Poor Clares OSC

The Poor Clares has its origin in the lives of St Francis and St Clare of Assisi. St Clare committed herself to the way of St Francis in 1212. The Poor Clares came to Australia in 1883 at the invitation of the Franciscan Friars, to staff the Waverley Parish Schools which were in dire straits as the Government had withdrawn funding. Now the Poor Clares have withdrawn from teaching and other ministries. Saint John Paul II, said ‘Losing contact with God is the deepest root of modern humanity’s confusion’. The Mission of the Poor Clares is to help make God visible through their lives. At North Richmond, God is made visible through creation. There are two self-contained hermitages where people can make retreats and have spiritual direction.