St. Clare was known to fast often, even before she left her family home. During the canonization process, one of her sisters said that Clare would fast three days a week.

When Clare left her home to join Francis and his brothers, her family immediately sought to bring her back, even using force to try to do so. But Clare held tight to both the altar and her conviction as they tried to drag her away.

Clare didn’t set out to be a model of faith. At the time, she was only living out what she saw as a call to serve God simply, humbly, and obediently.

Early biographies extol the piety and generosity Clare exhibited in her youngest years. While such praise was common in telling the stories of saints, the evidence of her early behavior contrasts sharply with that of Francis.

Clare’s holiness began while she was still a child. She was known for her mercy for others, often wore a hairshirt under her fine clothes, and vowed celibacy at a young age. Those stirrings were fueled by her mother’s staunch faith.