Clare was born at Montefalco, Italy, around 1268 to a prominent family. Her father, Damiano, built a hermitage within the town. Her older sister Joan and her friend, lived as Franciscan tertiaries in that hermitage as part of the Secular Third Order of St. Francis.

As she was much younger than her sister, she joined the convent at an early age. They sought a more strict sense of the monastic life and applied to the Bishop who established their monastery according to the Rule of St. Augustine.

Her sister Joan was the abbess, but died shortly after, and Clare succeeded her.

After just a couple of years, during the celebration of the Epiphany, she fell into an unconscious state and remained for several weeks. She was sustained by the others with sugar water. Upon her awakening, she reported a vision in which she saw herself being judged in front of God and having a vision of Jesus, dressed as a poor traveler, overwhelmed by the weight of the cross. She had knelt before him and sought to relieve him of the burden. He said he had found a place for the cross implanted in her heart. She took the vision seriously and the rest of her years were spent in pain and suffering, yet she continued to joyfully serve.

Her reputation for holiness and wisdom attracted visitors to the Monastery but she was careful not to disrupt the communal harmony and daily management.

In 1303, she was able to build a church for the nuns and town. She served as abbess for 16 years and became bedridden after becoming severely ill. She asked to receive Extreme Unction and made her last confession. She died the next day at the age of 40.

An autopsy was performed and they found symbols of the Christ’s Passion, and Scourge in her heart. They also found a small crucifix. A commission of physicians, jurists, theologians and the Bishop assembled for an investigation and ruled out the possibility of fabrication and were convinced of authenticity.

Crucifix was about the size of a thumb with Christ’s head leaning slightly towards the right arm of the crucifix and his body white with a tiny aperature in the right side of a livid red color. The scourge and crown of thorns were formed by whitish nerve fibers and 3 nails formed of a dark fibrous tissue.

She is the patron saint of Montefalco, Italy.

Her feast day is August 17.

For God’s Glory.