Founded in 1212 by St. Clare and St. Francis of Assisi, the Poor Clares are the only female order following a rule written by its own founder. The sisters take four vows: poverty, chastity, obedience, and enclosure. The Convento de Santa Clara in Carmona, near Seville in southern Spain, relies on no diocese or institution, sustaining itself through the work of the nuns, who are registered as pastry makers. The Poor Clares of Carmona also dedicate themselves to prayer, tend their garden and chickens, manage the guesthouse and museum, and cook for the community. “True freedom is deciding how to live your life,” affirms the abbess, Sr. Verónica.
Despite the nuns’ efforts, the convent faces many material challenges. The convent buildings, which date from the fifteenth century, are suffering from structural and water damage, despite some publicly and altruistically funded renovations. While Spain is the leading country in terms of cloistered nuns, religious vocations and Christianity as a whole are experiencing a significant decline and more than 150 cloisters have closed in the last decade.
