When we think of Saints, we often think of miracles, but Chaplain Jenna Neilsen suggests that St. Clare and her sisters employed something more, like loving kindness, to heal a friar.
What Do Poor Clare Nuns Do All Day?
The Poor Clare nuns of Spokane, Washington, answer the age-old question: “What do you do all day?
Click here, for a larger view of their schedule.
Who becomes a Poor Clare nun?
Farmers, foster kids, and Rita Louise! To hear the stories of the sisters, click here.
Other Poor Clare communities you might want to know more about:
- Poor Clare Colettines, Los Altos, CA
https://www.poorclareslosaltos.org - Poor Clares, Santa Barbara, CA
https://poorclaressantabarbara.org
St. Clare, Holy Fashionista
The much-loved and always flamboyant Corrie Crandall, Director of the Museum Store at Mission San Luis Rey, compares outfits with St. Clare.
When the Friars Think of St. Clare….
This is the first of several short videos created by the Franciscan Friars of St. Barbara Province’s Leadership Team/Definitorium. (You may notice that Fr. David is missing. He was in Rome when these videos were filmed.)
St. Clare, Amelia Earhart, and Malala
Pat Julian, Spiritual Director, and retired Director of Retreats at the Casa and Mission San Luis Rey, reflects on one of the things she admires about St. Clare.
Poor Clare Nuns Top the Charts (and Host a Reality TV Show)
After a lot of soul searching, the Poor Clare Nuns of Arundel, England agreed to create an album, “Light for the World”. Upon its release in October 2020, no one was more surprised than they were when it shot to #1 on the Classical Music Charts. Check out the video below to learn more about how these cloistered nuns became a singing sensation. If classical music isn’t your thing, scroll down for a link to their 2006 reality TV show, “The Convent”.
Fr. David Gaa Reflects on St. Clare
Our first reflection comes from our Provincial Minister, Fr. David Gaa, OFM. He taped this reflection in Rome, where he was attending a meeting of Franciscan friars from around the world.
Introducing The Franciscan School of Theology, San Diego, California
The Franciscan School of Theology (FST) is committed to embodying Franciscan theology in a religiously and culturally diverse world. FST offers an intercultural Christian community in which to prepare men and women for professional ministry, for careers in theological education, and for living a life dedicated to solidarity with those on the margins of society and the Church in the knowledge of Christian faith.
FST offers Master of Theological Studies, Master of Divinity, and Master of Arts degree programs, along with continuing education and personal enrichment via lectures online and in-person. At its current location at the University of San Diego campus, FST continues to bring the questions of contemporary culture, society, and Church into dialog with the ever-ancient and ever-new Word of the Gospel.
The Art of Quilting
This month features the quilting of Linda Causee, Marketing Manager at Mission San Luis Rey in Oceanside, California. With almost 30 years’ experience, she has created countless quilts and over 50 published quilting books. For Linda, quilting is a way to reflect part of someone’s story through fabric and patterns. See below for photos of beloved quilts and Linda’s reflections on her art.
I find joy in quilting because… it allows me to be creative! It’s fun finding beautiful fabric and creating new designs. If a quilt is for a particular person, I think about them as I sew. This quilt was made for Fr. Peter Kirwin when he moved from the Mission. We knew he likes spicy foods so we made sure to use chili pepper fabric.
Making a quilt for someone… makes me feel good and I look forward to seeing them use it! For special occasion quilts, the fabrics represent the person’s favorite colors, somewhere they’ve been or an important event in their life. This quilt for my son and his wife uses photos and colors from their wedding.
When starting a quilt, I hope… it turns out the way I envision it. You don’t know until you sew the individual fabric blocks together and the quilt design comes alive – sometimes in pleasantly surprising ways. Creating this themed quilt was a joy because I bought the fabric while traveling in Japan and used sashiko stitching, a traditional Japanese sewing technique.
Introducing the Franciscan Renewal Center, Scottsdale, Arizona
In 1951, the Casa de Paz y Bien began as a Catholic retreat center in Scottsdale. Now, as the Franciscan Renewal Center (still affectionately called the Casa) they offer opportunities for spiritual growth, healing and transformation that moves lives into the service of others. The Casa was founded by and is today an active religious community of the Order of Friars Minor, part of the worldwide Franciscan family, following the footsteps of Saints Francis and Clare of Assisi.
Activities at the Casa include daily and Sunday Mass at Our Lady of the Angels Church, private retreats, conference space for non-profit groups, individual therapy/counseling, support groups, adult education, family faith formation, as well as volunteer ministries that assist the poor and vulnerable, empower individuals to improve their circumstances, care for the environment, and build community fellowship.
