St Clare of Assisi was an Italian nun. Paschal Robinson. As a little girl she was known by members of her household to be a sensitive child, gentle, prayerful and kind. Where was St. Clare of Assisi born? Clare cared for Francis toward the end of his life and was with him when he died in 1226. © 2020 Biography and the Biography logo are registered trademarks of A&E Television Networks, LLC. After hearing St. Francis preach, she confided in him her desire to live for God. St. Clare of Assisi was born in Assisi on July 16, 1194, as Chiara Offreduccio, the beautiful eldest daughter of Favorino Sciffi, Count of Sasso-Rosso and his wife Ortolana. One day she heard St. Francis, who was also from Assisi, preach. Updates? From overcoming oppression, to breaking rules, to reimagining the world or waging a rebellion, these women of history have a story to tell. She was the eldest child in the family. St. Clare of Assisi was born in Assisi on July 16, 1194, as Chiara Offreduccio, the beautiful eldest daughter of Favorino Sciffi, Count of Sasso-Rosso and his wife Ortolana. Clare became the abbess of San Damiano in 1216, and, while spending her days doing manual labor and praying, she began dedicating much of her time to changing the governing rule (established by the pope) of the order from the Benedictine spirit to one of the newly established Franciscan rule. Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. This view was shared by the popes and by the grateful citizens of Assisi, who credited Clare with twice saving their city from destruction. Early Life. St. Clare of Assisi was born into the nobility of Assisi on July 16,1194. The Lady Clare, "shining in name, more shining in life," was born in the town of Assisi about the year 1193. She was known by members of her household to be a sensitive child, prayerful and kind. St. Clare of Assisi Roman Catholic Church Hi everyone! Clare of Assisi was born on July 16, 1194, at Assisi, Italy. However, at the age of seventeen, she heard a sermon by St. Francis of Assisi which drastically altered her life’s course. Corrections? Inspired by his words, Clare asked Francis to help her in dedicating her life to God, and he vowed to do so. He devoted his catechesis to another great woman of that period — St. Clare of Assisi, friend of St. Francis and founder of the Poor Clare nuns. She was likely schooled at some point, for the writings that surv… She took vows dedicating her life to God, and that moment, occurring on March 20, 1212, marked the beginning of the Second Order of Saint Francis. Convent. Her father was Favorino Scifi, count of Sasso-Rosso, and her mother Ortolana also hailed from an aristocratic lineage. This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Saint-Clare-of-Assisi, The Catholic Encyclopedia - Biography of St. Clare of Assisi, Poor Clares of Lynton - Biography of Clare of Assisi, The Lectionary - Biography of Clare of Assisi, Domestic-Church.com - Biography of Saint Clare of Assisi. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). One of her younger sisters, Catarina, came to be known as the “Agnes of Assisi,” after joining her sister’s order. Chiara Offreduccio was born on July 16, 1194, in the town of Assisi, Italy. Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. St. Clare of Assisi (1193-1253) was born of a noble family, twelve years after the birth of her famous townsman St. Francis, who had a major influence on her life. Afterward, despite ill health, Clare continued to promote the growth of her order until her death in 1253. St. Clare left home when she was 18 inspired by the teachings of St. Francis of Assisi and became one of his first followers. In its radical attachment to poverty the Rule of the order was much more severe than that of any other order of nuns. After hearing St. Francis preach, she confided in him her desire to live for God. Saint Clare of Assisi was born into a wealthy Italian family but soon shunned her luxurious upbringing to embrace the life of piety and poverty. On March 18, 1212, Francis received her vows, and thus began the Second Order of St. Francis. She would sometimes hide food from her plate so as to later give it to the poor. Saint Clare of Assisi with nuns of her order, fresco from the church of San Damiano, near Assisi, Italy. Omissions? "use strict";(function(){var insertion=document.getElementById("citation-access-date");var date=new Date().toLocaleDateString(undefined,{month:"long",day:"numeric",year:"numeric"});insertion.parentElement.replaceChild(document.createTextNode(date),insertion)})(); Subscribe to the Biography newsletter to receive stories about the people who shaped our world and the stories that shaped their lives. We strive for accuracy and fairness. St. Clare of Assisi was born into the nobility of Assisi on July 16,1194. One of the Twelve Apostles, Saint Thomas or “Doubting Thomas” was initially skeptical about Jesus’ resurrection, but later proclaimed Jesus, “My Lord and My God.”. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree.... Meet extraordinary women who dared to bring gender equality and other issues to the forefront. Biography of St. Clare of Assisi Clare was born into the nobility of Assisi on July 16, 1194. Britannica Explores. St Clare was born at Assisi and came under the influence of Saint Francis. https://www.biography.com/religious-figure/saint-clare-of-assisi. St. Helena, the mother of Constantine I, is believed to have discovered the cross upon which Jesus Christ was crucified. At age 15 she refused to marry. The Poor Clares are considered the second of the three Franciscan orders. She was known by members of her household to be a sensitive child, prayerful and kind. Her father, Favorino, was a wealthy man who owned several castles and palaces. At eighteen she was so impressed by a sermon of St. Francis that she was filled with the desire to devote herself to the kind of life he was leading. Co-foundress of the Order of Poor Ladies, or Clares, and first Abbess of San Damiano; born at Assisi, 16 July, 1194; died there 11 August, 1253. It wasn't long before other women joined them, and San Damiano's residents, known for their ascetic lifestyle, became known as the "Poor Ladies." St. Francis and St. Clare of Assisi Florence 2020-05-04T17:46:13-05:00 Destined to be the cofounders of one of the largest religious movements to embrace this world, Francis and Clare were born and raised in Assisi, Italy, in the twelfth century. The Lady Clare was born into a noble family in Assisi in 1193 and was admired for her great beauty. Italian Dominican theologian Saint Thomas Aquinas was one of the most influential medieval thinkers of Scholasticism and the father of the Thomistic school of theology. Clare of Assisi was born on July 16, 1194, at Assisi, Italy, as Chiara Offreduccio. Inspired by the words of Francis of Assisi, Clare fled her home and joined Francis, establishing her own religious order. Clare of Assisi was born Chiara Offreduccio, on July 16, 1194, in Assisi, Italy, to Favorino Sciffi, the count of Sasso-Rosso, and Ortolana, during the era of the Crusades (religious wars). The order became known for its life of abject poverty and committed life of prayer, prayer that Clare used to attain worldly victories that are credited with saving Assisi on two occasions. Saint Patrick is Ireland's patron saint, known for spreading Christianity throughout the country as a missionary during the 5th century. Her great concern was to obtain a rule reflecting the spirit of Francis to replace the Benedictine rule that Cardinal Ugolino (later Pope Gregory IX) had adapted for her order. She was the eldest daughter in an affluent, landowning Umbrian family that had links to the Roman nobility of the past. As such, they were natural opponents of the emerging middle class to which the family of St… St. Clare of Assisi St. Clare of Assisi was born in 1193 into an Italian noble family. Her father is said to have been Favorino Scifi, Count of Sasso-Rosso, though whether he came of that noble branch of the Scifi family is not certain. She left home at the age of 18 and, under Francis’s guidance, began a community that grew to become the order of the Poor Clares (she was later joined both by her sister and by her widowed mother). St. Clare of Assisi started praying regularly during her childhood. Log inAsk Question. Her father died when the girl was very young. Just to confirm, Communion will be available after the Christmas Even and Christmas Day Livestreams on the east side of the Church for half and hour after each mass ends. Although she was very ill, she had herself and the Blessed Sac… But what they wanted for Clare was not what Clare had in mind. The founder of the Order of Poor Ladies, Saint Clare of Assisi was an Italian saint and one of the first followers of Saint Francis of Assisi. First appearing in the gospels of Matthew and Luke, Saint Joseph was the earthly father of Jesus Christ and the husband of the Virgin Mary. St. Clare of Assisi, Clare also spelled Clara, Italian Santa Chiara d’Assisi, (born July 16, 1194, Assisi, duchy of Spoleto [Italy]—died August 11, 1253, Assisi; canonized 1255; feast day August 11), abbess and founder of the Poor Clares (Clarissines). Tradition says her father was a wealthy representative of an ancient Roman family and her mother was a very devout woman belonging to the noble family of Fiumi. She had little interest in her luxurious surroundings (she lived in a palace), and influenced by her mother's religious devotion, Clare dedicated her life to God at an early age. In the second instance, Assisi was again under attack. Inspired by the words of Francis of Assisi, Clare fled her home and joined Francis, establishing her own religious order. 1. Clare and her nuns prayed for the safety of their town, and a storm swept in and scattered the attackers. Besides its “privilege of perfect poverty,” forbidding the ownership of property even by the community, Clare’s order is noted for its apostolic aim: she considered its penitential prayer life a spiritually vitalizing force for church and society. The group became known for their austere and devout lifestyle and for the power of their prayer, which is credited with saving Assisi from invaders twice. Tradition says her father was a wealthy representative of an ancient Roman family and her mother was a very devout woman belonging to the noble family of Fiumi. After Francis' death, Clare continued his work and broadened her own influence. She left her family, cut off her long hair and gave up her wealth in order to embrace a religious life. ST. CLARE OF ASSISI. He is the patron saint for ecologists. Many joined Clare, including her mother and her sister St. Agnes of Assisi, and soon the Poor Clares were housed in the church and convent of San Damiano, near Assisi. She is usually depicted holding a Monstrance because of an event that happened when soldiers came to raid her convent. At age eighteen, she heard him say: "When there is … At the age of eighteen, Clare left home secretly and, with Francis’ help, arranged to reside … Alexandra Feodorovna was consort of the Russian Czar Nicholas II. St. Clare of Assisi, Clare also spelled Clara, Italian Santa Chiara d’Assisi, (born July 16, 1194, Assisi, duchy of Spoleto [Italy]—died August 11, 1253, Assisi; canonized 1255; feast day August 11), abbess and founder of the Poor Clares (Clarissines). Deeply influenced by St. Francis of Assisi, Clare refused to marry, as her parents wished, and fled to the Porziuncola Chapel below Assisi. v. t. e. Francis of Assisi (born Giovanni di Pietro di Bernardone; Italian: Francesco d'Assisi; Latin: Franciscus Assisiensis; 1181 or 1182 – 3 October 1226), venerated as Saint Francis of Assisi, also known in his ministry as Francesco, was an Italian Catholic friar, deacon, mystic, and preacher. (1194–1253) Person. Born to a noble family, Clare of Assisi was expected to make an advantageous marriage, but instead, she was called to God after hearing Saint Francis preach. On the second occasion, when a larger force headed by Gen. Vitale d’Aversa besieged Assisi, Clare and her nuns fervently prayed for the Assisians, and a great storm dispersed the attackers. Because each convent of Poor Clares is largely autonomous, practices have varied greatly, but generally the Poor Clares are regarded as one of the most austere women’s orders…. They later became known as the Poor Clares or the Order of…, Clare of Assisi in 1212. Clare became abbess there in 1216. Saint Francis of Assisi abandoned a life of luxury for a life devoted to Christianity after reportedly hearing the voice of God, who commanded him to rebuild the Christian church and live in poverty. Growing up, Clare lived at both her family's villa in Assisi and a castle on the mountainside of Mount Subasio. a) Rome, Italy b) Assisi,Italy c) Assisi, Canada d)Caledon, Canada, What day was St. Clare born? Her rule precipitated the collapse of Russia's imperial government. a) November 27, 2015 b) December 1, 1878 c)September 26, 1194 Clare was born Chiara Offreduccio di Favaronne in Assisi, a hillside town in central Italy, in July of 1194. Clare’s parents wanted a good life for their daughter, who was born in Assisi in Italy in 1194. ST CLARE. Born circa 1181, in Assisi, duchy of Spoleto, Italy, ... Saint Clare of Assisi was an Italian saint and one of the first followers of Saint Francis of Assisi. Clare’s father was a count, her mother the countess Blessed Orsolana. …at Assisi in 1212 by St. Clare, who was under the guidance of St. Francis. St. Clare (or Clara), foundress of the Franciscan nuns, was born of a knightly family in Assisi in 1194. 11 August; formerly 12 August; 23 September, feast of the finding of her body; 3 October, feast of her first translation, celebrated within the Poor Clares; Profile. Eight hundred years ago, Clare of Assisi was born to the nobleman, Favarone di Offreduccio. Feast of St Clare of Assisi (11th August) The Lady Clare, "shining in name, more shining in life," was born in the town of Assisi about the year 1193. In 1212 St. Clare founded the Order of Poor Ladies, known today as the Order of St. Clare… (Two days before Clare died, Pope Innocent IV finally approved her request.) Clare and her followers were lodged by Francis in the church of San Damiano, where they lived a severe life of total poverty. Clare died in 1253 and was canonized two years later by Pope Alexander IV. St. Clare of Assisi was born into a wealthy Italian family but soon shunned her luxurious upbringing to embrace the life of piety and poverty. In 1193, Clare was born in Assisi, Italy. She was a pious woman who passed her devotion to religion onto her children. Her mother was to become Blessed Ortolana di Fiumi. (Known as the Order of San Damiano, 10 years after Clare's death the order would be renamed the Order of Saint Clare.). Tradition says her father was a wealthy representative of an ancient Roman family and her mother was a very devout woman belonging to the noble family of Fiumi. Her mother was to become Blessed Ortolana di Fiumi. While there is uncertainty to the exact date of her birth, there is no question to the fact that she was the oldest of three girls of the wealthy Offreduccio Family. Though raised among the nobility, she cared little for the social life which surrounded her. The following year (1211), Clare's parents chose a wealthy young man for Clare to marry, but she pointedly refused, fleeing soon after for the Porziuncola Chapel, where Francis received her. In August 1255, Pope Alexander IV canonized Clare, and today the Order of Saint Clare numbers more than 20,000 sisters worldwide, with more than 70 countries represented. The patron saint of missionaries and one of the founders of the Jesuit order, Saint Francis Xavier sought religious converts throughout Asia during the 1500s. There was nothing extraordinary of her early years. In 1958 Pope Pius XII declared her patron of television, citing an incident during her last illness when she miraculously heard and saw the Christmas midnight mass in the basilica of San Francesco on the far side of Assisi. Two days before she died Pope Innocent IV approved her definitive rule. The first involved Clare raising the Host up in a window, thereby causing Frederick II's invading troops to fall back. She also showed early on that her calling would involve helping the poor, as she set aside food from her family table to give to the needy on the streets. This "new woman", as the Ministers General of the Franciscan families wrote of her in a recent letter, lived as a "little plant" in the shadow of St Francis, who led her to the heights of Christian perfection. Clare was born in Assisi, Italy, in 1193 to wealthy parents, and was taught to read and write as well as spin yarn and do needlework. As the daughter of wealthy parents, she was educated in reading and writing as well as in the domestic arts of spinning and needlework. According to the Bible, Saint Matthew was one of Jesus's 12 apostles and the first author of the New Testament. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. Memorial. Younger sister of St. Clare and Abbess of the Poor Ladies, born at Assisi, 1197, or 1198; died 1253.She was the younger daughter of Count Favorino Scifi. When she heard Francis of Assisi preach his Lenten homilies at the Church of San Giorgio, she was captivated by his words. When Clare was 18, Francis of Assisi came to preach in the church of San Giorgio at Assisi. Born into a wealthy aristocratic family, St. Clare enjoyed all the comforts her parents provided her, and had little knowledge of what it meant to live in poverty. Her mother, Ortolana, was a woman of noble origins. She was murdered, along with her entire family, in 1918. St. Clare of Assisi was born in Assisi on July 16, 1194, as Chiara Offreduccio, the beautiful eldest daughter of Favorino Sciffi, Count of Sasso-Rosso and his wife Ortolana. Clare's sister Agnes soon joined her, and they moved to the Church of San Damiano, recently rebuilt by Francis. Saint Clare is believed to have been born on July 16, 1194 in Assisi. 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