On August 11, the Church celebrates Saint Clare of Assisi—the patron saint of eye diseases, goldsmiths, and television. EWTN’s foundress, Mother Angelica, herself belonged to the Poor Clares—which is the order started by the Italian saint. Born into a wealthy family in Assisi, Clare refused to marry early and, having been taught the ways of Christianity by her mother, was deeply religious and devoted to prayer. With guidance from Francis of Assisi, Clare founded the Poor Clares. The life of the sisters was governed by the Rule of St. Clare—the first rule in the history of the Church known to have been written by a woman—which prescribed absolute poverty, a life of prayer and penance, strict enclosure, manual work, and fraternal charity. Today, her legacy lives on through thousands of Poor Clares sisters worldwide, who continue her radical commitment to poverty, prayer, and contemplative life in nearly 900 monasteries across more than 70 countries. EWTN Vatican Correspondent Bénédicte Cedergren has more.
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