Highlighting Pope Leo XIV’s strong ties with the Augustinian community and with the legacy of Saint Clare, the Pope visits the Augustinian monastery of Santa Chiara in Montefalco, in central Italy, to celebrate Mass, pray and share a meal with the cloistered nuns there.
Nov 21, 2025
VATICAN: Following his meeting with the Italian bishops and his visit to the tomb of St Francis in the town of Assisi on Thursday, 20 November, Pope Leo XIV travelled to the nearby town of Montefalco, where he called upon the Augustinian monastery of Santa Chiara and spent time in conversation with the cloistered nuns there, celebrated Mass, and shared a traditional Umbrian lunch.
The monastery, which has observed the Rule of Saint Augustine since 1290, is home to thirteen nuns and safeguards the memory of Saint Clare of Montefalco, known as “of the Cross.”
Clare became abbess at the age of twenty-three, revitalising the community, welcoming the poor, and offering wise counsel to priests and the faithful. She died in 1308 and was canonised by Pope Leo XIII in 1881.
“Unarmed and disarming”
In an interview with Vatican News, Abbess Maria Cristina Daguati described the Pope as “unarmed and disarming” with a “peacemaking personality.” She added that the visit unfolded in a spirit of familiarity and simplicity, reflecting longstanding ties with the Pope from his time as Father General of the Augustinian Order.
The Pope arrived in the town of Montefalco by helicopter and was greeted by local authorities and crowds thronging the town’s medieval streets. He immediately visited the church of Santa Chiara, which houses her relics, including her heart, and the Chapel of the Holy Cross, adorned with 14th-century frescoes.
During the visit, the Pope and the nuns discussed their Augustinian vocation, the importance of prayer, and the experience of synodality in the Church.
The nuns presented the Pope with a 2026 calendar, illustrating themes from his speeches and Augustine’s writings, as well as local gifts, including some typical Sagrantino wine and handmade products.
The Abbess noted that the visit highlighted Saint Clare’s enduring witness and the monastic commitment to living Augustine’s call to unity.
“Saint Clare shows that life with Christ is beautiful,” she said, “and we seek to share that through prayer and fraternity, as we did with the Pope today.”–Vatican News