POOR CLARE SISTERS

By Sam Mills, Mallory Graham, Kayla Cepo,

Shannon Thomas

16 March 2012

A Poor Clare Sister is a

poor nun.

She lives in one monastery

for her whole life.

She takes solemn vows

that can only be ministered

by Rome.

CHARACTERISTICS

FOUNDER

The roots of the order reach back to 1212

when St. Clare of Assisi embraced the gospel

ideal of poverty from St. Francis and became

the first of his poor ladies.

In 1877, Mother Mary Veronica brought the

Poor Clare Sisters to America.

MISSION OF ORDER

They bring to the church gifts of prayer, simplicity,

community, and joy.

The statement of mission: “Our mission as Poor Clares

is to be a visible sign of sisterhood through the

contemplative experience of living in a filial relationship

with the Father in communion with Jesus in the Holy

Spirit. By inviting people into this new and original

relationship we become a provocative testimony

through which the Church is enlightened and salvation

brought to the world” (“The Order of Saint Clare”).

LIFESTYLE/VOWS/RULES OF THE ORDER

Daily gathering of weekly meeting in community

continually bring the sisters into a gospel experience.

They take a vow of poverty and all money that is received

belongs to the community.

They seek to make prayer their whole way living and make

God part of their whole life.

By the rule of St. Clare, the sisters observe life as Jesus

Christ and live vows of obedience, chastity, poverty, and

enclosure.

POOR CLARES TODAY

There are over 20,000 sisters in 70 countries.• 4-13 members in a group

They give to the poor and act as God’s people.

They spend a great deal of time in the chapel,

gardening, cooking, cleaning, publishing books,

managing a full time radio station, working on ceramics,

stain glass painting, and taking care of their pets.

PROCESS TO JOIN

This beautiful process begins with just a simple letter, call, or

conversation.

You must write a specific letter requesting entrance into the community.• In this application, tell them about yourself, your faith, and what

brought you to this decision.

You must live the community for one year and go through a time of

novitiate which is all about learning to become a Poor Clare Sister

After that period, you finally decide if you truly want to become a Poor

Clare Sister.

You must be between the ages of eighteen and thirty-five.

Founded between

1212-1214

The Poor Clare Sisters

range from a variety of

ages and incessantly

spend all their time

doing God’s work with a

happy and loving

lifestyle.

INTERESTING FACTS, SAINTS, LEADERS

WORKS CITED

“Surrounding the World with Prayer." Poor Clare Sisters. Sister Patricia Proctor,

2012. Web. 16 Mar. 2012. <www.poorclare.org>.

"Poor Clares of Chicago -- Home Page." Poor Clares of Chicago. Web. 18 Mar. 2012.

<http://www.chicagopoorclares.org>.

" The Order of Saint Clare." Our Lives. 2009. Web. 18 Mar. 2012.

<http://www.poorclares.org.au/pages/our_lives.html>.

“Poor Clare Monastery." Web. 18 Mar. 2012. <http://www.poorclaresroswell.com>.

"Called to Joy! Poor Clare Sisters - Prayer for the Church of God." Called to Joy!

Vocation Site of the Poor Clare Sisters in Spokane, Washington. Web. 18 Mar. 2012.

<http://calledtojoy.com/prayer.shtml>.

"Sisters of St. Clare; Companions in Prayer." Sisters of St. Clare; Companions in

Prayer. Web. 18 Mar. 2012. <http://srsclare.com/>.