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They were novices together, sharing the joys and hardships of religious vocations. Now, American Sister Kristen Gardner has taken on the task of exploring the life and virtues of Irish nun Sister Clare Crockett as postulator for her sainthood cause, which opened in Madrid on January 12.
Sister Kristen is a member of Sister Clare’s congregation, the Servant Sisters of the Home of the Mother. At a ceremony in the Spanish Cathedral of Alcalá de Henares, she emphasized that “the cause is not moved by human reason” but “a desire to give glory to God.” She noted that this was also Sister Clare’s primary desire: “What she loved the most was Jesus Christ,” she said. “She loved the life of the Servant Sisters … she wanted to give him her life in response.”
Sister Clare was known for being a joyful companion. "You never imagined that you’re living with a saint or someone who was going to be a saint in the future," Sister Kristen said. She described Sister Clare as generous and extroverted: "She was always laughing."
Born in Derry, Ireland, Sister Clare had aspirations to become a famous actress before attending a Holy Week retreat in Spain in 2000 that changed her life. A friend offered her a ticket for free after falling ill, leading to an unexpected journey where she felt called to religious life.
Despite feeling this call, it took time for Sister Clare to fully embrace it due to spiritual struggles and attachment to her previous dreams and lifestyle. After another trip during World Youth Day in Rome 2000 and subsequent events including an emotional moment while filming in England, she decided definitively to join religious life.
Sister Kristen highlighted several virtues from Sister Clare's life such as obedience: "Character-wise, she wasn’t an obedient person... And so the fact that anytime anything was asked of her, she would say ‘Yes, of course,’ with great joy... is very extraordinary." Other virtues included docility and self-sacrifice.
Testimonies have come from over 50 countries regarding vocations inspired by Sister Clare or miraculous healings attributed to her intercession. These include reversals of serious medical conditions following prayers directed at her.
Sister Kristen expressed feeling accompanied by Sister Clare's presence while writing about her biography: "I just kind of feel she's laughing at me because she was always wanting interviews when young."
Paulina Guzik serves as international editor for OSV News.
