About Sisters of St Clare | Gift Store
Ever wonder
if you have a vocation to be a Poor Clare?
Is this you?
Your life is going well but something is missing. You are a single, Catholic woman actively seeking out God's presence in your life, serious about your spiritual growth.
You read and pursue interests in your Catholic faith but want to give your faith life more time and effort.
You are living comfortably with your faith in the Catholic Church; contribute time and energy in service to others. But, you continue to feel a drawing towards more prayer and solitude in your life, yet you don't quite know how to respond to these desires.
You are happy with your work and social life, but value the need for a community. You are not sure how you will fit in with other women in community but want to experience the support of a community that shares our spiritual values.
If you answer yes to these statements, are in good health, between the ages of 30-45, free of debt and family responsibilities, perhaps a life as a Poor Clare sister is the answer to your longing. A Poor Clare vocation begins with a woman who has an active faith life, attends Eucharist, and demonstrates an ability to work with others.
Where do you start?
Exploring the life of a Poor Clare can begin with a simple conversation by letter, phone call or email.
- The conversation continues with a member of the community to discover the Spirit's call within you.
- Part of the exploring of the Poor Clare life is to look at other religious communities in comparison such as education, parish ministry, hospital chaplaincy, etc. The Poor Clare vocation is a contemplative life serving by praying with those who don't have words yet. We connect the heart of the seeker with the heart of God through prayer, petition and presence.
- If our Poor Clare life sounds appealing to you, we invite you to have a longer experience with us in community.
- In choosing this life style, time is set aside to see if this is what your heart is longing. If this still feels right, you would next write a letter requesting to enter our Poor Clare community.
- The application process invites you to tell us about your journey. Who you are and what has brought you to this decision.
The next step?
You are invited to explore our life by living with us for about a year. It's a time of transition from the familiar to the unfamiliar, experiencing the rhythm of our life, prayer, community, relaxation.
After that, if you continue, a time of deeper discernment (often called novitiate) begins. This time focuses on developing an intimacy with God, deepening your knowledge of Sacred Scripture and the history of our Poor Clare community and its traditions.
Each step is important in this process of discovery. A member of the community will accompany you on your exploration. She will be a companion and guide for your questions and desires.
At the end of this time, you and the community continue the dialogue. Either you decide not to continue or you request to take temporary commitment in the community.
During your temporary commitment, you live life as a contemplative sister. This period usually lasts between three to six years.
At some point during this time period, the question arises for you and the community: "Is this God’s call to me?" Again through mutual discernment, you will either make life long vows in this community or continue your quest for where God is calling you.
Interested? Contact Us...