St. Clare of Assisi (1194–1253), the noblewoman who left everything to follow St. Francis, founded the Poor Clares and lived for forty years in poverty, prayer and joy at San Damiano. She loved to meditate on the Passion of Jesus, and the prayers to the Five Wounds that bear her name have been prayed for centuries. Below are those five prayers from The Raccolta, prayers to St. Clare for a simple heart, for the eyes and for those who work in television, Scripture and her story.
St. Clare’s prayers to the Five Wounds
These five prayers, attributed to St. Clare, honor the wounds in the hands, feet and side of Jesus. After each one, pray an Our Father and a Hail Mary. From The Raccolta (1910):
To the wound in the right hand
Praise be to Thee, O Jesus Christ, for the most sacred wound in thy Right Hand. By this adorable wound, and by thy most sacred Passion, pardon me all the sins I have committed against Thee in thought, word and deed, and all negligence in thy service, and all sensuality for which I have been to blame whether asleep or awake. Grant that I may be able to recall with devotion thy most pitiful death and sacred wounds; grant me the grace to mortify my body, and so to offer a pledge of my gratitude to Thee, who livest and reignest world without end. Amen.
To the wound in the left hand
Praise and glory be to Thee, O sweetest Jesus Christ, for the most sacred wound in thy Left Hand. By this adorable wound, have mercy on me, and deign to root out of my heart everything displeasing to Thee. Give me the victory over thy perverse enemies, so that with thy grace I may be able to overcome them; and by the merits of thy most pitiful death save me from all the dangers of my present and future life; and then, grant that I may share thy glory in heaven, who livest and reignest for ever and ever. Amen.
To the wound in the right foot
Praise and glory be to Thee, O sweet Jesus Christ, for the most sacred wound in thy Right Foot; and by that adorable wound, grant me grace to do penance for my sins. And by thy most pitiful death I devoutly beg of Thee to keep me, thy poor servant, united, night and day, to thy holy will, and to remove afar off every misfortune of body and soul. And when the day of wrath shall come, receive me into thy mercy, and lead me to eternal happiness. Who livest and reignest world without end. Amen.
To the wound in the left foot
Praise and glory be to Thee, most merciful Jesus Christ, for the most sacred wound in thy Left Foot; and by this adorable wound, grant me the grace of a full pardon, that with thine aid I may deserve to escape the sentence of eternal reprobation. I pray Thee, moreover, by thy most holy death, O my loving Redeemer, that I may be able before my death to receive the sacrament of thy Body and Blood, after confession of my sins, and with perfect repentance and purity of body and mind. Grant that I may merit also to receive the holy anointing, for my eternal salvation, O Lord, who liveth and reigneth world without end. Amen.
To the wound in the sacred side
Praise and glory be to Thee, most loving Jesus Christ, for the most sacred wound in thy Side, and by that adorable wound, and by thy infinite mercy, which Thou didst make known in the opening of thy Breast to the soldier Longinus, and so to us all, I pray Thee, O most gentle Jesus, that having redeemed me by baptism from original sin, so now by thy Precious Blood, which is offered and received throughout the world, deliver me from all evils, past, present and to come. And by thy most bitter death give me a lively faith, a firm hope, and a perfect charity, so that I may love Thee with all my heart, and all my soul, and all my strength; make me firm and steadfast in good works, and grant me perseverance in thy service, so that I may be able to please Thee always. Amen.
V. We adore Thee, O Christ, and we bless Thee.
R. Because by Thy death and Blood Thou hast redeemed the world.
These prayers make a good devotion for Fridays and for Lent. See also the Chaplet of the Five Holy Wounds.
A prayer to St. Clare
Written for this page:
St. Clare, you left wealth and comfort to follow Christ, poor and crucified,
and you found in him a joy no one could take away.
Pray for me, that I may be free from attachment to things,
rich in love and constant in prayer.
Obtain for me the grace I ask: (name your intention). Amen.
A prayer for the eyes
Her name means “clear” or “bright,” and St. Clare is invoked by those who suffer from eye disease.
St. Clare, pray for me (for name) in this trouble with the eyes.
Ask the Lord to heal and protect my sight,
and to give me clear eyes of faith to see his hand in all things. Amen.
This prayer was written for this page. See the patron saints of healing.
A prayer for those who work in television and media
When St. Clare was too ill to go to Midnight Mass one Christmas, she saw and heard the Mass from her bed, as if it were shown on the wall of her room. In 1958 Pope Pius XII named her the patron saint of television.
St. Clare, patron of television,
pray for all who work in television, film and the media.
Help them to use their gifts for truth, beauty and goodness,
and help all of us to choose what we watch with care. Amen.
This prayer was written for this page.
Scripture for St. Clare
The words of the Gospel that led Francis and Clare to poverty:
Jesus saith to him: If thou wilt be perfect, go sell what thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come follow me.
For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that being rich he became poor, for your sakes; that through his poverty you might be rich.
The life of St. Clare
Clare (Chiara) Offreduccio was born in Assisi in 1194 to a wealthy noble family. As a girl she was known for her prayer and her love of the poor. Moved by the preaching of St. Francis, she resolved to follow him. On the night of Palm Sunday, 1212, she slipped out of her family’s house and went to the little church of the Portiuncula, where Francis cut her hair and gave her a rough habit. Her family tried to bring her back by force, but she clung to the altar. Her sister Agnes soon joined her, and later her mother and another sister.
Francis settled Clare and her companions at the church of San Damiano, which he had rebuilt. There the “Poor Ladies,” later called the Poor Clares, lived in strict poverty, enclosure and prayer, supported by work and alms. Clare led the community for over forty years and fought for the “privilege of poverty,” the right to own nothing at all. She cared for the sick sisters herself and remained cheerful through long years of illness.
When soldiers in the service of Emperor Frederick II attacked San Damiano in 1240, Clare, ill as she was, had herself carried to the door with the Blessed Sacrament and prayed, and the attackers fled. She wrote a Rule for her sisters, the first rule for women known to have been written by a woman, and Pope Innocent IV approved it on August 9, 1253. She died two days later, on August 11, 1253, and was canonized by Pope Alexander IV in 1255.
Feast day and patronage
- Feast day: August 11. A novena can run from August 2 to 10.
- Patron of: television, the Poor Clares, embroiderers and those with eye disease.
- Symbols: a monstrance or pyx with the Blessed Sacrament, the Franciscan habit, and a lamp.
Frequently asked questions
Why is St. Clare the patron saint of television?
Because, when she was too ill to attend Christmas Mass, she saw and heard it miraculously from her bed. Pope Pius XII named her patron of television in 1958.
What is St. Clare known for?
For following St. Francis in radical poverty, founding the Poor Clares, and turning back attackers from San Damiano with the Blessed Sacrament.
When is St. Clare’s feast day?
August 11.
What does the name Clare mean?
“Clear” or “bright,” from the Latin clara.
More prayers
- St. Bonaventure prayer
- Feast of St. Francis (October 4) and the blessing of animals
- Prayer of St. Francis
- Chaplet of the Five Holy Wounds
- Eucharistic adoration prayers
- St. Dominic prayer
- Prayers to popular saints
- Saint feast days
Texts and sources
- Prayers to the Five Wounds: The Raccolta, or Collection of Indulgenced Prayers and Good Works (London: Burns and Oates, 1910), no. 130, public domain (archive.org).
- Scripture: Matthew 19:21; 2 Corinthians 8:9, Douay-Rheims Bible (Challoner), public domain.
- The other prayers were written for this page.