In this year it is exactly 800 years from the day in 1212 -- it was Palm Sunday -- when the teenaged Clare of the noble Scifi family in Assisi was moved by the example and the preaching of St Francis to tread all wordly aspirations underfoot, escape from her family with a trusted companion and join the friars, putting on the rough habit of penance and poverty. When she escaped through the city gate, she was met by Francis and his brothers with lighted candles and brought to the little church of Saint Mary of the Angels, the Portiuncola, where Francis consecrated her to God. Soon she was joined by her mother, Hortolana, and her sister Agnes and a great many other ladies. Francis placed them in the church of San Damiano which he had prophesied would become the dwelling of ladies who, by their holy living, "will glorify our heavenly Father throughout his holy Church."  So began the Second Order of St Francis, the Poor Clares, now numbering more than 20,000 Sisters in over 70 countries of the world, and celebrating the 8th centenary of the Foundation of their Order. 

From Palm Sunday in 2011 to the Feast of St Clare, 11th August 2012, has been observed as a "Year of Saint Clare" and among the observances the friars have been encouraged to re-enact the occasion, recounted in the Fioretti, when Francis reluctantly was persuaded by his brothers to yield to Clare's insistent entreaties and meet with her for a meal.  He received her in St Mary of the Angels and the account tells how the townspeople thought the place was on fire, so great was the fervour of the conversation between Francis and Clare and the friars and Sisters.

At Craigmillar the friars invited the Sisters at Humbie, the nearest Poor Clare monastery, to visit them.  On Tuesday, 17th July 2012, the Sisters came in time for the conventual Mass at 9.30 a.m which was a votive Mass of St Clare, and afterwards met some of the parishioners.  At 10.30 a.m. the friars and sisters gathered together in the common room to engage in a conversation about Clare and Francis.  In the course of this they read the Fioretti account of the meeting, Thomas of Celano's report of the instructions to the friars by Francis about looking after the Sisters, and the account by G.K. Chesterton in his book on St Francis of Clare's "elopement".  The Sisters then prepared the lunch which they had brought with them and after midday prayer in the choir chapel all sat down together to eat it.  When in the afternoon the Sisters left to return to their monastery everyone agreed that this had been a worthwhile encounter which should perhaps happen more often.

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