Clare was the first woman to follow Francis. She was born in 1193 to Ortulana and Favarone Offreduccio, one of the noble families in Assisi who were wealthy landowners. The family expectations for Clare were that she learn to run a household with many servants and marry to bring wealth and property into the family. These were goals that Clare did not share. She heard Francis preach in the plaza near the church of San Rufino, the parish for the elite in the city, and he became her inspiration and guide for the rest of her life.

On Palm Sunday in 1212 she escaped from her house at night and went to meet Francis and his followers at the church of the Portiuncula in the valley out side the city walls. After cutting her hair and changing her luxurious dress for that of a peasant, the Friars took Clare to stay at a Benedictine Convent until they could prepare a place for her to live. Her uncles who were famous knights came after her and tried to drag her home. She hung tightly to the altar in the chapel. When they saw that her beautiful hair was shorn off, they knew no one would marry her so they left her alone. After Holy Week, Francis moved her to live with a community of women in Panzo. Here Clare’s sister joined her causing her family to try again to take the girls home. As the men dragged Agnes she miraculously became so heavy that these strong knights could not budge her. Again they had to leave with their dreams of enriching their family power, wealth and property unfulfilled.

Finally the day came when Francis could move Clare and Agnes into St. Damiano’s church. The friars had renovated the church so that the Sisters could live upstairs. They eventually added rooms around a courtyard and more women began to join. Clare wrote a rule for her lifestyle that was different from any religious community. It was based on equality. Although she accepted the title of Abbess, she placed herself in the role of servant to her Sisters. Decisions were discussed with all the members and Clare never excused herself from any of the household chores. She insisted on not having land other than enough for the convent and a small garden. Other monasteries had huge amounts of land that was rented out to receive income. She accepted donations from the townspeople and from the friars for their daily sustenance. The members of this Second Franciscan Order lived very simply and valued the total dependence on God that their radical poverty made necessary.