Bethlehem Monastery of Poor Clares

Summer 2011

Jam Sanctae Clarae claritas splendore mundi cardines mirifice complevit.

Dear Friends,

“The brightness of Clare fills the whole world with splendor.”  Yes, because she now reigns glorious in that Kingdom of Jesus, her Spouse, for whom she left home and family at midnight in 1212.  Not many young women who do such things are remembered down 8 centuries; in fact, most of those who eventually joined her as Poor Ladies at San Damiano in Assisi, Italy, are little more than names on one of the few documents of the period that has come down to us.  Who would have thought it at the time that what she did would be not only remembered but spoken and sung about the world over?  It was because she chose to be hidden with Christ in God, becoming a “passionate lover of the poor crucified Christ”, as Blessed Pope John Paul II styled her in his letter commemorating the 800th anniversary of her birth, that the light of her life brightens our darkness even today.  It also illumines the news of our letter as we set about sharing with you the multiform happenings of these past few months.

March 18 marked the beginning of our Clarian Year in the hearts of her Poor Clare daughters. Its official beginning, however, was set on April 16, the eve of Palm Sunday, the liturgical anniversary of the deed that set first the whole of Clare’s family and then the whole of Assisi “on its ear”, so to speak.  Her “elopement” to follow Christ in the way of most high Poverty as lived and taught by Francis Bernadone was quite a scandal at the time, besides being a major affront to the ranks of the nobility to which she belonged.  How long did it take, one wonders, before the gossip turned to admiration?  It must have been a rather slow process, because in her Testament she mentions the “scorn or contempt of the world” before which neither she nor the Sisters who came to join her drew back from their ideal.

Here we must  mention something we have noticed throughout these months: the Holy Spirit seems to be delighting in bringing together a number of observances and festivities that otherwise would be separated by some weeks.  One of them is the fact that April 16, the fiscal anniversary of the approval of the Franciscan Form of Life by Pope Innocent IV, and thus of the religious profession of our Holy Father Francis and his first friars, fell on the day before Palm Sunday, the liturgical anniversary of our Holy Mother Clare’s own profession.  We mentioned in our last letter the “coincidence” of the beatification of our Loved Pope John Paul II with Mercy Sunday and the first day of May, the month of Mary, to whom he was so devoted.  There have been others.  The most recent one happened on July 1, the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.  That day was also the First Friday of the month as well as the beginning of our Fourth of July weekend.  The day following, the First Saturday, held the feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, and on Sunday, July 3, we heard a repeat of St. Matthew’s Gospel from Friday:  “Come to Me all you who labor and I will give you rest...Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me...”  Something indeed for us all to ponder in this particular year in our history.

But to backtrack a bit.  Our Holy Week saw yet another “first” being added to our list of same here on Mt. St. Francis.  We had two celebrants for Holy Mass on several of its days.  Somehow the Holy Spirit managed to bring Father Ray Selker, O.F.M., down from Richmond where, at the time, he was working in hospital ministry, to join Father Ian Dolney, from Williamsburg, where he is completing a degree at a local college before returning to his native Slovakia.  This grace not only enhanced our celebration of the first week of our Centennial Year, but prepared us for the following week, when our Sisters Joyce and Beatrice returned to India to tie up a few loose ends in their home monastery.  There was much that they wanted to share with their sisters “back home”, so they packed well – a little too well, as it turned out.  We have been

looking for some affordable way to get their extra baggage over to them before they return here in late

August, God willing.  Would any of you have a friend or a friend of a friend who might be traveling to Calcutta or West Bengal or thereabouts in the next couple of weeks or so?  And would they be someone who might be willing to take along a little extra?  A long shot, maybe, but we figured it wouldn’t hurt to ask!

Two days after our Sisters’ departure, we joined with the whole Church in celebrating the long-awaited beatification of our loved Pope John Paul II.  Some friends recorded all the ceremonies for us, so we were able to share closely in everything.  We will never forget the moment when his picture was unveiled above St. Peter’s Square or the radiance of Pope Benedict’s face at the end of his most moving homily.  Just a few days after this tremendous grace, we received word that our Holy Father had granted a special plenary indulgence in honor of the centenary celebrations of our Holy Mother Clare. It can be gained by visiting a Franciscan church, taking part in some celebration in honor of St. Clare, or spending some time (at least 15 minutes) in meditation in her honor, followed by the usual prayers for the intentions of our holy Father Pope Benedict.  Those of you who come to our chapel have noticed that we have asked Father Jerry, our chaplain, to lead those prayers just before the final blessing at our daily Mass to give as many as possible the opportunity to share this special gift from Holy Church.

 800 years have passed since that night of March 18,1212, and people are still talking about that daughter of Favorone di Offreduccio. Come August 2, we will be speaking with her as we pray the prayers of our Solemn Novena in her honor as we prepare for her feastday on August 11.  As last year, there will be two Masses here that day: one at 8:00 in the morning and the other at 7:00 in the evening.  We invite you to send in your petitions to our Mother, confident that she will be able to obtain many special graces and blessings from the Lord in this Jubilee Year.

AUGUST  EVENTS  2011

August  2 – 10               Novena in honor of our Holy Mother St. Clare                  Prayers follow 8:00 morning Mass

August 11                      Solemnity of our Holy Mother St. Clare                             Morning Mass  8:00 a.m.

                                                                                                                              Evening Mass   7:00 p.m.

August 20-21                 “Come and See” Vocations Day                                         see enclosed flier

August 27-28                 Pilgrim Image of Our Lady of Guadalupe in our chapel      details to be announced later.                     

The Blessing of Saint Clare

May the Lord

      bless you and keep you.

May He show His face to you

            and have mercy on you.

May He turn His countenance

          to you and give you peace.

8th Centenary of St. Clare’s Consecration and the Founding of the Poor Clares