Franciscan priest explores meaning of St. Clare to modern Catholics

"Why St. Clare in Colonie?"

That was one of the questions posed Oct. 1 by Rev. Daniel Dwyer, OFM, who spoke at Siena College in Loudonville, where he is a history professor. The Catholic parish in Colonie is named for the saint.

He lectured on St. Clare of Assisi as part of the Department of Religious Studies' annual Clare Center Lecture series. His talk was titled, "Clare in Colonie: Wisdom from Assisi for the Siena Community."

Pilgrim

Father Dwyer has made four pilgrimages to Assisi, Italy; the last time, he said, the idea of speaking about St. Clare to the Siena community was uppermost in his mind.

"Assisi is really a sort of sacred landscape, especially for lovers of Francis and Clare," he explained. "But a pilgrimage should lead one to realize that what he or she is looking for can be found right here at home. I call it 'The Wizard of Oz' syndrome: Everything Dorothy needed was right there in Kansas.

"I was born at St. Clare's Hospital in Schenectady. I didn't really think about that for most of my young life. In fact, I knew very little about her even after I'd entered the Franciscans. I have discovered that she has a way of creeping up on a person. She has become more and more influential in my life."

Meeting Clare

His trips to Assisi have influenced his connection to St. Clare. The first time he visited there, he was interested only in St. Francis.

"This last time," he said, "I visited the places where Clare's remains are, the place where she ate her meals for several decades, where she was baptized. All these experiences allowed me to really ponder her life and what it meant. Now, Clare and Francis get equal respect from me."

He believes that Clare can also be found in Colonie, if people just take the time to look.

"What does a 12th- and 13th-century cloistered nun have to offer post modern people in Colonie?" he asked. "After all, she is not only removed from us by time, custom and history, but also because she bears the name of saint."

Even though saints become elevated by their title, he said, they still were people, just like we are. "And, just like us, saints have their own baggage, some of which comes with the label," he said.

St. Clare and her unique form of holiness and wisdom can be applicable to "our Colonie context," the priest said. "We should not try to imitate anyone else's life and times. Rather, we can -- and should -- only live in the time that we have been gifted with. Clare helps us to accept, to see and to transform our own world, here and now."

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