Colettine Poor Clares
Encyclopedia
The Colettine Poor Clares are a reform branch of the Order of St. Clare, founded by Clare of Assisi
in Italy in 1211. They follow the interpretation of the Rule of St. Clare established by Saint Colette
in 1410, originally a French hermit
and member of the Third Order of St. Francis
.
, a town in the Picardy
region of France
in January 1381 to an elderly couple. Tradition holds that her mother was aged sixty at her birth. She lost her parents in 1399 and, after a brief stint in a beguinage
, in 1402 she received the religious habit
of the Third Order of St. Francis
and became a hermit
, living in a hut near the parish church
, under the spiritual direction
of the abbot
of the local Benedictine abbey
.
After four years of following this ascetic way of life, in 1406, as a result of a number of dreams and visions, Colette came to believe that she was being called to reform the Poor Clares, the Second Order of the Franciscan movement, and return that Order to its original Franciscan ideals of absolute poverty and austerity. In October of that year, she traveled to Nice
to seek the blessing of the Antipope Benedict XIII
, who was recognized in France at that time as the rightful pope. Benedict received her and allowed her to take vows as a Poor Clare nun, giving her mission his blessing through several papal bull
s, which authorized her both to reform existing monasteries and to found new ones according to her reform.
After spending several years in Beaume
, under the guidance of the Blessed
Henry of Beaume, O.F.M., (ca. 1367-1439) in 1410 they transferred to Besançon
, where she established the first community of Poor Clare nuns under her inspired way of life in a semi-derelict monastery of the Order. From there, her reform spread to Auxonne
(1412), to Poligny
(1415) and to Amiens
. It began to spread outside of France with foundations in Ghent
in Flanders
(1442) and Heidelberg
, Germany
(1444), and from there to other communities of Poor Clares around Europe. In total, 18 monasteries were founded before her death in March 1447.
For the monasteries which followed her reform, Colette prescribed extreme poverty, going barefoot, and the observance of perpetual fasting
and abstinence
. The Colettines follow their own Constitutions sanctioned in 1434 by the then-Minister General
of the friars, William of Casale, and approved in 1448 by Pope Nicholas V
, in 1458 by Pope Pius II
, and in 1482 by Pope Sixtus IV
.
A branch of the friars following the spirit of Colette's reform was established and approved, under the leadership of Henry. They were known as Coletans, and were usually connected to the monasteries of the Colettine nuns. By 1448, there were 13 friaries of this branch, but, along with other smaller reforms, they were merged by the Holy See
into the Observant branch of the friars in 1517.
, the late 19th-century saw a major wave of suppressions
of monastic institutions under the government policy of Kulturkampf
. Among them was the Colettine monastery in Düsseldorf
, whose members had been expelled from their home. They sought a place of refuge in the United States
and sent requests to various dioceses around the country. The Bishop of Cleveland
agreed to receive them into his diocese
, and five nuns of the German community travelled there in 1877, establishing a small monastery in the city on Perry Street. They were the first monastery of the Order of St. Clare in North America
.
From there, Colettine communities were established throughout the nation. Today there are monasteries in California
, Illinois
and South Carolina
. Foundations from the American monasteries have been established in Brazil
(1950) and the Netherlands
(1990).
Clare of Assisi
Clare of Assisi , born Chiara Offreduccio, is an Italian saint and one of the first followers of Saint Francis of Assisi...
in Italy in 1211. They follow the interpretation of the Rule of St. Clare established by Saint Colette
Saint Colette
Saint Colette , born Nicolette Boylet , was an abbess and the foundress of the Colettine Poor Clares, a reform movement of the nuns of the Order of Saint Clare .-Life:...
in 1410, originally a French hermit
Hermit
A hermit is a person who lives, to some degree, in seclusion from society.In Christianity, the term was originally applied to a Christian who lives the eremitic life out of a religious conviction, namely the Desert Theology of the Old Testament .In the...
and member of the Third Order of St. Francis
Third Order of St. Francis
The Third Order of St. Francis is a third order within the Franciscan movement of the Roman Catholic Church. It includes both congregations of vowed men and women and fraternities of men and women living standard lives in the world, usually married...
.
History
Colette was born in CorbieCorbie
Corbie is a commune of the Somme department in Picardie in northern France.-Geography:The small town is situated up river from Amiens, in the département of Somme and is the main town of the canton of Corbie. It lies in the valley of the River Somme, at the confluence of the River Ancre. The town...
, a town in the Picardy
Picardy
This article is about the historical French province. For other uses, see Picardy .Picardy is a historical province of France, in the north of France...
region of France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
in January 1381 to an elderly couple. Tradition holds that her mother was aged sixty at her birth. She lost her parents in 1399 and, after a brief stint in a beguinage
Béguinage
A béguinage or begijnhof is a collection of small buildings used by Beguines. These were various lay sisterhoods of the Roman Catholic Church, founded in the 13th century in the Low Countries, comprising religious women who sought to serve God without retiring from the world.-Description:A...
, in 1402 she received the religious habit
Religious habit
A religious habit is a distinctive set of garments worn by members of a religious order. Traditionally some plain garb recognisable as a religious habit has also been worn by those leading the religious eremitic and anachoritic life, although in their case without conformity to a particular uniform...
of the Third Order of St. Francis
Third Order of St. Francis
The Third Order of St. Francis is a third order within the Franciscan movement of the Roman Catholic Church. It includes both congregations of vowed men and women and fraternities of men and women living standard lives in the world, usually married...
and became a hermit
Hermit
A hermit is a person who lives, to some degree, in seclusion from society.In Christianity, the term was originally applied to a Christian who lives the eremitic life out of a religious conviction, namely the Desert Theology of the Old Testament .In the...
, living in a hut near the parish church
Parish church
A parish church , in Christianity, is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish, the basic administrative unit of episcopal churches....
, under the spiritual direction
Spiritual direction
Spiritual direction is the practice of being with people as they attempt to deepen their relationship with the divine, or to learn and grow in their own personal spirituality. The person seeking direction shares stories of his or her encounters of the divine, or how he or she is experiencing...
of the abbot
Abbot
The word abbot, meaning father, is a title given to the head of a monastery in various traditions, including Christianity. The office may also be given as an honorary title to a clergyman who is not actually the head of a monastery...
of the local Benedictine abbey
Corbie Abbey
Corbie Abbey is a former Benedictine monastery in Corbie, Picardy, France, dedicated to Saint Peter.-Foundation:It was founded in about 659/661 under Merovingian royal patronage by Balthild, widow of Clovis II, and her son Clotaire III...
.
After four years of following this ascetic way of life, in 1406, as a result of a number of dreams and visions, Colette came to believe that she was being called to reform the Poor Clares, the Second Order of the Franciscan movement, and return that Order to its original Franciscan ideals of absolute poverty and austerity. In October of that year, she traveled to Nice
Nice
Nice is the fifth most populous city in France, after Paris, Marseille, Lyon and Toulouse, with a population of 348,721 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Nice extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of more than 955,000 on an area of...
to seek the blessing of the Antipope Benedict XIII
Antipope Benedict XIII
Benedict XIII, born Pedro Martínez de Luna y Pérez de Gotor , known as in Spanish, was an Aragonese nobleman, who is officially considered by the Catholic Church to be an antipope....
, who was recognized in France at that time as the rightful pope. Benedict received her and allowed her to take vows as a Poor Clare nun, giving her mission his blessing through several papal bull
Papal bull
A Papal bull is a particular type of letters patent or charter issued by a Pope of the Catholic Church. It is named after the bulla that was appended to the end in order to authenticate it....
s, which authorized her both to reform existing monasteries and to found new ones according to her reform.
After spending several years in Beaume
Beaume
-Several communes in France:*La Beaume, arrondissement of Gap, Hautes-Alpes*La Haute-Beaume, arrondissement of Gap, Hautes-Alpes*Beaumes-de-Venise, a canton of the Arrondissement of Carpentras, Vaucluse *Beaumettes, also a canton of Carpentras.*Beaumé, a commune in the...
, under the guidance of the Blessed
Beatification
Beatification is a recognition accorded by the Catholic Church of a dead person's entrance into Heaven and capacity to intercede on behalf of individuals who pray in his or her name . Beatification is the third of the four steps in the canonization process...
Henry of Beaume, O.F.M., (ca. 1367-1439) in 1410 they transferred to Besançon
Besançon
Besançon , is the capital and principal city of the Franche-Comté region in eastern France. It had a population of about 237,000 inhabitants in the metropolitan area in 2008...
, where she established the first community of Poor Clare nuns under her inspired way of life in a semi-derelict monastery of the Order. From there, her reform spread to Auxonne
Auxonne
Auxonne is a commune in the Côte-d'Or department in Bourgogne in eastern France.Auxonne is one of the sites of the defensive structures of Vauban, clearly seen from the train bridge as it enters the Auxonne SNCF train station on the Dijon - Besançon train line. It also was home to the Artillery...
(1412), to Poligny
Poligny
Poligny is the name of several communes in France:* Poligny, Hautes-Alpes, in the Hautes-Alpes département* Poligny, Aube, in the Aube département* Poligny, Jura, in the Jura département...
(1415) and to Amiens
Amiens
Amiens is a city and commune in northern France, north of Paris and south-west of Lille. It is the capital of the Somme department in Picardy...
. It began to spread outside of France with foundations in Ghent
Ghent
Ghent is a city and a municipality located in the Flemish region of Belgium. It is the capital and biggest city of the East Flanders province. The city started as a settlement at the confluence of the Rivers Scheldt and Lys and in the Middle Ages became one of the largest and richest cities of...
in Flanders
Flanders
Flanders is the community of the Flemings but also one of the institutions in Belgium, and a geographical region located in parts of present-day Belgium, France and the Netherlands. "Flanders" can also refer to the northern part of Belgium that contains Brussels, Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp...
(1442) and Heidelberg
Heidelberg
-Early history:Between 600,000 and 200,000 years ago, "Heidelberg Man" died at nearby Mauer. His jaw bone was discovered in 1907; with scientific dating, his remains were determined to be the earliest evidence of human life in Europe. In the 5th century BC, a Celtic fortress of refuge and place of...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
(1444), and from there to other communities of Poor Clares around Europe. In total, 18 monasteries were founded before her death in March 1447.
For the monasteries which followed her reform, Colette prescribed extreme poverty, going barefoot, and the observance of perpetual fasting
Fasting
Fasting is primarily the act of willingly abstaining from some or all food, drink, or both, for a period of time. An absolute fast is normally defined as abstinence from all food and liquid for a defined period, usually a single day , or several days. Other fasts may be only partially restrictive,...
and abstinence
Abstinence
Abstinence is a voluntary restraint from indulging in bodily activities that are widely experienced as giving pleasure. Most frequently, the term refers to sexual abstinence, or abstention from alcohol or food. The practice can arise from religious prohibitions or practical...
. The Colettines follow their own Constitutions sanctioned in 1434 by the then-Minister General
Minister general
Minister General is the term used for the Superior General of the different branches of the Franciscan Order. It is a term exclusive to them, and comes directly from its founder, St. Francis of Assisi....
of the friars, William of Casale, and approved in 1448 by Pope Nicholas V
Pope Nicholas V
Pope Nicholas V , born Tommaso Parentucelli, was Pope from March 6, 1447 to his death in 1455.-Biography:He was born at Sarzana, Liguria, where his father was a physician...
, in 1458 by Pope Pius II
Pope Pius II
Pope Pius II, born Enea Silvio Piccolomini was Pope from August 19, 1458 until his death in 1464. Pius II was born at Corsignano in the Sienese territory of a noble but decayed family...
, and in 1482 by Pope Sixtus IV
Pope Sixtus IV
Pope Sixtus IV , born Francesco della Rovere, was Pope from 1471 to 1484. His accomplishments as Pope included the establishment of the Sistine Chapel; the group of artists that he brought together introduced the Early Renaissance into Rome with the first masterpiece of the city's new artistic age,...
.
A branch of the friars following the spirit of Colette's reform was established and approved, under the leadership of Henry. They were known as Coletans, and were usually connected to the monasteries of the Colettine nuns. By 1448, there were 13 friaries of this branch, but, along with other smaller reforms, they were merged by the Holy See
Holy See
The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, in which its Bishop is commonly known as the Pope. It is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. As such, diplomatically, and in other spheres the Holy See acts and...
into the Observant branch of the friars in 1517.
Colettines in the United States
In GermanyGermany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, the late 19th-century saw a major wave of suppressions
Suppression of Monasteries
The suppression of monasteries were when monastic foundations were abolished and their possessions were appropriated by the state.-The Reformation:...
of monastic institutions under the government policy of Kulturkampf
Kulturkampf
The German term refers to German policies in relation to secularity and the influence of the Roman Catholic Church, enacted from 1871 to 1878 by the Prime Minister of Prussia, Otto von Bismarck. The Kulturkampf did not extend to the other German states such as Bavaria...
. Among them was the Colettine monastery in Düsseldorf
Düsseldorf
Düsseldorf is the capital city of the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia and centre of the Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan region.Düsseldorf is an important international business and financial centre and renowned for its fashion and trade fairs. Located centrally within the European Megalopolis, the...
, whose members had been expelled from their home. They sought a place of refuge in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and sent requests to various dioceses around the country. The Bishop of Cleveland
Roman Catholic Diocese of Cleveland
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Cleveland is a Roman Catholic diocese in Ohio. It was erected on April 23, 1847 by Pope Pius IX. The diocese lost territory in 1910 when the Diocese of Toledo was erected by Pope Pius X, and in 1943 when the Diocese of Youngstown was erected by Pope Pius XII...
agreed to receive them into his diocese
Diocese
A diocese is the district or see under the supervision of a bishop. It is divided into parishes.An archdiocese is more significant than a diocese. An archdiocese is presided over by an archbishop whose see may have or had importance due to size or historical significance...
, and five nuns of the German community travelled there in 1877, establishing a small monastery in the city on Perry Street. They were the first monastery of the Order of St. Clare in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
.
From there, Colettine communities were established throughout the nation. Today there are monasteries in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
and South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
. Foundations from the American monasteries have been established in Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
(1950) and the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
(1990).
External sources
- Monastery of the Blessed Sacrament, Cleveland, Ohio http://poorclarecolettines-cleveland.org/index.htm
- Corpus Christi Monastery, Rockford, Illinois http://www.rockfordpoorclares.org/