Saint Clare of Montefalco

Clare of Montefalco, OSA (Italian: Chiara da Montefalco; c. 1268 – August 18, 1308), in religion Saint Clare of the Cross, was an Augustinian nun and abbess. She was formerly a member of the Third Order of St. Francis. She was canonized by Pope Leo XIII on December 8, 1881. Clare was born in Montefalco, in Umbria, likely in the year 1268. She was born into a well-to-do family, the daughter of Damiano and Iacopa Vengente. Her father, Damiano, had built a hermitage within the town of Montefalco. Clare's older sister Joan (Giovanna in Italian) and her friend Andreola lived as Franciscan tertiaries in that hermitage as part of the Secular Third Order of St. Francis. In 1274, when Clare was six years of age, the Bishop of Spoleto permitted Joan to receive more sisters, and it was at this time that Clare joined the Third Order of St. Francis (Secular), moving into the hermitage and adopting the Franciscan habit. In 1278, the community had grown sufficiently large that they had to build a larger hermitage farther from town. In 1290, Clare, her sister Joan, and their companions sought to enter the monastic life in a more strict sense, and they made application to the Bishop of Spoleto. As the Third Order of St. Francis (Regular) was not yet established, the bishop established their monastery adjacent to the church of Sant'Illuminata in Montefalco according to the Rule of St. Augustine. Clare made her vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience and became an Augustinian nun. Her sister Joan was elected as the first abbess, and their small hermitage (built and funded by their father) was dedicated as a monastery. On November 22, 1291, Joan died, after which Clare was elected abbess. She was initially reluctant to accept her position, but did so after the intervention of the Bishop of Spoleto. 1294 was a decisive year in Clare's spiritual life.