Chiara: A Story of Saint Clare of Assisi E-Book

Madeleine Pecora Nugent

• Herausgeber: anna ruggieri
• Kategorie: Religion und Spiritualität
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2022

Beschreibung

She embraced radical poverty. Led the first female followers of Saint Francis. Advised popes. Lived in deepest intimacy with Christ.

The story of Saint Clare of Assisi has been told many times. But never like this.

Madeline Nugent masterfully crafts years of research into a compelling biography that reads like a novel. She grounds her work in primary and modern sources, time spent in Assisi, and interviews with Franciscan experts, painting a vivid picture of the world of Saint Clare through the eyes of those who knew her best—and through the words of Clare herself.

Leseprobe

In Praise of Chiara

“Madeline’s biography is an imaginative way of entering into the life of Saint Clare. It brings to light the rich milieu of the Church, the culture and historical time that birthed forth Saint Francis and Saint Clare and the Franciscan family. It is an edifying read for the young reader, as well as for all ages.”

—Sister Clare Hunter, FSE, Catholic speaker and Assistant Professor of Fundamental Theology at St. Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary

“Most works about Saint Clare in English are biographical or scholarly. This new book, more properly, tome, by Madeline Pecora Nugent is unique. Through exhaustive analysis and research, she has successfully recreated the milieu in which Saint Clare lived in a way no one else has. For anyone who wishes to truly know Saint Clare of Assisi, this book is a must-read.”

—Bret Thoman, OFS, founder of St. Francis Pilgrimages and author of A Knight and a Lady: A Journey into the Spirituality of Saints Francis and Clare of Assisi

“Clare was one of my very first saint-friends as a young girl and pretty much the single-handed inspiration for my religious vocation. So if I had read a book like this when we were first introduced, I’d probably be a Poor Clare today! You see, like anyone else, I really loved a good story. When the story is as real as the Chiara in this book, it’s absolutely unforgettable.”

—Sister Julia Mary Darrenkamp, FSP, Catholic Instagrammer, book lover, and saint aficionado

“An amazing combination of fictional detail and historical fact, this well-researched and highly imaginative series of vignettes brings Saint Clare of Assisi and other personalities of her time out of the tomes of Franciscan history into the ambit of the twenty-first-century reader. Don’t miss the end notes!”

—Mother Mary Angela, PCC, abbess of the Poor Clare Monastery of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Roswell, NM

Chiara

Chiara

A Story of Saint Clare of Assisi

By Madeline Pecora Nugent, cfp

Library of Congress Control Number: 2021951770

CIP data is available.

ISBN-10: 0-8198-1686-8

ISBN-13: 978-0-8198-1686-3

Originally published as Clare and Her Sisters: Lovers of the Poor Christ by Madeline Pecora Nugent, copyright © 2003, Daughters of Saint Paul

Cover design by Ryan McQuade

Excerpts are taken from Clare of Assisi: Early Documents—The Lady and Francis of Assisi: Early Documents, ed. and trans. by Regis J. Armstrong, OFM Cap., © New City Press, 202 Comforter Boulevard, Hyde Park, NY, 12538. Reprinted by Pauline Books & Media. Used with permission.

Excerpts are taken from the Messenger of Saint Anthony, © Edizioni Messaggero Padova, Via Orto Botanico 11, 35123, Padova, Italy. Reprinted by Pauline Books & Media. Used with permission.

Scripture quotations are from The Catholic Edition of the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1965, 1966 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

“P” and PAULINE are registered trademarks of the Daughters of St. Paul.

Copyright © 2022, Daughters of St. Paul

Published by Pauline Books & Media, 50 Saint Pauls Avenue, Boston, MA 02130-3491

www.pauline.org

Pauline Books & Media is the publishing house of the Daughters of St. Paul, an international congregation of women religious serving the Church with the communications media.

To the sisters of the Monastery of Saint Clare in Langhorne, Pennsylvania, and to Sister Mary Francis Hone, OSC. Without the generosity, prayers, time, and patience of these wonderful daughters of Saint Clare, this book could never have been written.

Contents

Acknowledgments

Introductory Material

Notes on Chronology

Helpful Cultural Information

Translation of Italian Words Used

Penance—Then and Now

The Lay Franciscan Charism Today

Abbreviations for Sources Referenced in the Chapter Notes

Part One

Set Out on the Path of the Lord

1. Madonna Ortulana di Favarone (Late January 1200)

2. Messer Favarone di Offreduccio (Late January 1200)

3. Madonna Benvenuta di Peroscia (Early Autumn 1205)

4. Madonna Pica (Early Autumn 1205)

5. Madonna Balvina di Martino (Late January 1206)

Part Two

The Lord Gave Us the Light of His Grace

6. Messer Ranieri di Bernardo (May 1210)

7. Madonna Bona di Guelfuccio (Late Autumn 1210)

8. Fra Filippo di Lungo (Late Autumn 1210)

9. Madonna Beatrice di Favarone (January 1212)

Part Three

I Bend My Knee to the Father

10. Bishop Guido (Early March 1212)

11. Fra Francesco Bernardone (Palm Sunday Night, March 18, 1212)

12. Messer Monaldo di Offreduccio (Monday of Holy Week, March 19, 1212)

13. Madonna Catarina di Favarone (April 4, 1212)

Part Four

To Dwell in the Church of San Damiano

14. Madonna Pacifica di Guelfuccio (May 1212)

15. Giovanna (Late Autumn 1212)

16. Madonna Ginevra di Giorgio di Ugone (Late Summer 1214)

17. Fra Francesco Bernardone (December 1215)

Part Five

The Abundant Kindness of God

18. Lucia (Late Winter 1216)

19. Suor Felicita (Late May 1216)

20. Pope Innocenzo III (Late May 1216)

21. Suor Filippa di Leonardo di Gislerio (Summer 1216)

22. Bellezza (Late Afternoon, August 2, 1216)

Part Six

To Imitate the Way of Holy Simplicity, Humility, and Poverty

23. Messer Ugolino di Pietro Girardone (Early Autumn 1217)

24. Cardinal Ugolino dei Conti di Segni (Holy Week 1220)

25. Fra Stefano the Simple (November 1220)

26. Brontolone (Christmas Eve 1220)

27. Suor Benvenuta di Peroscia (Christmas 1220)

Part Seven

Given Up Their Own Wills

28. Fra Francesco Bernardone (May 1221)

29. Suor Agnese (September 1221)

30. Suor Gasdia di Taccolo di Aregnato (November 1221)

Part Eight

What Is Painful and Bitter

31. Fra Francesco Bernardone (April 1225)

32. Suor Filippa di Leonardo di Gislerio (April 1225)

33. Suor Agnese di Oportulo di Bernardo (Late July 1225)

34. Messer Oportulo di Bernardo (End of July 1225)

35. Suor Angeluccia (Early August 1225)

36. Suor Ortulana di Favarone (Sunday, October 4, 1226)

Part Nine

Grow in the Love of God and in Mutual Charity

37. Suor Egidia (Holy Thursday Evening 1228)

38. All the Sisters (Early July 1228)

39. Pope Gregorio IX (July 13, 1228)

40. Fra Cappellano (Early October 1230)

41. Suor Amata di Martino (October 1230)

Part Ten

A Mirror and Example to Others

42. Suor Agnese di Oportulo di Bernardo (Sunday, April 25, 1232)

43. Sestra Anežka (Early Summer 1235)

44. Messer Giovanni di Maestro Giovanni (Late June 1238)

45. Suor Balvina di Martino (Mid-December 1239)

Part Eleven

The Father of Mercies

46. Suor Cecilia di Gualtieri Cacciaguerra (September 1240)

47. Suor Illuminata (9:00 a.m., September 1240)

48. Saracen Troop Petty Officer (9:30 a.m., September 1240)

49. Suor Cristiana di Bernardo da Suppo (Dusk, June 20, 1241)

Part Twelve

An Increase of Talents

50. Suor Angeluccia di Angelico (Sunday Evening, June 30, 1247)

51. Messer Scherno (March 1249)

52. Suor Cristi (Suor Cristiana di Cristiano di Paride) (September 8, 1252)

53. Suor Gatta (December 24, 1252)

54. Suor Andrea da Ferrara (Late Spring 1253)

Part Thirteen

To Persevere to the End

55. Suor Francesca di Capitaneo da Collemezzo (Early August 1253)

56. Sestra Anežka (August 1253)

57. Suor Venuta (Benvenuta) di Madonna Diambre (Friday Evening, August 8, 1253)

58. Pope Innocenzo IV (Early Morning, Saturday, August 9, 1253)

59. Suor Beatrice di Favarone di Offreduccio (Sunday, August 10, 1253)

60. Suor Agnese di Oportulo di Bernardo (Monday, August 11, 1253)

Part Fourteen

The Blessing of the Lord!

61. Iacobello (Early Autumn 1253)

62. Suor Agnese di Oportulo di Bernardo (Mid-October 1260)

Select Bibliography

Acknowledgments

Among the many people who helped make this book possible, the following deserve special thanks:

Many editors at Pauline Books and Media worked on the original publication of this book as well as on this revised edition. Thanks for your patience, editing, and support.

Father Regis J. Armstrong, OFM Cap., answered detailed questions about Clare and permitted the use of quotes in the original edition of this book from his translation of Clare’s writings in Clare of Assisi: Early Documents. Claude Blanc, editor at New City Press, extended this permission to Father Regis’ revised edition The Lady: Clare of Assisi: Early Documents, from which all of Clare’s quotes in this edition are taken. In addition, New City Press, through Claude Blanc’s permission, also granted permission to quote Francis’ words and writings from Francis of Assisi: Early Documents.

In the original edition of this book, Mother Mary Francis, PCC, granted permission to use her translation from the booklet “Dance for Exultation: Letters of Saint Clare to Saint Agnes of Prague.” Some of Clare’s words in the original edition were taken from or adapted from Mother Mary Francis’ translation.

Bret Thoman, OFS, director of Saint Francis Pilgrimages (www.stfrancispilgrimages.com), lent his expertise in knowing the lives and places of Saints Francis and Clare and shared his insights into the Umbrian language used during their lifetimes.

On a trip to Assisi, the following people were most helpful: Brother Jacopo Pozzerle, OFM, for a tour of San Damiano; Brother Gabriel Aceto, OFM, for a tour around Santa Maria degli Angeli and the Porziuncula; Brother Joseph Woods, OFM Conv., for sharing his insights on Francis and Clare; Father George Masler, OFM Conv., for a tour of the Basilica di San Francesco; the sisters and work staff at the Suore Americana convent were congenial hosts who also provided information on fall crops and farm work in Assisi (used in the chapter on Messer Ugolino); Brother Daniel Geary, OFM Conv., visited San Damiano to discuss the results of recent excavations with the friars there; Sister Chiara Anastacia, OSC, spent two hours sharing insights in person and then additional time answering many questions via mail.

Father William Lynn, SJ, of the Pontifical College Josephinum, answered questions regarding reception of the Eucharist and how the Mass was offered at the time of Saint Clare.

Sister Giacinta Zambonati and the community at the Monastery of Vallegloria in Spello kindly researched Abbess Suor Balbina and sent information about her.

Dr. Lubomir Gleiman explained how to say “Peace and blessings” in Czech for the chapters on Sestra Anežka.

Father Marino Bigaroni answered questions regarding an indulgence supposedly given to the oratory at San Damiano.

Dr. Robert Carrellas discussed some of the illnesses of the sisters at San Damiano and related other symptoms they may have had along with the ones described in the histories.

Maria Dolores Zannoni, a professional translator, translated three letters into Italian, without accepting any remuneration except gratitude.

Antonietta Calori translated another letter into Italian.

Much gratitude to all the sisters at the Monastery of Saint Clare, Langhorne, Pennsylvania, for allowing me to spend a week with them to experience the lifestyle of the followers of Saint Clare. The time spent with these delightful daughters of Clare meant a great deal to this book and to me personally.

Sister Mary Frances Hone, OSC, lent many of her materials on Saint Clare and was an invaluable resource. She spent hours discussing Clare, answering questions, checking details, and reviewing the manuscript. She is indeed the hidden author of this book, because without her it would never have been written.

Sister Ingrid Peterson, OSF, Sister Ramona Miller, OSF, Jean-François Godet-Calogeras, Father Cyprian Lawrence, and Father Conrad Harkins, OFM, shared many insights into Francis and Clare and their times and researched historical details. Sister Ramona and Father Conrad provided information about the layout of San Damiano, and Father Conrad also photocopied information and translated portions of the bulls Etsi omnium and Quo elongati. Sister Ingrid suggested giving the monastery cat an Italian name and conveyed the latest findings regarding Clare. Historian David Flood read the manuscript and provided tremendous help in checking its historical accuracy.

Father Claude Jarmak, OFM Conv., Father Julian Stead, OSB, Rita Maltoni, Fausto Devecchi, and Dr. Ascanio Dipippo provided on-the-spot translations of works and letters pertaining to Saint Clare. Father Claude also photocopied information regarding medieval liturgy. Father Julian discussed theological points, obtained various reference materials, and translated two letters.

Thanks to the librarians who assisted me, especially the staff at Salve Regina University, Theresa Shaffer and others at Saint Bonaventure University, and Beverly Wilson at Saint Hyacinth Seminary, Granby, Massachusetts.

Noel Riggs of the Franciscan Institute provided valuable information.

The Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate (New Bedford, Massachusetts), the Monastery of Saint Clare (Andover, Massachusetts), and Brother Gabriel at the Franciscan Retreat House (Andover, Massachusetts) provided various Franciscan publications.

Mary Lee Nolan shared her insights into medieval pilgrimages.

The historians at the Slater Mill, Pawtucket, Rhode Island, explained the operation of early mills and pointed out written references on them. This was useful in describing the mill owned by the Girardone family.

Linda A. Hughes, the admissions coordinator of Remuda Ranch Center for Anorexia and Bulimia, provided materials on anorexia and discussed how Clare’s excessive fasting could have damaged her health.

Several members of the Franciscans of the Primitive Observance and Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate, especially Father David Engo, FPO, and Brother Bonaventure, FFI, researched the thirteen wounds of Christ and came up with the final list mentioned in this book. Father John of the Trinity, TOCarm., explained how the Porziuncula indulgence might be obtained today.

In researching flora and fauna that existed in Assisi at the time of Saint Clare, used in Chapter 21 of this book, the following individuals were extremely helpful: Chris Nerone of the University of Rhode Island suggested nightshade as a poisonous, berry-growing vine of the region; Mark Schenck, proprietor of the Butterfly Zoo, Middletown, Rhode Island, identified a caterpillar and swallowtail butterfly that lived in Umbria.

Father John Broderick and Father Thomas Carnavale answered a variety of questions regarding Catholic customs, Mass rubrics, altar vessels, and so on.

Heather Minto spent a most delightful afternoon demonstrating the medieval spinning process using a drop spindle and flax. She also shared how thread is woven on a medieval loom.

The following individuals were especially helpful in trying to determine how Clare did her needlework: Norma Smayda, Susan Hay, Genevieve Hartigan, Barbara Gifford, and Leslie Tomaino.

Lee Depot articulated several insights into handwork at the time of Clare.Alda Kaye, curator of the University of Rhode Island’s Historic Textile Collection, researched and photocopied information on drawn embroidery at the time of Clare. Joan Hitchcock explained the stitches in this article.

Thanks to those others who read the manuscript for the first edition of this book in whole or in part: Sister Ingrid Peterson, OSF; Mother Mary Francis, PCC; historian Jean-François Godet-Calogeras; history professor John Quinn; the Poor Clare community at Langhorne, Pennsylvania; the Capuchin Sisters of Nazareth in Tunkhannock, Pennsylvania; and my husband, Jim, who graciously encourages my writing and who picked up many library books for me. Jim also researched the dates for Easter in the early 1230s. Sister Eileen Heugh, OSF, proofread the manuscript for correct punctuation and grammar.

John Quinn checked the birth date of Pope Gregory IX, found a map of the Holy Roman Empire in 1250, and offered some valuable insights regarding Clare and her sisters.

Finally, thanks to all who prayed so fervently for this project. These include family (especially my husband and mother), friends, relatives, and others whom I have never met. Their prayers meant everything, for God is the One Who is ultimately behind this book. Anything good herein is due solely to His boundless and undeserved grace. Therefore, it is to God and to Saint Clare, who shared herself through the research for this book, that I owe the greatest gratitude.

– Madeline Pecora Nugent, CFP

Introductory Material

Many people believe that Saint Clare of Assisi decided to follow Christ because she heard Saint Francis preach. He enclosed her in a convent where she lived a relatively uneventful life for forty years.

That is not the real Clare of Assisi.

This book attempts to present the real Clare from childhood to death, the many people she loved and influenced, and the complex, frightening, radical, disheartening, and joyful encounters of her life.

Clare began something revolutionary. During her time, convents were comfortable places for pious noblewomen who continued to have servants and property. Clare had a different vision. She created a monastery that would neither own property nor make money and in which all classes of women lived as sisters, serving each other.

Many excellent scholarly works have been written about Clare. Many of them were used in writing this book, which adheres to the primary sources (the first biography of Clare, her writings, and the testimonies of eyewitnesses) and to the life of Clare and the first Poor Clares, as many Poor Clares today understand them. However, Chiara: A Story of Saint Clare of Assisi goes beyond scholarly works to allow the reader to experience Clare and her sisters in a personal way. Thus, while sticking to historical facts, this work adds imagination, keeping the fiction as factual as possible. Chapter notes at the end of each chapter distinguish the factual from the fictional in this life of Saint Clare. They also note differences of scholarly opinion regarding certain parts of Clare’s history.

God was Clare’s first love. She challenges us to hold “fast to the footprints of Him” (CA:ED 47), the poor and humble Jesus Christ, so that we may join her sisters in “tasting the hidden sweetness that, from the beginning, God Himself has reserved for His lovers” (CA:ED 51). May this book teach us to do so.

Notes on Chronology

Certain dates in the life of Saint Clare, like the date for her flight from home on Palm Sunday, the date of the Fourth Lateran Council, and the dates of Francis’ death and her own, are recorded in history, but the exact dates for many other events are uncertain. Her sisters in religious life remembered many incidents, but, as might be expected, they had difficulty pinpointing the exact time and year. The author has researched these undated incidents and selected reasonable times, as explained in the Chapter Notes. For other incidents, this book generally follows the chronology in the French edition of Early Documents with emendations suggested by Jean-François Godet-Calogeras, professor emeritus of theology and Franciscan studies at Saint Bonaventure University (Saint Bonaventure, New York) and general editor of Franciscan Studies.

Chiara: A Story of Saint Clare of Assisi helps the reader to see Clare through the eyes of her contemporaries. To obtain a fuller picture of the early Franciscan movement and its times and saints, the reader may also wish to read Francesco: A Story of Saint Francis of Assisi and Antonio: A Story of Saint Anthony of Padua. Although contemporary with these saints, Clare outlived both. With her death and the subsequent deaths of her first followers and those of Saint Francis, the early Franciscan movement ended. The Franciscan charism has continued, however, to this day.

Incidents covered more completely in the other books are:

1182–1199: Francis’ early life; his part in city life and in the civil uprisings in Assisi. Francesco, Prologue, chapters 1–8

1190?–1226: Elia’s friendship with Francis. Francesco, chapters 14, 20, 27, 88, 126

1202: The Battle of Colle della Strada and Francis’ imprisonment. Francesco, chapters 11–13

1204–1206: Francis’ gradual conversion, including his aborted try at knighthood, his dreams, his ministry to lepers, and his time at San Damiano. Francesco, chapters 14–34

1208: Francis’ first followers. Francesco, chapters 48–51

1215?: Elia’s reception into the Religio of the Lesser Brothers. Francesco, chapter 86

1220: First Franciscan martyrs and reception of Anthony of Padua into the Order. Antonio, chapter 1

1220: Cardinal Ugolino, at Francis’ request, becomes cardinal protector of the Order. Francesco, chapter 98

1221: Gathering of friars in Chapter at the Porziuncula. Antonio, chapter 4

1224: Changes, unapproved by Francis, made to friars’ lifestyle. Antonio, chapter 11

1224: Unrest over Elia’s governance of the Lesser Brothers. Francesco, chapter 116

1224: Francis receives the stigmata. Francesco, chapter 118

1226?: Friar martyred with Rule in his hand. Antonio, chapter 15

1226: Francis’ progressive illness and death. Francesco, chapters 123–127

1227: The papal election of Cardinal Ugolino as Pope Gregory IX. Antonio, chapter 20

1230: Elias’ role in the construction of the Basilica di San Francesco, Francis’ burial, and disruption of the 1230 chapter gathering. Antonio, chapters 25–27

1230: The bull Quo elongati. Antonio, chapter 27

1231: Death of Saint Anthony of Padua. Antonio, chapters 31–33.

Helpful Cultural Information

Biblical Quotations: At the time of Saint Clare, there were no standard verse divisions in the Bible and standardized chapter divisions were just being introduced. In this book, biblical quotes are taken from the Revised Standard Version, Catholic Edition, except when they are part of a quotation from the writings of Clare, Francis, or another early source. The citations are given in the chapter notes at the end of each chapter.

Canonical Hours: Time was divided into three-hour segments. The sisters, like all penitents, clergy, and religious at the time, prayed, at specific “hours,” certain set prayers called “offices.” The modern name for the “hour” is given in parentheses:

Matins (Office of Readings): First prayer of the morning, usually combined with Lauds

Lauds (Morning Prayer): Prayer at dawn

Prime (This office is no longer prayed): 6 a.m.

Terce (Midmorning Prayer): 9 a.m.

Sext (Midday Prayer): Noon

None (Midafternoon Prayer): 3 p.m.

Vespers (Evening Prayer): between 3 and 6 p.m.

Compline (Night Prayer): 9 p.m. or when darkness was falling

Capitalization: All pronouns referring to God, Christ, and the Holy Spirit are capitalized except those that Clare or Francis or their copyists did not capitalize in their quoted writings.

Chapter Notes and Sources: The notes at the end of each chapter will help the reader separate fact from fiction in this biography. References are expanded in the bibliography.

All historical details in this book are accurate. Conversations, except where noted, are conjectural. All descriptions of Assisi (its buildings, monasteries, convents, architecture, streets, and outlying districts) are accurate unless otherwise noted. All other towns named existed and their history is portrayed accurately.

The names, backgrounds, occupations, relationships, and social standings of all characters are accurate unless otherwise noted. The ages of the characters, with the exceptions of Clare, Francis, and Clare’s sister Catarina, are approximations based on available information.

Details regarding life in the comune of Assisi reflect Fortini’s research, the primary sources, and the way that various social classes lived in twelfth- and thirteenth-century Italy. Whether they lived in precisely the way presented is pure speculation, but the general outline of their lives is factual.

Characters: As close as we can tell, the names of the characters are as they would have been in their native tongue. People are named in relation to their ancestors. In Umbrian, Francesco di Pietro di Bernardone means “Francis, son of Peter who is the son of Bernard.” The word “di” may be written as “de” or “dei” and in this usage means “child of” or “from.” Other than Francis, Clare, and the popes, history records little, if anything, about the physical appearance of most of the people in this book.

Clare’s Habit: Clare’s habit is described in her Form of Life and in artwork by her contemporaries. Her mantle is on display in the Basilica di Santa Chiara. The earliest paintings of Clare show her dressed in a floor-length gray tunic that covers her feet, a hooded gray mantle (cape) that reaches to the floor in the back, a knotted rope cinched around her waist, and a black veil lined with white. Later artists depict Clare with a white wimple that covers her neck and throat. Clare and her sisters did not wear the wimple, which became popular after Clare’s death.

Clare’s Illness: Clare was so determined to be completely detached from the world and from sin that she undertook many bodily penances, including such rigorous fasting that her health was affected. Those who eat very little for a long time often lose bone mass and can sustain heart damage, electrolyte abnormalities in the blood, kidney problems, intestinal ulcers, loss of muscle, and depletion of body proteins. Clare’s persistent illness had many of these symptoms.

Clare’s Words: In this book, Clare speaks some of her own words. They are adapted or taken directly from her writings, or from words attributed to her in the Process for her canonization and in her first biography, The Legend of Saint Clare.

Eucharist: Clare and Francis both had a great devotion to the Eucharist because they recognized Christ in It. The consecrated Host was retained in pyxes, precious boxes, small cupboards, miniature towers, or dove-shaped receptacles, then placed in a niche in the church wall or suspended. In the Church of San Damiano, the Eucharist was kept in a suspended dove and, in the sisters’ private oratory, in a small box in a wall niche to the left of the altar. The location of the Eucharist in other churches mentioned in this book is purely hypothetical.

Fasting: Fasting was a bodily prayer that was meant to eliminate natural faults and master the will, making the soul more receptive to grace. As voluntary suffering united to Christ’s voluntary self-sacrifice, fasting was a powerful means of praying for the conversion of sinners. Both Francis and Clare granted dispensations from fasting to the weak, ill, or young. They also both fasted excessively, striving for the self-surrender and holiness gained by fasting for the sake of God’s kingdom.

Locations: All places are in Italy unless otherwise mentioned.

Nuns and Sisters, Friars and Monks: A “nun” was a consecrated woman living in a convent, while a “monk” was a consecrated man living in a monastery. Most monks and nuns came from the upper classes of society. Convents and monasteries owned property, had servants, and were often rich.

Francis and Clare wanted their followers to come from all social classes and to live as family members in poor, simple communities. Francis called his followers “brothers” (“friars”), who were to pray, preach the Gospel, and work. Clare called her followers “sisters.” They were to pray, work, and minister spiritually to others.

Physical Descriptions: The physical descriptions of Clare and Francis are taken from the primary sources (see bibliography), paintings of the period, and detailed studies of their skeletal remains. An anatomically accurate model of Clare’s body, which holds her remains, can be seen in the Basilica di Santa Chiara in Assisi. The physical descriptions of other characters are conjectural unless stated otherwise.

Privilege of Poverty: Historically, Clare is said to have received the “privilege of poverty” at various times and from various popes. Currently, a difference of opinion exists among Clare scholars regarding whether this privilege was received and, if so, in what form and when. This book follows the traditional sources, but not all scholars will agree with its treatment of the “privilege of poverty.”

Recluses: Also called anchorites, recluses were considered extremely holy penitents. During Clare’s lifetime, nearly every city in Umbria supported recluses who were enclosed voluntarily in a small cell or cells, usually adjoining a church. A window in each cell looked into the church so that the recluses could participate at Mass. Recluses followed detailed rules of life, lived on alms, and spent most of their time in prayer—although they often gave spiritual counsel to visitors through a small, curtained window. The recluse was allowed a cat and a vegetable garden, tended by a servant. He or she could also stroll in a small, enclosed yard that might adjoin the cell. Some pious people lived reclusive, hermit-like lives at home. San Damiano was like a large “cell” where all the sisters together lived a poor lifestyle that had much in common with recluses. However, they did not have servants. The sisters themselves served one another and worked together.

Recluses around Assisi were called “Christianas” (Cristiana in Italian), or “Christian women,” by the townspeople. As stated in the chapter “A New Fioretti” in Marion Habig’s Omnibus, Francis nicknamed Clare “Christiana” (Cristiana), thus calling her a recluse. In this book, the spelling “Christiana” is used for Francis’ name for Clare, to distinguish her from other sisters at San Damiano who were named Cristiana.

San Damiano: This book uses the word “monastery” for San Damiano to distinguish it from the rich “convents” of the time.

Archaeologists agree about some of the layout of San Damiano and speculate about the rest. The author has read various theories and archaeological studies and has pondered early Clare rules to determine a probable layout for the San Damiano complex. Not every scholar will agree with this book’s conclusion. Moreover, the way San Damiano appeared in Clare’s lifetime is not how it looks today.

Francis gave the sisters a Form of Life that Clare records as a single sentence. Was this Francis’ entire Form of Life for the sisters? How did the sisters live? Scholars disagree on the answers to these questions.

In 1215, forced to choose a papally approved Rule of Life, Clare chose the Benedictine Rule. With this came a stricter enclosure than she may have been following. By 1219, she was given a Rule by Cardinal Ugolino. At that time, the speaking grill, Communion grill, choir, parlor, turn (if there were one), and so on would have been introduced if they were not already in place.

The author has studied the strictness of Clare’s enclosure and has undertaken much prayer, reading, and counsel with Poor Clares and Clare historians to determine how Clare and her sisters most likely lived. Not all the people and sources agree with the conclusions in this book.

Social Class: Medieval people were honored according to their social class—for example, emperor, king, queen, lord, lady, baron, count. In the Church, clergy were also ranked: pope, cardinal, bishop, priest, deacon, cleric. The term “prelate” referred to any religious authority. The poor had no titles.

Social Mores: Power rested with the nobles, high religious leaders, and military. The merchants and middle classes were attempting to rise in power. The lower classes were powerless and generally disregarded. Below them were the beggars and then, at the lowest social level, the lepers, robbers, and other outcasts.

Clothing indicated social status and rank. The greatest scandal would be to go without clothing, not because nudity was sexually enticing (people slept in the nude, even in hospices where strangers shared beds) but because it indicated destitution and humiliation.

Stages of Becoming a Religious Order: Francis began his conversion as a voluntary penitent. His first brothers were also lay penitents. Clare followed this example as well as that of other penitents whom she knew. However, penitents generally lived in their own homes, not in community. As Francis gained followers who lived a common life with him, their group began to resemble a “religio.”

“Religio” was the canonical term applied to a group of Christians who lived together a faithful life with certain common practices. The Church monitored a religio closely. Should it become sufficiently organized, a religio could become an approved “ordine” (religious order). The Church required a religio to submit a written rule of life, which the Church had to approve, before designating a religio as an ordine. Clare’s religio became an ordine when the pope approved her Rule while she lay on her deathbed.

Time: In Clare’s time, the new year began on March 25, the feast of the Annun-ciation. However, because that system confuses modern readers, the years in this book reflect current usage.

Titles: Titles for the major sections of this book are phrases from Clare’s Testament.

Titles for Clare and Her Sisters: Primary sources and documents list several titles for Clare’s sisters, including the Poor Ladies, the Enclosed Sisters, the Lesser Sisters, and the Ladies of Saint Mary of Saint Damian at Assisi. Papal documents called the sisters the Damianites of the Order of Saint Damian. Citizens of Assisi seemed to know the women by this term.

In the Omnibus, Habig states that Francis always called Clare’s sisters “ladies,” and Celano uses that term in his biographies. Francis, it seems, wanted his friars to use this term to preserve a respectful distance between the sexes.

Clare called the women “sisters,” thus making them equal family members. In formal correspondence, she used the terms “enclosed Ladies,” “Poor Ladies,” and the “Order of the Poor Sisters,” which is the term she uses in her Form of Life approved by the pope as she lay dying.

Titles for Francis and His Brothers: At some point, Francis was ordained a deacon, but he never became a priest. Out of respect, Clare often called Francis “Father” because she considered him a spiritual father to herself and to her sisters. Others called him “Brother Francis” (Fra Francesco). The friars were called Lesser Brothers (Friars Minor) from their beginning.

Tonsure: Hair was an object of beauty in the Middle Ages. Tonsure, involving cutting the hair in unattractive ways, was a sign that a person had abandoned a sinful life and was consecrated to God. A male religious kept his hair short and had a bald patch shaved in the center of his scalp. He went bareheaded except in inclement weather, when he might wear a cap or a hood. A female religious had her hair cut up to her ears, kept her hair short, and covered her “baldness” with a veil.

Translation of Italian Words Used

Addio: Goodbye

Bambina: Little girl

Bambino: Little boy

Comune: City-states that developed throughout northern and central Italy in the twelfth century

Consortium: A group of lords who, by mutual consent, shared property and power in a certain area

Del, della: “Of” (“the Piazza del San Rufino” means “the Plaza of the Cathedral of San Rufinus”)

Dom: Title of respect for secular and diocesan priests

Fra (shortened from Fratello, Frate): Colloquial name for a religious brother

Grazie: Thank you. Mille grazie: many thanks.

Madonna (plural Madonne): Informal term for My Lady (My Ladies), used for noble girls and women

Mamma: Mommy, Mum

Mercato: Marketplace

Messer (Messers): Old Umbrian title of respect for a man: Mister, Sir, Lord (Lords)

Monte: Mountain

Ordine: Religious Order

Pace e bene: Italian for the Latin greeting “Pax et bonum,” which means “Peace and all good.” This was the greeting that Saint Francis used.

Papà: Daddy

Piazza: A wide, open space where several streets come together

Podestà: The elected head of the comune, who had a council to advise him

Poggio: A hill, knoll. Umbria, the district around Assisi, is a series of hills. Many castles of Umbria were built on these hills.

Porta: City gate

Porziuncula: Little portion of land

Religio: An intermediary stage in becoming a religious order

Rivo: Stream, brook

Rivo Torto: Twisted Stream

San, Santa: Saint

Sì: Yes

Strada: Street

Suor (shortened form of Sorella): Colloquial name for a religious sister

Vescovado: Bishop’s residence

Via: Street, road

Sometimes history did not record the name of a real character. At other times a character was created to illustrate a certain point. In these instances, the character was assigned an Italian name that indicates one of his or her qualities. The created names in this book are:

Bellezza (the beauty), Mattiolo’s mother

Brontolone (the grouch), the grumpy, old beggar

Cappellano (chaplain), San Damiano’s chaplain

Forte (the strong one), Lucia’s father

Gatta (female cat), San Damiano’s cat

Pia (the pious woman), the pious, demon-possessed woman from Pisa

Scherno (the scoffer), Pia’s brother

Scuro (the dark one), Mattiolo’s father

Penance—Then and Now

Penance means a conversion from sin to God. When people “begin to do penance,” they begin their conversion. Saint Clare and Saint Francis began their conversion as penitents and always viewed themselves as such.

During the early 1200s, a great penitential movement swept Europe. The Church recognized the penitential life as a legitimate vocation for the laity, a vocation encouraged by the friars and sisters. Penitents followed rules that were written for them. This book contains some examples of the penitential practices they followed. Today some of these seem strange and masochistic, but they were common at that time. With the permission of a spiritual director or religious superior, penitents undertook these practices as a means of prayer, sacrifice, self-discipline, and identification with the poor and suffering Christ. The practices fostered surrender to God and its accompanying joy.

Fasting on bread and water is popular today. In medieval times, bread was made from whole grains; thus, with water, it could sustain health. Those who fast on bread and water today need to use the same whole grain breads.

Those who wish to undertake other types of penance should consult a spiritual director for guidance, as did Clare and Francis.

The Lay Franciscan Charism Today

An Internet search will reveal numerous Franciscan male and female religious orders. Some of these evolved from Francis’ or Clare’s original foundations, while others are trying to live his or her original expression today. Lay expressions of the Franciscan charism include not only the largest group, the Secular Franciscan Order (OFS), but also many smaller ones. Those seeking a lifestyle resembling that of Francis’ first lay followers may wish to consult the Confraternity of Penitents, whose members “live the Rule of 1221 as closely as possible to its original intent.” For more information, see www.penitents.org or write to Confraternity of Penitents, 1702 Lumbard Street, Fort Wayne, IN, 46803, U.S.

Abbreviations for Sources Referenced in the Chapter Notes

Early Documents regarding Saint Clare (as translated by Regis Armstrong in The Lady: Clare of Assisi;Early Documents [CA:ED])

1LAg: First Letter to Saint Agnes of Prague (CA:ED 43–46)

2LAg: Second Letter to Saint Agnes of Prague (CA:ED 47–49)

3LAg: Third Letter to Saint Agnes of Prague (CA:ED 50–53)

4LAg: Fourth Letter to Saint Agnes of Prague (CA:ED 54–58)

LEr: Clare’s doubtful Letter to Ermentrude of Bruges (CA:ED 420–21)

FLC1: Form of Life of Saint Clare a.k.a. The Rule of Clare (1253) (CA:ED 108–26)

TestCl: Testament of Saint Clare (CA:ED 60–65)

BlCl: Blessing of Saint Clare (CA:ED 66–67)

FLHug: Form of Life provided by Cardinal Ugolino (1219) (CA:ED 75–85)

LRay: Letter of Cardinal Rinaldo (1228) (CA:ED 133–34)

PrPov: Privilege of Poverty by Pope Gregorio IX (1228) (CA:ED 87–88)

FLInn: Form of Life provided by Pope Innocenzo IV (1247) (CA:ED 89–105)

PC: The Acts of the Process of Canonization (1253) (CA:ED 141–96)

BC: Bull of Canonization of Saint Clare (1254) (CA:ED 263–71)

LCl: The Legend of Saint Clare by Friar Thomas of Celano (1255) (CA:ED 277–329)

Early Documents Regarding Saint Francis (as translated in Francis of Assisi: Early Documents [FA:ED]: The Saint [vol. 1], The Prophet [vol. 2], The Founder [vol. 3])

Adm: The Admonitions (undated) (FA:ED I 128–37)

2LF: Later Admonition and Exhortation to the Brothers and Sisters of Penance (Second Version of the Letter to the Faithful) (1220?) (FA:ED I 45–51)

1C: The Life of Saint Francis by Friar Thomas of Celano (1228) (FA:ED I 180–308)

AP: The Anonymous of Perugia composed by Friar John of Perugia (FA:ED II 34–58)

L3C: The Legend of the Three Companions composed by three of Saint Francis’ early followers, Friars Leo, Angelo, and Rufino (FA:ED II 66–110)

AC: The Assisi Compilation seemingly compiled by Friars Leo, Angelo, Rufino, and possibly others (FA:ED II 118–230)

2C: The Remembrance of the Desire of a Soul by Friar Thomas of Celano (FA:ED II 239–393)

Other Biographies and Books

1.5C: The Rediscovered Life of Saint Francis of Assisi by Friar Thomas of Celano

13CC: Thirteenth Century Chronicles

1MP: Mirror of Perfection (Lemmens Edition) (FA:ED III 214–52)

3C: Treatise on the Miracles of Saint Francis (FA:ED II 399–468)

LMj: The Major Legend by Saint Bonaventure (FA:ED II 525–649)

Fioretti: The Little Flowers of Saint Francis (abbreviated Fioretti, its name in Italian) (FA:ED III 566–658)

24Gen: Chronicle of the Twenty-Four Generals of the Order of Friars Minor

Fortini: Arnaldo Fortini, Assisi mayor and historian, delved into Assisi archives and shared his research in Nova Vita di San Francesco. References in this book refer to Helen Moak’s 1981 English translation unless otherwise stated.

Part One

Set Out on the Path of the Lord

1

Madonna Ortulana di Favarone

Bedroom, Offreduccio House, Assisi, Italy (Late January 1200)

In her dreams, Madonna Ortulana di Favarone smelled smoke. Despite the haze that engulfed her and her galloping chestnut palfrey, Ortulana could see herself clearly, her long, slender legs desperately gripping her mount; her firm, narrow nose, small chin, wisps of blond hair around her prim cap. A plodding line of ox-drawn carts, piled with goods and servants, magically kept pace with Ortulana’s rushing steed.

She was racing toward the flame-engulfed, towering, red rock castle of Sasso Rosso, home of friends Messer Leonardo di Gislerio and his family. Flames turned everything red and orange as Ortulana dismounted and pulled loaves from her saddlebags while servants grabbed blankets, pottery, and weapons from the carts. Suddenly, Ortulana’s servants changed into a mob of Assisi merchants and artisans. Shouting, they flung the goods at the castle, laughing as each item burst into flame against the walls.

Why were the merchants here instead of hawking their wares in the piazzas of Assisi’s mercato? Why were they throwing grappling hooks over the walls of Sasso Rosso, climbing through flames, pulling down the house? In a billow of black smoke, Sasso Rosso crumpled like a child’s tower of blocks.

The mob disappeared. Terror-stricken, covered with ash, Ortulana was standing in smoldering rubble with Messer Leonardo, his lady, children, and servants. Dainty, five-year-old Madonna Filippa was clutching a charred doll with which she and Ortulana’s daughters often played. As Ortulana attempted to wipe it clean, the doll crumbled to soot.

The Gislerios disappeared. Now the smoking rubble was that of Ortulana’s house and in it, as dumb-eyed as oxen, stood Ortulana, her husband Messer Favarone, and their children—six-and-a-half-year-old Madonna Chiara, almost-three-year-old Madonna Catarina, and toddler Madonna Beatrice. Instantly, pudgy, towheaded Chiara, wearing a scarlet dress, was alone in the prayer chapel, its fire-riddled wall tapestries wafting smoke into a clear sky as the chapel burst into flame. A bright spark floated upward from where Chiara had been. As Ortulana reached for the glowing cinder, it vanished against the sun.

Ortulana shrieked and awoke.

She was in her dark bedroom.

Through the cracks in her tightly shuttered windows came shouts and the dancing light of flames. The dream must be real.

For centuries, nobles and knights, like her own family and the family into which she had married, had ruled Assisi. Now the common people challenged that order. Barely two years ago, they had forged a new city government, a comune. Far more merchants, artisans, and farmers than nobles made up the comune. These lower classes had attacked and burned Sasso Rosso and several other castles and had chosen as governor their own consul in place of the emperor’s appointed official.

Now the mob must intend to burn this immense Offreduccio house.

When his father, Count Offreduccio di Bernardino, died, Madonna Ortulana’s husband, Favarone, had inherited this house and much of the count’s huge estate. Daily, after early morning Mass in the prayer chapel, Favarone either visited his vast properties or hunted game. A quiet, stocky, raven-haired man given to squinting, Favarone could become an enraged bull if anyone threatened his household, but tonight he was away in Cannara.

Throwing back the feather coverlet and woolen blankets, Ortulana bolted out of bed, feeling for her gownlike chemise. Swiftly, she clad her body, not bothering to lace her sleeves or back. Unable to find her mantle, she ran into the torchlit hallway without it, bolting toward the main door that led into this second floor of the house. Young Ioanni di Ventura, his dark beard still fuzz, was supposed to be guarding that door. Ioanni was capable. Courageous. Alert. With deadly accuracy, he could aim his watchman’s huge crossbow. Why hadn’t he woken her?

Ortulana pounded at the front door. “Ioanni! Ioanni!”

“Sì, Madonna,” came the puzzled reply.

“What’s happening out there?”

“Madonna Savia escaped again. Her family is here in the piazza, trying to take her home.”

Ortulana unbolted the door from the inside and cracked it open. A blizzard of driving snow swept across the Piazza del San Rufino. In front of the locked doors of the Cathedral del San Rufino milled a noisy cluster of servants and nobles, torches in their hands. Above the noise came a piercing, heartrending wail. “Let me alone! You’re trying to keep me from my babies!” From the Offreduccio stable on the right, beggars, whom Favarone allowed to sleep in the stalls, were shouting, “Shut up! Go home!”

Madonna Savia. When her children and husband had died from plague, the noblewoman had become crazed. Despite having guards assigned to protect her, she sometimes managed to escape her household and wander pitifully through the city, crying for her dead children.

Ortulana closed the door and leaned against it, her knees weak. She was the Countess of Sterpeto, scion of the fearless Fiumi family, sister of bold Count Accarino, descendant of brave nobles and knights going back to Emperor Charlemagne. Possessing great energy and faith, she had made pilgrimages to Rome, Monte Gargano, and the Holy Land, her life endangered by harsh terrain, plague, and bandits. But, because of tonight’s dream, the courage that surged in Ortulana’s bloodline failed her.

Ortulana sometimes had vivid dreams, each containing some truth. Although Messer Favarone had forbidden her to ride to Sasso Rosso herself, he had agreed to send provisions. Servants had described the rubble, so she must have dreamed it accurately. Yet in her dream, her own house had been torched and Chiara had burned to a cinder.

Terrified, Ortulana hurried through cold halls to the unheated bedrooms. The door to the children’s bedroom was open. Oil lamps in the room were lit.

Madonna Bona and Madonna Pacifica, the Guelfuccio sisters who served the Offreduccios, stood as Ortulana entered. In the stark light, the women, wrapped in dark fur mantles, looked exceptionally pale.

Two little bodies, one plump and one thin, each wrapped in a heavy, hooded cape, plunged into Ortulana’s gown. Four little arms grabbed her legs. Madonna Chiara and Madonna Catarina.

Catarina was sobbing, her thin ribs heaving. “Mamma, they’re gonna bun our house like they bunned Madonna Filippa’s.”

“We’ll fight them off,” Chiara declared, stamping her foot.

“No, mi bambinas.” Ortulana stooped and stroked the children’s heads. She had to be strong. “No one is burning anything. No one is fighting anything. Madonna Savia got away again. That’s all.”

“Oh, my God, grazie!” Pacifica dropped to her knees, her full mouth wide with a joyful smile.

Bona planted her fists firmly on her hips, her elbows jutting out from her big body like two wings. “I wouldn’t put it past the mob to burn this place.”

Catarina sobbed louder. “They’re gonna bun us!”

“No one is burning anything,” Ortulana said sharply to her lady-in-waiting. She glanced at the shutters. There was nothing beyond them but blackness. The night was still.

Ortulana put her finger to her lips. “Catarina, shh. Listen.”

The only sound was Catarina’s panting.

“They’ve gone home,” Ortulana said gently. “Back to sleep.” She kissed the girls, then looked up at Madonna Bona. “Madonna Beatrice didn’t awaken?”

“One-year-olds sleep through anything,” Bona said.

“Then good night. I’ll put the girls back to bed.” Ortulana paused before adding, “Grazie.”

Bona and Pacifica nodded as they returned to their bedroom, which adjoined the children’s room. Thank God for these sisters, distant relatives of Ortulana, who had served her ever since her marriage. She depended on Bona, big-boned, outspoken and gregarious, to accompany her and tell her everything that was going on in Assisi. Timid, chestnut-haired Pacifica deserved her name—woman of peace. Living as a penitential recluse and leaving the house only to pray, attend Mass, and accompany Ortulana on pilgrimage, Pacifica kept the household grounded in faith. Though both women’s Roman noses betrayed their noble background, Pacifica seemed to have forgotten her lineage. She preferred to remain unnoticed, to speak little, and to not even look at men.

The sisters were irreplaceable. How could Ortulana manage this household without them? They could have put her daughters back to sleep. However, for her own peace of mind, Ortulana needed to do that tonight.

Ortulana slipped off the girls’ capes, then tucked Catarina and Chiara into their shared bed. She wrapped her chilled body in a feather-stuffed quilt from a chest at the foot of the bed, then sat on the bed and stroked her daughters’ foreheads.

Sandy-haired Catarina, worn out from sobbing, fell into swift, peaceful sleep.

Under the layers of warm blankets, Chiara was lying still, her eyes closed.

“Mamma, if they burn our house, I’m going to fight.” The child’s thin lower lip was firmly set.

“Shh, Chiara. Go to sleep.”

“I’m going to fight with Papà and Messer Monaldo, Messer Ugolino, Messer Scipione, Messer Paolo.” All her uncles. “And Messer Martino, Messer Giorgio di Ugone, Messer Angelo di Tancredi.” Her cousins.

“Shh. Go to sleep, bambina.” If Ortulana could sing, she would sing her daughter to sleep.

Chiara was quiet, her eyes closed. But her little body was tense. Ortulana stroked and stroked the child’s forehead and patted the snug nightcap that covered Chiara’s ash-blond curls.

If they burn our house . . . our house. The first-floor granary, storage rooms, kitchen. The second-floor bedrooms, ladies’ sewing room, the great hall with its single hearth. The third-floor servants’ quarters and family chapel.

If they burn our house . . . the flames will rise above the Piazza del San Rufino, threatening the adjacent Cathedral del San Rufino. Water in the nearby fountain would be useless against the blaze. Flames might leap across the piazza, destroy the stable, the canons’ residence, the Guelfuccio home.

If they burn our house . . . our servants will be homeless. Watchman. Almoner. Maids. Cook. Stablehands. Steward. Squires. Kitchen workers.

If they burn our house . . . we will have to move. Familiar beggars will have to beg coins, food, and clothing elsewhere.

If they burn our house . . . what will happen to Madonna Chiara?

Like smoke, fear billowed up within Ortulana, the same fear that had swelled within her while she was pregnant with Chiara. As Ortulana stroked Chiara’s cheek, the memory of her first pregnancy returned. She had feared that her unborn child would die, so she had prayed unceasingly for the baby to live.