Clare was born in 1194 to a noble family in Assisi and as a young woman, listened to the words of Francis. Through conversations with Francis, she perceived her own call from God and on Palm Sunday 1212 Clare left her family and joined the Friars, as the first Franciscan woman, in their work. Clare and Francis brought new meaning to religious life: a prophetic vision, serving the poor and marginalized. Soon other women joined her and gave feminine expression to the Franciscan way of life. She established what is known today as the Second Order of St. Francis, the Poor Clares. The “Privilege (vow) of Poverty” was uppermost in her life and was the basis for her first Rule that outlined the way of life for her sisters.