Sisters of St Clare in Saginaw, Michigan

Sisters

Mission Statement: As Poor Clare Nuns, also known as Sisters of St. Clare, we continue the ministry of St. Clare of Assisi, sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the healing power of prayer with others.

We live a simple, contemplative life of prayer, work and study in Saginaw, Michigan. Our small but vibrant community is supported by donations and the fruits of our creativity in sharing the Good News of Christ.

Who are the Sisters of St. Clare?

We are contemplative sisters, Poor Clare Nuns, also known as Sisters of St. Clare. Our foundress is St. Clare of Assisi, a contemporary of St. Francis of Assisi. We began our contemplative community in the Diocese of Saginaw, Michigan, in October 1991 at the invitation of Bishop Kenneth Untener. In the spirit of St. Clare, we focus on God, the people and intentions of this diocese. We have found a home here. We live on Shattuck Road in the Saginaw TWP, not far from the Diocesan Center. An inscription, "Pax et Bonum" ("Peace and All That is Good") is inscribed beside our entrance. Inside, we invite guests to our chapel to rest with God.

Why do we live this way?

The contemplative life is a unique expression of the Christian life. Like all Christians, we try to live out the gospel of Jesus Christ. However, a contemplative chooses to set aside family, career, travel, desire for security, and much more for a solitary life within a community. Logic cannot explain the desire to spend one's day in prayer and constant search for God's presence. This can only be a "call" or "vocation" from God.

What do contemplatives do?

Contemplative life focuses on three things. First, community prayer, principally the Liturgy of the Hours, said at different times throughout the day. This is liturgical prayer of the Church, with the Church, and for the Church. Second is our community. We live in a community of sisters. Third, we work for the daily livelihood of the community and supplement our alms by the fruits of our creativity.

Five times a day, the community gathers to pray. In the morning, we pray the Liturgy of the Hours (psalms of praise and thanksgiving), followed by Eucharist. The day's labor follows: housework, computer tasks, correspondence, yard work, phone calls, and our community projects. At midday, we return to prayer, enjoy lunch and have some free time. During the afternoon, we continue the tasks we began in the morning. With evening, we again gather to pray the psalms, share a meal and complete the day by catching the news or engaging in some other form of recreation. We end our day with Centering Prayer.

Community life for a Poor Clare means sisterhood. We strive to create a home where charity can flourish by throwing in our lot with other sisters. Each sister must be a team player; her life is not her own. She is called to move away gradually from self-absorption, and learn to love the common good of all. People in other walks of life face the same struggle, balancing self-interest with the care and service of children, spouse, aging parents, or co-workers. Within community, individual needs and wants are discussed in light of the common will of the community expressed in its traditions and communal decisions. From the outside, community life appears to be peaceful and tranquil. Inside, we too experience it as a milieu in which day-by-day interactions provide challenge as well as companionship.

Above all, we depend upon God whom we meet daily as the Other: in the phone calls of people seeking prayer; listening to the anguish of someone in a troubled marriage; companioning those grieving a death; hearing news of an unbreakable addiction that grip a niece or a cousin. We share in the sorrows of the human heart - bruised, broken, crushed and betrayed - and bring the suffering ones with us to prayer. Through other's invitation we share their struggles in our prayer, it's no longer theirs alone.

God is also found in the joys and experiences of life; the gift of a birth, joy of completing a project, success in accomplishing a goal, celebrating community birthdays, etc. Joy is part of our belief that God is here present and with us.

Sharing with the needy is part of our way of life. We share our faith, trusting in the abundance of life, living on alms and depending on others for help. In the gifts of food and donations, we see the face of God. From that which we receive, we give back whatever and whenever we can.

Whom we serve?

We, the Poor Clare Nuns of Saginaw, serve God's people with joy! We celebrate a life of consecration to God in receiving God’s blessings; we lovingly share our blessings with the world.

Our ministry is to nourish the spiritual needs of people living in the Diocese of Saginaw, as well those who seek God’s healing grace throughout the world.

Our small community devotes many hours of the day to praising God in worship and intercessory prayer, both in private meditation and public presentation.
Following the footsteps of St Clare of Assisi, we call on her healing presence through our friendships and the use of the Fragrant Anointing Oil which we sell.
We are grateful to occasionally accompany others in spiritual guidance and individual retreat experiences.

We, the Sisters of St. Clare, welcome all in person and prayer.

How do we support ourselves?

We depend on alms as our major support; however, we also do projects that help support us and are also a spiritual benefit to others. We have created Fragrant Anointing Oil as a means to help Christians pray with others. People use this to bless someone in need, to touch and soothe a friend in the hospital. Our Memorial or Keep Sake cards are created to console those grieving a death. We design cards for special occasion: jubilees, weddings, anniversaries, illness. Sympathy cards affirm our faith in life eternal. Christmas cards share the joy of the Season.

And the people of the Saginaw Diocese? How do we relate to you? In the words of St. Paul, "We never cease giving thanks for you, remembering you in our prayers" (Eph 1:16). We would be honored to have you come and share Centering Prayer with us at 7:00 p.m. any evening. (As an added bonus, you will get to meet "Leo" our lopped ear pet bunny!)

Think you may have a calling to be a Sister of St Clare? See Becoming a Poor Clare.

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"Pray as though everything depended on you;
work as though everything depended on God."
St. Ignatius of Loyola