Him Who is the Lord God Almighty.” Francis made this home within his
heart by turning his attention to God in all the circumstances of his life.
He listened to what God was saying, obeyed His word as he found it in the
Gospels and allowed the Spirit of the Lord to permeate his whole existence.
This kind of life filled Francis with great joy and set him on fire with
love for God and for all that He had made; and so, he went around the
countryside telling the Good News of God’s love and mercy to all the people.
Clare, a young woman of Assisi, heard Francis preach and was inflamed
by the words and example of the little poor man. She too, wanted to let the
light of God’s love shine out to her brothers and sisters. But Clare did not
travel about and preach. She remained in the little monastery of San Damiano
with the other women who joined her there. She spent her days in continual prayer,
in community living and labor, in Eucharistic adoration, and in intercession for the
whole world. In a special way Clare and her sisters supported Francis and the
brothers as they engaged in their apostolic works. The people of Assisi came
to know the Poor Ladies and to depend upon the assistance of their prayers for
consolation and strength in their daily joys and sorrows.
St. Clare began her mission of prayer in the year 1212. About one hundred
Monasteries like San Damiano were founded in Europe before her death in 1253,
while many existing monasteries converted to her rule. Since that time,
the Order has spread throughout the world. In the United States about 40 communities
have been established since 1875.
A community was founded in the New York Archdiocese in 1915. From the first Monastery
on Haven Avenue in New York City, to the Bronx, to our temporary stay in New Rochelle
and finally to our present Monastery in Wappingers Falls, the sisters carry out
day by day the way of life begun more than seven centuries ago by Clare’s first Sisters.
Following the spirit of fidelity to the Church which was bequeathed to them by Francis
and Clare, the community has endeavored in recent years to respond to the call for renewal and re commitment to its charism.
The Poor Clare vocation to a life of prayer has the same basic orientation today as
it did in its conception. Contemplation, our inner life with God, is a fundamental
aspect of human existence. By following a way of life dedicated to prayer and to the
witness of Christian love in community, the daughters of St. Clare make a daily
offering of themselves:
for the glory and praise of God,
for the upbuilding of the Church,
for the poor,
for the suffering,
for the healing of our society,
for the cause of peace and justice,
and for the salvation of the entire world.
We are presently 8 sisters and welcome interest and inquiries into our way of life.