St. Colette

St. Colette was born on January 13, 1381 in Picardy, France. She went through a succession of religious orders seeking her true place and finally decided to reform the Poor Clares who had grown lax. She founded seventeen convents of Colettine Poor Clares (Clarisses), and initiated a reform of the Franciscan friars (the Coletani), but the reform of the male order did not spread very widely and was suppressed in 1417; the Colettine Poor Clares are still in existence. Colette was renowned for her sanctity and many miracles were attributed to her during her life. Her order practices the primitive rule of the Poor Clares. Colette died on March 6, 1447 at Ghent, Belgium and was canonized in 1807.