Saint Clare of the Cross

Saint Clare was born in 1268, in the Umbria region, Italy, and from a very early age, she demonstrated a deep inclination towards prayer and contemplation. At the age of six, inspired by her sister Joana, who already lived in a cloister dedicated to prayer and penance, Clare also chose this path of devotion and surrender to God. His heart was filled with the quest to conform to the Passion of Christ through prayers, penances and mortifications.

Clare’s Life at the Monastery of the Cross

With Clare’s entry, the number of postulants in the small cloister increased significantly, leading Joana, superior of the community, to expand the place. With the help of his father, in 1290, he obtained permission from the Bishop of Spoleto, Dom Gerardo Artesino, to transform the hermitage into a monastery, which received the name “Monastery of the Cross”. The nuns adopted the Rule of Saint Augustine and, the following year, after Joan’s death, Clare was chosen as abbess, aged just twenty-three.

Clare assumed the role of abbess with humility, even against her will, and brought new impetus to the religious community. She organized community life, encouraging manual work among the sisters, but also allowing freedom for those more inclined to prayer. With wisdom and love, he took care of everyone, instructing them, correcting them and meeting individual needs.

A Woman of Enlightened Firmness

Clare was a woman of enlightened firmness, whose influence extended beyond the walls of the monastery. Needy and poor people sought her help, and she was always ready to provide food and comfort. Furthermore, Clare advised priests and members of the high clergy, demonstrating wisdom by reading the hearts of others and predicting events. This role of wise counselor was played even during the years in which she faced a difficult ordeal of spiritual aridity, which accompanied her for 11 years.

The Encounter with Christ and the “Saint Clare Tree”

In 1294, Clare experienced a significant encounter with Christ in the monastery garden. He appeared as a suffering pilgrim with a cross, looking for a place to plant it, and Clare offered her own heart. Since then, she stated that “my Jesus is inside my heart”. According to tradition, Christ gave Clare his staff, which was planted in the ground and transformed into a tree called “Melia Azedarach”, originally from the Himalayas, whose woody fruits have been used for centuries in making rosaries.

The Death of Saint Clare and Her Legacy

In 1300, Clare fell ill, and in July 1308 she spent her last days in ecstasy and contemplation. Even during this period, he advised the nuns to be humble, obedient, patient and united in charity. Saint Clare passed away on August 17, at the age of 40.

His body was preserved by the Sisters, and during this process, a surprising discovery was made: in his heart, signs of the Passion of Christ were found. Recognition of his holiness grew rapidly, and several miracles were documented through his intercession. His incorrupt body and relics are preserved to this day in Montefalco, in the new church next to the Augustinian monastery.

The example of Saint Clare of the Cross continues to inspire generations, as a path of love and devotion to God, and her memory is remembered by the splendid frescoes in the Chapel of Saint Cross and in the little church where she spent her last moments on earth. His life of faith, devotion and charity continues to touch the hearts of those who seek to follow the teachings of Christ with love and dedication.