Cork Poor Clares

Cork Poor Clares

The Poor Clare Order was founded by St. Clare in 1212 under the inspiration and guidance of St. Francis. Based on the Gospel, the Poor Clares live the monastic enclosed, contemplative life, imitating especially the poverty of Jesus and His Blessed Mother, and sisterly love, expressed by St. Clare as “holy unity”.

The Cork Poor Clares: In 1912 Walter Dwyer, a wealthy Cork businessman, had a daughter a Poor Clare nun in Belgium, Sr. Maria Dwyer. He dearly wished to have her back in Cork. His wish came true, when he undertook to fund the building of the Poor Clares Monastery on College Road, enabling Sr. Maria, together with a few Sisters from the Poor Clares in Carlow, to begin Poor Clare life in Cork on Christmas night 1914, when Midnight Mass was celebrated. Since then the Cork Poor Clares made two foundations in the 1950s’ one in Scotland and one in Ennis, Co. Clare.

Today the present Community numbers eight sisters. The first six years are spent in formation, before making Solemn Profession of the four vows of Chastity, Poverty, Obedience, and Enclosure. The celebration of the Eucharist is at the heart of Poor Clare life. The Chapel is open all day for Eucharistic Adoration. The Sisters pray the Divine Office six times during the day and once during the night, when they rise at midnight for prayer and Eucharistic Adoration.
They live solely on alms provided by their generous Benefactors. This tradition has been faithfully carried on in Cork all over the years.

“Praised be Jesus Christ”
This is our greeting to our Parish in recent articles in the Ballineaspaig Bulletin. Topics of interest and close to our hearts: A Day in the life of a Poor Clare, the Rosary and Preparations for Christmas.

“Link-a-Prayer” unites the Sisters in prayer with the housebound of the parish. The Poor Clares carry in their hearts and prayers the needs and intentions of the people of Cork and beyond. Situated in the parish of Ballineaspaig, the whole world is, in fact, the Poor Clares parish.

2014 – Centenary Year

Christmas Eve 1914 – The Poor Clares arrival will be commemorated at Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve 2014, one hundred years of prayer and devotion later. We are truly blessed to have the Poor Clares in our community.