St. Clare

Advertising card for Chadwick's six-cord cotton, showing St. Clare embroidering, late 19th century. Advertising card for Chadwick's six-cord cotton, showing St. Clare embroidering, late 19th century.

St. Clare is the patron saint of embroiderers. Her feast day is the 11th August. She is often considered as the first Franciscan nun. She was an embroideress and her convent decorated many liturgical vestments for the Franciscans. She is the patron saint of eye disorders, and of television, but that is a different story.

St. Clare (It. Santa Chiara), officially known as Chiara Offreduccio, was born into a wealthy family on 16th July 1194 in Assisi, and died on the 11th August 1253. She was canonised two years after her death. She adopted the teachings of St. Francis in 1212. She spent most of her life in a convent next to the church of San Damiano, near Assisi, together with her sister, Catarina, who adopted the name of Agnes, and other women. Ten years after Clare's death, her followers became known as the Order of Saint Clare, commonly known as the Poor Clares.

Digital source (retrieved 20 March 2017).

Digital source of illustration (retrieved 20 March 2017).

WV

Last modified on Monday, 20 March 2017 13:00
Published in Legendary people and patron saints
More in this category: « Patron Saints of Needlework and Lace
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