CLARE, Saint, or SAINT CLARA, Ital ian nun: b. Assisi, 11 July 1194; d. 11 Aug. 1253. She was born of a noble family of Assisi. When very young she was attracted by tile accounts of the work being done by Saint Francis (q.v.), a young man of her native place. At an early age she decided to give her life wholly to God and to work for him in poverty. She sought and received the advice of Saint Francis, and when only 18 years of age, gave up the world and began to devote herself wholly to charity. Other pious young women soon joined her and in time a recognized religious order was founded. For some years they had no special rule, but in 1218 they adopted the rule of Saint Benedict. Later (1224) Saint Francis gave them a rule, mitigating the rigors of the fast, but recog nizing holy poverty in the extreme. Two years after her death she was canonized by Alexan der IV. The order which she founded is known throughout the world as *Poor Clares*; but several branches of the order have been established as "Order of Saint Clara," "Ca puchin Poor Clares" and the name by which first known, "Order of Poor Ladies." Another
and a correct title is "Second Order of Saint Francis." The differences in the branches are the rules of poverty. Saint Clare allowed none of her nuns nor herself to hold property indi vidually nor as a body. She followed the practice of Jesus Christ. They did not own the houses in which they lived. Some of the branches, as a body, have corporate rights of property. At the end of the 16th centuty they numbered nearly 50,000. The nuns devote them selves chiefly to the education of the young. They are under the jurisdiction of the General and Provincials of the Friars Minor. The story of the life of Saint Clare is found in the Bollandist 'Acta Sanctorum on the 11th of August,' and sketches in various 'Lives of the Saints.' Saint Clare is known by the name "Princess of Poverty." See ORDERS, RELIGIOUS.