In the tradition of St. Francis and St. Clare of Assisi, Easter holds profound significance that transcends mere observance; it embodies a way of life steeped in love, humility, and devotion. For them, Easter was not just an annual event but a daily journey of embracing Christ’s teachings: “Take up your Cross and follow me” (cf. Mt. 16:24), leading to the ultimate joy of resurrection. Easter therefore, is the celebration of this hope: that we will be raised with Christ if we follow Him as Francis and Clare did. Easter is a celebration of redemption and the bondless love that conquers death it ..read more

Join us in celebrating the Festival of St. Clare! There will be food, entertainment, crafts & so many other fun activities for the whole family to enjoy. The festival will be held in the Monastery’s garden on Saturday, August 12th from 11am to 6pm and on Sunday, August 13th from 10am to 4pm. The post Festival of St. Clare August 12 & 13 2023 appeared first on Capuchin Poor Clares - Denver | Our Lady of Light Monastery ..read more

In 1988, north Denver may have seemed like a great place for a quiet group of nuns seeking a contemplative lifestyle. But times certainly have changed. Now the Capuchin Poor Clares, an order of Catholic sisters who have called St. Patrick’s Catholic Church at 33rd Avenue and Pecos home for the past 26 years, are seeking to move to a quieter area. The sisters are a contemplative order, meaning they spend most of the day in quiet and prayer. The buildout around the church in the lower Highland neighborhood has meant that the quiet part of their lifestyle has taken a big hit. “This facility doesn ..read more

Recently, our Monastery and move to Byers was featured on Channel 7 by Danielle Kreutter. The story comes almost three decades after the first video the same news channel did on our community when we were new to the area. In case you missed it, you can watch the 2:30 minute video here. In the story, you can also watch the original video too! The post Sisters in the News appeared first on Capuchin Poor Clares - Denver | Our Lady of Light Monastery ..read more

Last week on February 2nd the grounds for the new convent were blessed! Learn more about our monastery and support our mission. The post Grounds for New Convent Blessed on 2 February 2023 appeared first on Capuchin Poor Clares - Denver | Our Lady of Light Monastery ..read more

“She gave herself to God and for Him to all, always believing in His love.” In the Catholic church, Beatification is the process that precedes canonization as a Saint and occurs when the pope declares someone Blessed.  Last fall, Sister Maria Costanza Panas, a Capuchin Poor Clare, was declared Blessed by Pope Francis. Sister Maria Costanza Panas Many Capuchin nuns, friars, and priests attended the ceremony that took place in the Cathedral Basilica in Fabriano, Italy. The celebration just happened to take place on the very first anniversary of Mother Maria Lorenza Longo’s beatification. Mo ..read more

Mother Lorenza Longo was a remarkable woman who accomplished many marvelous works of compassion for God’s people because she placed herself at the service of the loving plan of God. She founded the Hospital of the incurable, that after many centuries is still serving the sick and was the initiator of the Capuchin Poor Clare Sisters, forming and directing the sisters toward the strict observance of the ideals of Francis and Clare under the direction of the new reform of the Capuchin Brothers. Thanks to the brothers who confessed and directed the sisters from the beginning. On October 9, 2017, P ..read more

John Paul II’s 1995 “Letter to Women” was written to praise and encourage women to embrace the beauty that God gave them – the“feminine genius”- despite social and cultural messages telling them to become something different. In contemporary society, the pope wrote, “women’s dignity has often been unacknowledged and their prerogatives misrepresented; they have often been relegated to the margins of society and even reduced to servitude. This has prevented women from truly being themselves and it has resulted in a spiritual impoverishment of humanity.” The pope, on the contrary, encouraged view ..read more

The first Capuchin Poor Clares who set foot in the Mile-High city to stay arrived on the chilly morning of Nov. 17, 1988, from the Mexican city of Irapuato. Ten sisters had been chosen from among the numerous 42 members that resided in their former monastery, and they were ready to establish the third monastery of Capuchin Poor Clares in the country. Thirty years later, they say they are overall grateful for the help and support they have received from people, and in their gratitude celebrated a Mass for their anniversary presided by Archbishop Samuel J. Aquila at Our Lady of Light Monastery i ..read more

As a means of supporting their cloistered community, Denver’s Capuchin Poor Clare sisters bake and sell homemade butter cookies, known as Clarisa’s Cookies—a popular item for Christmas giving. Proceeds from the cookies—made on-site at Our Lady of Light Monastery, in four flavors: coconut, orange, cinnamon and vanilla—will also help fund the nuns’ plans to move the monastery from its current urban location in the Highlands neighborhood, to a more tranquil location conducive to their monastic lifestyle. Earlier this year, the Poor Clares purchased a 35-acre property surrounded by farmland on the ..read more