautiful eyes also shone deeply with a gentle, motherly love.  Because hers was an affectionate nature, she bestowed upon her daughters all the tenderness of a mother's care.  Her heart embraced the souls of all men.  Like Saint Francis, her love extended to all the creatures of God.  Birds and woodland creatures were drawn to her as if by instinct.  Even the buzzing insects obeyed her when she bid them not disturb her in her devotions.  Yet those who love most can also suffer most, and Colette bore intense sufferings until the end.  The evil spirits waged an unceasing war against her, afflicting her in unimaginable ways.  She never spared her body or faltered in the way of penance and mortification.  The pains of illness aided her in her desire for suffering.  The anxieties and trials incumbent upon the accomplishment of her mission added to her woes.  The grace God accorded her of reading the hearts of mankind was often a source of agony. 

She prayed always.  Her life was one incessant prayer, whether she remained in the seclusion of her convent or traveled back and forth among various monasteries she had founded.  She had much to pray for as God revealed to her the dangers which would beset the Church.  She longed to see peace restored and the schism removed.  She ached to bring salvation to souls and relief to the holy souls in Purgatory.  Above all, she was fired with zeal for the success of the reform which she had undertaken.  In the midst of trial, anxieties and longings, she was always glad and at peace in God's consolation.  At the Divine Office, she seemed transfigured in a glorified body.  At Mass, the heavenly favors bestowed on her were so great that she arranged to attend Mass privately with two appointed sisters who would be the only ones to witness the transports which often raised her into the air.  Her love for the Rosary was so great that, at the mere touch of the beads, her heart was filled with love for our Blessed Mother.  At the end of her life, she had the full assurance that God was blessing her work, souls were being saved, those suffering in Purgatory were being relieved and that her own daughters were treading the way of sanctity and perfection. 

Seven years before her death, God called to Himself Colette's saintly director, Father Henry de Baume.  As she herself was preparing to die, Colette told her sisters that the work she began could be continued through them if they faithfully practiced prayer, evangelical poverty and devotion to the Blessed Virgin.  Her final message, delivered through her friend and confessor Father Pierre de Vaux, was: “Father, what I have done with the help of the Lord, I have done.  Even though I am a great sinner and full of faults, if I had to do it all over again, I would not change a thing.”  Colette died on March 6th, 1447, at her convent in Ghent, Belgium.  Her blessed remains were later moved to Poligny, France, where they rest to this day in the midst of her spiritual daughters.  Her sisters throughout the world look upon her with love and veneration as their second mother, after Saint Clare, and rejoice in the assurance of her prophetic words that the work of the reform is to last until the end of time.

CUM PERMISSU SUPERIORUM

Nihil obstat: A.N. FUREST

Censor Librorum

Imprimatur: EDUARDUS F. HOBAN

Episcopus Clevelandensis

20 Dec. 1946

Revised by Alanna Fallon: 2 February 2016

World Day of Consecrated Life

Feast of the Presentation of Our Lord

Edited and printed 2020:

The Poor Clare Colettines

2111 South Main Street

Rockford, Illinois 60112