In the year 1240, Assisi was under threat.
A wave of Saracen mercenaries, hired by Emperor Frederick II, descended on Italy. Ruthless and violent, they approached the peaceful convent of San Damiano just outside the city walls—home to St. Clare of Assisi and her community of Poor Clares. The sisters had no weapons, no soldiers, and no real way to defend themselves. But Clare knew where her strength came from.
As enemy forces drew near, Clare did something extraordinary: she took the Blessed Sacrament—Christ Himself, present in the Eucharist—and held it high at the convent gates. What happened next is one of the most powerful and overlooked stories in Catholic history.
This was not just a tale of medieval courage. It was a bold demonstration of Eucharistic faith, the kind of belief the Church is calling Catholics to rediscover during this time of Eucharistic Revival. St. Clare’s act wasn’t dramatic for drama’s sake—it was a declaration that prayer and the Real Presence of Christ are not passive things. They are weapons.
Let’s look closer at what happened that day, what it meant and why it still matters now.
Assisi Under Attack
St. Clare had been living a life of radical poverty, prayer and devotion since leaving her wealthy family to follow the path of St. Francis. She and her sisters lived a cloistered life at San Damiano. Their mission was simple but demanding — serve Christ through poverty, prayer and penance.
That mission was violently disrupted in 1240 when imperial troops advanced toward Assisi. These mercenaries, known for looting and burning churches, turned toward San Damiano. Word came quickly—soldiers were approaching and the convent was an easy target.
The sisters were terrified. Many wept, preparing for martyrdom or worse.
Clare didn’t panic.
Clare Trusted the Power of the Eucharist
Clare instructed the sisters to bring her the monstrance containing the Blessed Sacrament from the chapel. Though gravely ill and bedridden at the time, she insisted on being carried to the entrance of the convent, holding the Eucharist in her hands.
Facing the enemy with the Body of Christ raised high, she prayed aloud:
“Does it please You, Lord, to deliver into the hands of these beasts the defenseless children I have nourished with Your love? I beg You, Lord, protect these women whom I cannot protect.”
Then something happened.
The advancing soldiers—armed, aggressive and confident—suddenly froze. Panic overtook them. One by one, they turned and fled. Not a single one laid a hand on the sisters. Not a single sword was drawn. The convent was spared.
Clare credited Christ alone. She never took personal credit, only pointing to the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist as the source of their protection.
The Faith That Moves Armies
It’s easy to dismiss this story as legend, but Clare’s biographers—contemporaries who knew her personally—recorded it as fact. Pope Alexander IV later confirmed her sanctity and cited this miracle as one of many signs of her deep holiness.
But the real lesson isn’t just about what happened, it’s about what it reveals.
St. Clare didn’t just believe in the Eucharist. She acted on it.
She didn’t see the Blessed Sacrament as a symbol or sacred object. She understood it as Jesus Christ Himself—body, blood, soul and divinity. When faced with real evil, her instinct wasn’t to run or fight. It was to take Christ directly into the battle.
This is Eucharistic faith. And it’s the same faith the Church is calling us to rediscover now.
Why This Still Matters Today
We may not face armies at the gates, but we are in a battle—spiritually, culturally and morally.
Families are under attack. Young people are walking away from the Church. Many Catholics don’t even believe in the Real Presence anymore. The Eucharist has become routine for some and irrelevant for others.
The Church’s Eucharistic Revival isn’t about staging big events. It’s about restoring the clarity and conviction that St. Clare had—that Christ in the Eucharist is not just holy, but powerful. That the Eucharist is not something we consume passively, but someone we stand behind.
St. Clare stood firm with nothing but the Eucharist in her hands. Her bold act of prayer didn’t just protect her sisters—it pointed the Church toward a deeper truth: that prayer, backed by the Real Presence, can change everything.
Putting Eucharistic Faith into Action
The story of St. Clare isn’t meant to be admired from a distance. It’s meant to inspire action.
Here are three ways to follow her example today:
1. Believe it like she did.
If you struggle with belief in the Real Presence, ask for the grace to believe. Start reading church teaching on the Eucharist. Ask questions. Pray in Adoration, even if it feels dry.
2. Protect your home with prayer.
Clare’s convent was her spiritual home. She covered it with prayer. You can do the same in your home—daily prayer, blessings, family Rosary and Scripture reading create a spiritual shield.
3. Spend time with Christ in the Eucharist.
Find Adoration near you. Set a regular time to go. Even if it’s 15 minutes a week, be consistent. Bring your fears, your family and your needs to Him. He’s not a symbol—He’s your King.
Support the Work of the Franciscan Foundation for the Holy Land
St. Clare’s faith was formed in the land where Christ walked.
Today, Christians in the Holy Land—especially in places like Bethlehem, Jerusalem and Nazareth—face immense pressure including political instability, economic hardship and the slow erosion of Christian presence due to emigration and persecution.
The Franciscan Foundation for the Holy Land (FFHL) is fighting to keep Christianity alive in the land where Jesus was born, died and rose. FFHL provides education, housing, job opportunities and spiritual support to families who remain rooted in their faith and heritage.
Just as Clare held up the Eucharist to defend her sisters, the Franciscans are holding up hope for a future where Christianity remains present in the Holy Land.
If this story stirred something in you—if you believe in the power of prayer, the truth of the Eucharist and the witness of Franciscan faith—support their mission.
Your donation helps form the next generation of Christian leaders in the Holy Land. It protects the places and people that still bear witness to the life of Christ. And it continues the work of St. Clare—courageous, prayerful and Eucharistic to the core.
