As contemplative nuns, we are especially entrusted by the Church to offer the sevenfold sacrifice of praise which is the Divine Office.
For us as Poor Clares, this includes rising at midnight for the Office of Matins.

Eucharistic adoration enables us to remain deeply united with our Lord as we intercede for the needs of the world.  We now have solemn exposition of the Blessed Sacrament six days a week, having recently added two additional afternoons of adoration to pray especially for the intentions of our city and diocese.

Novenas to certain saints are also kept in community throughout the liturgical year.  In February, we observed the novena in honor of our second Poor Clare Mother, Saint Colette, and in March we traditionally honor Saint Joseph as the co-patron of our novitiate and master of the interior life.

The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, offered daily in our monastic chapel, is the source and summit of our Poor Clare life of prayer. 

In recent months, we have resumed praying the prayer to St. Michael after Mass for the protection and purification of the Church.

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As we read in our Constitutions:

“There is no dichotomy between work and prayer.”

 A praying heart strives to pray unceasingly throughout the day, transforming times of work into times of grace, and making even our community recreation period a true spiritual exercise!

PRAYING HEART

 

Our Poor Clare life of prayer

is beautiful in its balance:

 

Scriptural, liturgical and devotional;

communal and private;

vocal and silent;

Eucharistic, Marian and Franciscan.

 

We invite you to experience

the rhythm of our prayer

in its manifold expressions.

Women’s contemplative life has always represented

 in the Church,

and for the Church,

 her praying heart.

 

- Pope Francis -

 

Vultum Dei Quaerere (# 5 )

Our communal, liturgical prayer flows into and is likewise enriched by our private prayer.  Times of meditation, spiritual reading (lectio divina), and personal study are scheduled throughout our monastic day.

Our Marian devotion finds expression in the daily praying of the Rosary, community novenas in preparation for major feasts of Our Lady, May processions and other cherished Marian customs.

As Franciscans, we hold dear those practices of prayer especially promoted by the saints of  our Order, including the Way of the Cross,
devotion to the Holy Name of JESUS and the Crown of the Seven Joys of Our Lady.

Poor Clare Monastery of our Lady of Mercy
Belleville, Illinois U.S.A.