Poor Clares of New Orleans (OSC)
St. Clare Monastery
Monastery garden
Our Life in Community
For if a mother loves and nourishes her daughter according to the flesh, how much more lovingly must a sister love and nourish her sister according to the Spirit?
- The Rule of St. Clare
One important aspect of the charism of Poor Clares is the strong spirit of community. We are truly a sisterhood, and our lives are intertwined with one another, as we seek together to love and serve our Lord Jesus Christ.
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We build community in many ways, chiefly by our conversations around the dinner table. Often at breakfast, the priest will join us after Mass to continue discussion of the homily or the feast day. At our noon meal, we have an extended period of community time; the discussion can include news of our families, current events, or other items of interest to the sisters. And of course, the meal ends with sharing of dishwashing chores.
Our weekly community meetings are another way of cementing our bonds as a community of sisters. The topics of the meetings vary, from maintenance issues to hurricane preparedness to upcoming events and celebrations. Occasionally we will have a guest speaker who will lead us in a discussion of some spiritual topic. An atmosphere of openness and honesty contribute to our experiences of community.
