Saint Colette of Corbie
Saint Colette of Corbie (born January 13, 1381 AD in Corbie, Picardy, France; died March 6, 1447 AD in Ghent, Belgium) was a French Poor Clare nun who reformed the Order of Poor Clares throughout France, Savoy, and Flanders, restoring the original rule of Saint Clare in its full rigor. She founded seventeen new convents and reformed another dozen. She was canonized by Pope Pius II in 1807. Her feast day is March 6.
Stored in Cargo: Saint Colette of Corbie
| Saint Colette of Corbie | |
|---|---|
| Feast Day | March 06 |
| Profession | Franciscan tertiary; Poor Clare nun; reformer of the Poor Clares (Colettine reform); founder of 17 new convents; hermit (brief period); reformer of approximately 14 existing convents |
| Rel. Affiliation | Catholic Church; Poor Clares (Order of Saint Clare); Colettine Poor Clares (her reform branch); Franciscan family; 15th-century monastic reform; Picard-Flemish Christianity |
| Patronage | Poor Clares; Franciscan tertiaries; women seeking to restore discipline; expectant mothers (for her childhood — she was born on the feast of Nicholas after her parents had prayed to him for a child); children in danger of death; France; Picardy; Flanders |
| Attributes | Poor Clare brown/grey habit; a lamb (her meekness); the Franciscan tau cross; a model of a convent (her foundations); the Rule of Saint Clare (the text she restored); a lily or flowers; an infant or child (the raising of three dead children) |
| Birthplace | Corbie, Picardy, France |
| Death Place | Ghent, Flanders (modern Belgium) |
| Cause of Death | Natural death; died March 6, 1447 AD, in Ghent, Belgium, at the Poor Clare convent she had reformed there; she was 66 years old; she had been reforming and founding Poor Clare convents throughout France, Savoy, and Flanders for approximately 40 years; she was surrounded by her sisters at her death; her body was transferred after her death and is now in the Poor Clare convent at Poligny, France; she was beatified 1740, canonized 1807 |
| Primary Shrine | Poor Clare Convent of Poligny, Jura, France — her relics; March 6 feast; Colettine motherhouse; active Poor Clare community; French pilgrimage |
| Liturgical Class | Optional Memorial (Roman Rite); March 6; Feast in Poor Clare Order and France |
| Historic Class | Double (March 6) in 1962 calendar |
Biography
Nicolette Boellet was born January 13, 1381, in Corbie, Picardy, the daughter of the abbey carpenter. She was named after the abbey patron Saint Nicholas. Orphaned young, she became a Franciscan tertiary at 18 and attempted to live as a recluse near her church.
After three years she received a vision instructing her to reform the Poor Clares to their original austerity. She obtained a papal mandate from Benedict XIII (1406) authorizing her to found and reform Poor Clare convents.
For forty years she traveled throughout France, Savoy, and Flanders — restoring the original rule of Saint Clare in its full rigor, including absolute poverty. She founded seventeen new convents and reformed approximately fourteen existing ones. Her reformed convents became the "Colettine" branch of the Poor Clares.
She died March 6, 1447, in Ghent. Her relics are at Poligny, France, the motherhouse of her reform. She was beatified 1740 and canonized by Pope Pius VII in 1807.
Significant locations
Legend
Birth location: Corbie, Picardy, France
Death location: Ghent, Flanders (modern Belgium)
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Parishes
No parishes dedicated to Colette of Corbie have been added to the database yet.
Media
| Media | Length | AuthorCreator |
|---|---|---|
| Story of Saint Colette of Corbie | Stories of Saints | Episode 165 | 5–15 minutes | Christian Family TV |
Shrines
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Known shrines
- Poor Clare Convent of Poligny, Jura, France — her relics; March 6 feast; Colettine motherhouse.
Feast day
March 6
Veneration
Saint Colette of Corbie was a 15th-century French Poor Clare who reformed the Order of Saint Clare throughout France, Savoy, and Flanders, restoring the primitive rule and founding 17 new convents over 40 years. The Colettine Poor Clares continue her reform worldwide. Canonized 1807. Feast March 6.
Prayers
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