There were a number of women who joined the Second Order of St. Francis, but the first and most famous was St. Clare (c. 1194-1253). The daughter of a wealthy and noble family, she heard St. Francis preach about his rule of poverty and penance and, at the age of 18, left home to dedicate herself to the Franciscan way of life. Other women, referred to as the Poor Ladies, were eventually drawn to the hard life that Clare had chosen, and the religious order that she and Francis founded is known today as the Poor Clares ( see also St. Francis of Assisi, Feast Day of ). Clare outlived Francis, who died in 1226, by 27 years. SOURCES:AnnivHol-2000, p. 134OxYear-1999, p. 329