Mission Statement
Wisdom built a house…
THE HOUSE
St. Francis was a product of the 13th century with the asceticism and devotions common to the times. St. Clare engaged his softer side. She was the first woman to write a rule for women which reflects a feminine side of Franciscan living. While Francis rebuilt the Church with preaching and practicing poverty, Clare supported Francis and the Church with intense contemplative prayer.
In the year 2010 Wisdom envisioned a religious house. It was meant for healthy, passionate, older women who wish to dedicate their last years to the Lord. In other words, no one would be refused admittance due to age.
Wisdom dictated the structured house be built on certain Franciscan principles. Of necessity the contemplative house would reflect the spirit of Franciscan simplicity, humility and most of all, poverty. For Franciscans, Wisdom sought something functional, not grand. . Located in Skowhegan, Maine, the house reflects the spirit of Francis and Maine.
The property consists of seven acres. It houses a hermitage in the woods. The history of the house and its layout mirrors simplicity and can accommodate seven dedicated women. Wisdom built a house…seven columns.
THE HOME
Within the family of Franciscans, the Companions of Clare is a tiny entity. We are contemplative by mission (and hopefully by grace) and are sponsored by the Franciscan Friars.
To enter we have four points to consider for discernment. First women who join are expected to have an intense yearning for communion with God and practice the silence it entails. Second, the desire to study the life of Jesus as He reveals himself which is a springboard to contemplative prayer. Third, an understanding of traditional vows if they are desired. Fourth is to live humbly and simply in poverty enabling us to abide in peace and harmony. These points create a vibrant, cohesive community immersed in the Spirit of Jesus.
THE STORY
I am Courtney Haase and I lived for a long time as a Poor Clare nun. I was blessed to have entered the monastery before the Vatican Council and remained for ten years after the Council. You may remember it was a terribly difficult time for religious life. Sorting through the signs and symbols that were created pre –Vatican and the following erosion of many of them was traumatic for countless women. We accepted change in obedience to the Council but lacked proper guidance and leadership. At times our sisterhood felt like a sorority instead of a religious community. We struggled. Through it all everyone still yearned for a deep interior life and desired union with God, but we were on our own. This defeated the purpose of our common life.
Identification of commitment to the Lord and the Church can be as simple as a religious habit or very simple clothing. We, as Companions of Clare, are designed to make possible some of externals which were removed after the Council. So while starting fresh, we respect some of the past.
The Companions of Clare pray the Divine Office in common .Our simple habits remind us of our commitment to the evangelical life. Our dress reflect our mendicant roots. Our prayer life, dress, lifestyle and home strive to mirror Gospel values.
With this lifestyle we hope to enter the mystical reality of God.
THE JOURNEY
I was a Franciscan long before I was born. Raised in New Orleans, I attended Ursuline Academy in New Orleans, the oldest girls’ school in the nation. It was there my religious calling was nurtured. Although a little eccentric and very independent, I entered the Poor Clares at an early age and immediately felt at home. My parents were suspicious of my entrance request but gave permission. They hoped I would be home before summer’s end and school resumed. I stayed 16 years. The day I left the monastery was very sad. I had been there half my life.
After leaving the monastery I settled in New Hampshire and established a commercial goat dairy. All was well for 27 years. Running Nunsuch Dairy and Cheese put me in touch with a variety of people who embodied one common denominator. People were hungry for God.
Upon reflection, I realize those years were thought provoking for me and further enhanced my contemplative call. Farming, creating the dairy, meeting customers, (many of whom became friends), increased my knowledge and experience of the love of God. And I think Jesus thought I was a good catch because He never let go.
THE HEART
In 2010 I decided to reconnect with religious life and actively sought to redevelop my vocation. I started exploring the possibility of creating a new community for women who felt called to religious life but were beyond the accepted age.
It took 3 years to develop the initiative, find mentors, and construct a formation program suitable for seniors. The spiritual sponsorship of the Franciscan Friars is a tremendous blessing.
Poverty is more than dollars and cents. To relinquish ambition and a personal agenda is Franciscan poverty at its best. This lesson is relearned every day.
We are neither a nursing home nor a retirement center, but a place where women express their passion for the total giving of self to the Lord. Hunger for God’s presence and union with Him cannot be self-created. These are gifts and present themselves as mysteries to be explored. It requires deep listening. The Convent of Peace and Good (the house Wisdom has built) is a place for listening, discerning, exploring God’s mysteries.
We are not intercessors in our prayer. It’s God’s world and His people. Our presence requires we seek first the kingdom because all else is attended to in God’s time. That is His promise. Our prayer is uniting with the Lord knowing He blesses this holy ground in Maine. He has guaranteed the ripple effect will bless the world.
Discernment and pursuing a religious vocation can be risky. We think we know what is expected, but holiness is a process and not a de facto reality upon entrance. The willingness to wait and be patient for the Lord is a discipline far beyond any physical penance. The advantage of having older women enter is they have been ‘around the block,’ and have settled their spirit in the Heart of Jesus.
The Companions of Clare are not ascetics. However, the lessons from the desert fathers and mothers teach us that certain renunciations are good for the soul. We don’t travel, nor go out for retreats or vacations. Our center is in the heart of God.
We keep silence. In my life I have learned the value and the challenge of this virtue. Our Jewish friends hold a proverb, “Silence is the fence around Wisdom.” One learns more wisdom from silence than from any book. The Companions of Clare are not preachers of words. We preach with our lives. As Francis would say“Preach the Gospel at all times, when necessary, use words.” This is our mantra. Our silence is not the sterile- “no talking to neighbor in church” but a more profound attempt on listening to the Lord .
Our goal is to live the Beatitudes.
Now we are here, watching and waiting to see the fulfillment of God’s promise for creation. He is announcing the good news to the poor, declaring that His kingdom is at hand. What that means will always remain a question, a mystery to be lived.
The Companions of Clare will remain immersed in the Franciscan family as long as we are needed. The journey is not over. It has been rich with treasure beyond measure- hope, trust and above all, the joy and challenge of living in the Spirit of Jesus.
Addendum In 2017 the Companions of Clare shifted its focus from being a modified monastic community to that of the beguines. Anyone who has been watching the happenings of contemplative communities realizes the struggles they are enduring to stay afloat. So what does becoming a beguine entail? What are the differences between being a canonical religious and a beguine?
Exploring Beguines in this Time
Beguines first began emerging in the 900’s in the lowlands of Europe. Very little was explored about these dedicated men and women until now. There is an interest in developing a modern day beguinage. In Europe small houses are slowly being created, each autonomous with their purposeful ministry. The beguine approach is answering the yearning without the restrictions of current contemplative life.
COC Beguinage of Peace and Good
Here in Maine our beguinage is dedicated to a contemplative spirit. In the spirit of the Taize monks we are ecumenical. We are not subject to the Bishop, altho’ common courtesy alerts him to our presence. We are not under Canon Law but we respect its input.
If one so desires, permanent private vows can be made in the hands of the Guardian. If one is shy of making profession they are free to come or go. The major restriction is no one who is married or has dependent children may enter or stay as a beguine.
This is an overview of our life. More information can be found over the internet about beguines. I invite you to consider the lifestyle.
