Installed
University of St. Francis
Joliet, Illinois
St. Clare of Assisi sculpture
Saint Clare of Assisi
Light of Assisi
An original Indweller sculpture depicting Saint Clare of Assisi as a woman of faith, intellect and compassion, whose life of radical simplicity continues to inspire and welcome all who seek Christ.
Find it under Saints & Notable Catholics
The story
Story Behind the Sculpture
Saint Clare is often portrayed holding a monstrance, recalling the famous tradition of her protection of San Damiano through the Blessed Sacrament. For this sculpture, however, we wanted to tell another part of Clare's story. Our sculpture presents Clare not only as a contemplative saint, but as a woman of remarkable intelligence, conviction and leadership.
In her hands is a medieval book representing Clare's Rule of Life. Clare fought for years to preserve the radical Franciscan poverty at the heart of her vocation. Shortly before her death in 1253, her Rule received papal approval—the first Rule written by a woman to do so.
Her bare feet tell another part of that story. Born into privilege, Clare relinquished wealth and social position to embrace a life of profound simplicity and dependence upon God. Her poverty was not incidental to her spirituality; it was something she defended with extraordinary determination.
And yet Clare does not appear distant or austere. One hand opens toward the viewer in welcome. Installed at St. Clare Campus, home to Guardian Angel Hall and the Leach College of Nursing and Health Sciences, she seems to receive the students who pass her—especially young women preparing for lives of service and care.
What the details mean
Symbolism
The Book — Faith and Intellect
The book represents St. Clare's Rule of Life. It recalls a woman who did not simply follow the Franciscan movement but helped shape its future, articulating in writing the form of religious life she believed God had called her sisters to live.
The Open Hand — Welcome and Service
Clare's extended hand turns the sculpture outward toward the people around her. At a university educating future nurses and healthcare professionals, the gesture becomes an invitation: to welcome, to serve and to place one's gifts at the service of others.
Her Youth — A Life Given to God
Clare made the defining decision of her life while still a young woman. Portraying her with youthfulness reminds students that holiness, leadership and courageous choices are not reserved for some distant stage of life.
The Bare Feet — Radical Poverty
Clare's bare feet express the voluntary poverty that defined her life. She surrendered the privileges of her upbringing and steadfastly defended a way of life without property, placing her trust in Divine Providence.
Options
Available in a Variety of Sizes and Materials
Light of Assisi can be produced in a variety of sizes and materials to suit churches, schools, universities, convents, healthcare institutions and other Catholic spaces.
Contact Indweller Artistic to discuss the appropriate configuration for your space.
Materials
- Bronze
- Fiberglass
- Resin Stone
Sizes
- Miniature
- Half-Life Size
- Life-Size
- Monumental
About the saint
About Saint Clare of Assisi
Born into a wealthy family in Assisi around 1193, Clare encountered the radical Gospel witness of Saint Francis and chose to leave behind the life expected of her. She eventually settled with her community at San Damiano, where she would spend more than forty years in prayer, poverty and service.
Clare became the spiritual mother of the women who gathered around her and fought tenaciously to preserve their distinctive Franciscan vocation. Her insistence on what became known as the Privilege of Poverty was remarkable in an age when religious communities were ordinarily expected to possess property for their support.
She was also a writer, spiritual teacher and leader. Her surviving letters, Testament and Rule reveal a woman capable of combining profound contemplation with formidable practical determination. Her Rule received papal confirmation in August 1253, shortly before her death.
Clare was canonized in 1255. Her legacy continues in the Poor Clares and throughout the worldwide Franciscan family.
Seen in place
Saint Clare of Assisi in the community
Looking for Something Unique?
Every community has its own story to tell. If you don't see exactly what you're looking for in the Indweller Collection, our artists can work with you to create an original sculpture designed specifically for your church, school, cemetery, hospital, or campus.