The mysterious world of being a Poor Clare. Contemplative nuns who live a life of prayer, community and joy.
The first thing you need to know is that a Poor Clare is a nun – meaning that she lives in one monastery (usually) for her whole life. She takes solemn vows that can only be dispensed by Rome. BUT the second thing you have to know – is that a Poor Clare Nun is not a Benedictine, Dominican, Visitation or Carmelite nun. She is a Poor Clare nun.There is a world of difference between these other beautiful orders and Poor Clares. NO, not all nuns are alike.
Each Poor Clare community is autonomous. Not all Poor Clares dress alike, work alike or keep the same daily schedule. If you go from monastery to monastery you will feel the spirit of Joy and Communal gifting of each other – you will experience the warm bond of Joy, Simplicity and happiness of being a Franciscan. BUT you will always notice a difference and know you are in a different monastery. Poor Clares Monasteries are individual and unique as is each sister in them. So please… in your journey of exploring the joyful world of Poor Clares – there is no “template” for what a Poor Clare should look like, sound like and be like. Because there are no two alike.. and that is how the Holy Spirit works.
The Poor Clare Sisters number over 20,000 sisters throughout the world in 16 federations and in over 70 countries. Most monasteries have from four to thirteen members. Some have larger communities but the Poor Clare charism is one of family and St. Clare guided us that small communites were much better to keep this family spirit than larger ones. So when a community gets to a certain number we usually start new ones rather than just keep getting bigger. Just one of the differences you will see as you walk with us.
Blessings of Peace and All Good
http://poorclare.org/blog/?page_id=36
From Italy to the United States
of the Sacred Heart of Jesus
1834-1905
Countess Anna Bentivoglio was a climber! From the age of five when she climbed onto a ledge in great St. Peter’s in Rome (to the horror of Count and Lady Bentivoglio!), to later life. This was the aim of her life – to climb – she would do so physically and spiritually.
Her yearning for religious life began when she followed her sister, Constance, into the Poor Clares. She longed for more austerity and asked for special penances. Then Pope Pius IX commissioned the two Bentivoglio sisters – Mother Magdalen and her sister Constance – to go to America. They first moved to Marseilles, France, were incorporated into the Poor Clares of the Primitive Rule, then on to the “New World”, arriving on Columbus Day, October 12, 1875. The first established monastery of the Order of Saint Clare was in Omaha, Nebraska, in 1878.
Following her example, today’s Poor Clares endeavor to follow this spiritual climber as they live out their daily life in simplicity and joy.
A Day in the Life
Our life is structured around an horarium, a rhythm of prayer throughout the day. The specific times of prayer are marked by the ringing of the bells, which symbolize the voice of God calling us to prayer. The Divine Office (also known as the Liturgy of the Hours), the Mass and the Eucharistic Adoration are the main framework around which our life of prayer revolves. It also includes manual labor, duties and community recreation which give balance to our times of prayer. In this rhythmic exchange of prayer, labor, and rest, we are liberated from the distractions of the world, free to dedicate our entire selves to living the Eucharistic Mystery.
We daily devote ourselves wholly to God alone:
- by daily and personal conversion to the Gospel
- by offering loving adoration, praise, and thanksgiving to God on behalf of all people
- by our efforts to live and work contemplatively and to deepen our union with God in times of silence and solitude
- by our intercessory prayer for the Church and all people,
- by our efforts to love and serve our Sisters in true Community
- by extending spiritual and material assistance to others in ways compatible with our contemplative life
- by showing Sisterly hospitality and care to those who come to our monastery and in our relations with all persons
This is our cherished gift and call from our gracious God for which we are deeply grateful.
Horarium
5:15 AM
Wake up—Rise and Shine!
6:00 AM
Meditation
6:30 AM
Morning Prayer followed by Mid-Morning Prayer
Breakfast
Work
9:00 AM
The Holy Sacrifice of Mass—Prayer of Thanksgiving is made privately
Office of Readings—On Sundays we move this to 11:30 and combine it with Mid-Day Prayer
10:15 AM
Work for fully Professed Sisters
Class and/or Work for Formation Sisters
11:45 AM
Mid-Day Prayer
12:00 PM
Dinner in Silence followed by dishes
Recreation at table on Sundays and Thursdays
Free time or Work
3:00 PM
Mid-Afternoon Prayer followed by Divine Mercy Chaplet Work for fully Professed Sisters
Class and/or Work for Formation Sisters
4:30 PM
Evening Prayer followed by Communal Rosary—this becomes our Holy Hour for vocations for our Monastery on Fridays throughout the year and on Sundays in Lent and Advent
5:30-6:45 pm
Supper in Silence followed by Dishes with Community
Recreation on Mondays and Tuesdays
Ongoing Formation for the solemnly Professed Sisters on Thursdays; Otherwise directly to Night Prayer
6:45 pm
Night Prayer followed by personal time. On Sundays we have an optional movie recreation following this
On Tuesdays and Thursdays we have our nocturnal adoration
9:30 pm
Be in your rooms
10:00 pm
Grand Silence and lights out—Good night sleepyheads!
*Each Sister is privileged to have one hour of adoration a day, an hour of nocturnal adoration twice a week, and adoration during a meal time each week.
novena.com 