Saint Colette
Encyclopedia
Saint Colette born Nicolette Boylet (or Boellet), was an abbess
and the foundress of the Colettine Poor Clares, a reform movement of the nun
s of the Order of Saint Clare (the Clarisses).
in Picardy
, in January 1381, her father, Robert Boellet, was the carpenter of the famous Benedictine Abbey of Corbie
. Her mother's name was Marguerite Moyon. After her parents died in 1399, she joined the Beguines but found their manner of life unchallenging. She received the religious habit
of a tertiary
of the Franciscan
order in 1402, and became a hermit
under the direction of the Abbot of Corbie, living near the abbey church. After four years of following this ascetic way of life, from 1402 to 1406, through several dreams and visions, she believed that she was being called to reform the Poor Clares, and return it to its original Franciscan ideals of absolute poverty and austerity.
In October 1406, she turned to the Antipope Benedict XIII
of Avignon who was recognized in France as the rightful pope. Benedict received her in NICE, in South FRANCE, and allowed her to enter the Franciscan order of Poor Clares and empowered her by several Papal Bull
s, issued between 1406 and 1412, to found new monasteries
and complete the reform of the order.
With the approval of the Countess of Geneva
and the aid of the Franciscan itinerant preacher, Henry of Beaume (her confessor and spiritual guide), Colette began her work at Beaume
, in the diocese of Geneva. She remained there a short time. In 1410, she opened at Besançon
her first monastery
in an almost-abandoned house of Urbanist Poor Clares. Thence her reform spread to Auxonne
(1412), to Poligny
(1415), to Ghent
(1412), to Heidelberg
(1444), to Amiens
, and to other communities of Poor Clares. To the seventeen monasteries founded during her lifetime must be added another begun by her at Pont-à-Mousson
in Lorraine. For the monasteries which followed her reform, she prescribed extreme poverty, going barefoot, and the observance of perpetual fast and abstinence.
During the Council of Constance
she wrote to disavow Benedict, and during the Council of Basel she wrote to ask the bishops to withdraw.
She also inaugurated a reform among the Franciscan friars (the Coletani), not to be confounded with the Observants. These Coletani remained obedient to the authority of the provincial of the Franciscan convents, and never attained much importance, even in France. In 1448 they had only thirteen convents, and—together with other small branches of the Order of Friars Minor--were suppressed in 1517 by Leo X
.
In addition to the strict rules of the Poor Clares, the Colettines follow their special constitutions sanctioned in 1434 by the then-Minister General
of the friars, William of Casale, and approved in 1448 by Pope Nicholas V
, in 1458 by Pope Pius II
, and in 1482 by Pope Sixtus IV
.
Colette died at Ghent
in March 1447. She was beatified 23 January 1740, and canonized 24 May 1807. The Colettine nuns are found today, outside of France, in Belgium
, Germany
, Spain
, England
, and the United States
.
Abbess
An abbess is the female superior, or mother superior, of a community of nuns, often an abbey....
and the foundress of the Colettine Poor Clares, a reform movement of the nun
Nun
A nun is a woman who has taken vows committing her to live a spiritual life. She may be an ascetic who voluntarily chooses to leave mainstream society and live her life in prayer and contemplation in a monastery or convent...
s of the Order of Saint Clare (the Clarisses).
Life
Born in CorbieCorbie
Corbie is a commune of the Somme department in Picardie in northern France.-Geography:The small town is situated up river from Amiens, in the département of Somme and is the main town of the canton of Corbie. It lies in the valley of the River Somme, at the confluence of the River Ancre. The town...
in Picardy
Picardy
This article is about the historical French province. For other uses, see Picardy .Picardy is a historical province of France, in the north of France...
, in January 1381, her father, Robert Boellet, was the carpenter of the famous Benedictine Abbey of Corbie
Corbie Abbey
Corbie Abbey is a former Benedictine monastery in Corbie, Picardy, France, dedicated to Saint Peter.-Foundation:It was founded in about 659/661 under Merovingian royal patronage by Balthild, widow of Clovis II, and her son Clotaire III...
. Her mother's name was Marguerite Moyon. After her parents died in 1399, she joined the Beguines but found their manner of life unchallenging. She received the religious habit
Religious habit
A religious habit is a distinctive set of garments worn by members of a religious order. Traditionally some plain garb recognisable as a religious habit has also been worn by those leading the religious eremitic and anachoritic life, although in their case without conformity to a particular uniform...
of a tertiary
Tertiaries
Tertiaries may mean either:* associations of lay Christians connected with the mendicant and other religious Orders, i.e. Third orders* a bird's hand i.e. remiges....
of the Franciscan
Franciscan
Most Franciscans are members of Roman Catholic religious orders founded by Saint Francis of Assisi. Besides Roman Catholic communities, there are also Old Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, ecumenical and Non-denominational Franciscan communities....
order in 1402, and became a hermit
Hermit
A hermit is a person who lives, to some degree, in seclusion from society.In Christianity, the term was originally applied to a Christian who lives the eremitic life out of a religious conviction, namely the Desert Theology of the Old Testament .In the...
under the direction of the Abbot of Corbie, living near the abbey church. After four years of following this ascetic way of life, from 1402 to 1406, through several dreams and visions, she believed that she was being called to reform the Poor Clares, and return it to its original Franciscan ideals of absolute poverty and austerity.
In October 1406, she turned to the Antipope Benedict XIII
Antipope Benedict XIII
Benedict XIII, born Pedro Martínez de Luna y Pérez de Gotor , known as in Spanish, was an Aragonese nobleman, who is officially considered by the Catholic Church to be an antipope....
of Avignon who was recognized in France as the rightful pope. Benedict received her in NICE, in South FRANCE, and allowed her to enter the Franciscan order of Poor Clares and empowered her by several Papal Bull
Papal bull
A Papal bull is a particular type of letters patent or charter issued by a Pope of the Catholic Church. It is named after the bulla that was appended to the end in order to authenticate it....
s, issued between 1406 and 1412, to found new monasteries
Monastery
Monastery denotes the building, or complex of buildings, that houses a room reserved for prayer as well as the domestic quarters and workplace of monastics, whether monks or nuns, and whether living in community or alone .Monasteries may vary greatly in size – a small dwelling accommodating only...
and complete the reform of the order.
With the approval of the Countess of Geneva
Count of Geneva
The County of Geneva, largely corresponding to the later Genevois province, originated in the tenth century, in the Burgundian Kingdom of Arles which fell to the Holy Roman Empire in 1032.-History:...
and the aid of the Franciscan itinerant preacher, Henry of Beaume (her confessor and spiritual guide), Colette began her work at Beaume
Beaume
-Several communes in France:*La Beaume, arrondissement of Gap, Hautes-Alpes*La Haute-Beaume, arrondissement of Gap, Hautes-Alpes*Beaumes-de-Venise, a canton of the Arrondissement of Carpentras, Vaucluse *Beaumettes, also a canton of Carpentras.*Beaumé, a commune in the...
, in the diocese of Geneva. She remained there a short time. In 1410, she opened at Besançon
Besançon
Besançon , is the capital and principal city of the Franche-Comté region in eastern France. It had a population of about 237,000 inhabitants in the metropolitan area in 2008...
her first monastery
Monastery
Monastery denotes the building, or complex of buildings, that houses a room reserved for prayer as well as the domestic quarters and workplace of monastics, whether monks or nuns, and whether living in community or alone .Monasteries may vary greatly in size – a small dwelling accommodating only...
in an almost-abandoned house of Urbanist Poor Clares. Thence her reform spread to Auxonne
Auxonne
Auxonne is a commune in the Côte-d'Or department in Bourgogne in eastern France.Auxonne is one of the sites of the defensive structures of Vauban, clearly seen from the train bridge as it enters the Auxonne SNCF train station on the Dijon - Besançon train line. It also was home to the Artillery...
(1412), to Poligny
Poligny
Poligny is the name of several communes in France:* Poligny, Hautes-Alpes, in the Hautes-Alpes département* Poligny, Aube, in the Aube département* Poligny, Jura, in the Jura département...
(1415), to Ghent
Ghent
Ghent is a city and a municipality located in the Flemish region of Belgium. It is the capital and biggest city of the East Flanders province. The city started as a settlement at the confluence of the Rivers Scheldt and Lys and in the Middle Ages became one of the largest and richest cities of...
(1412), to Heidelberg
Heidelberg
-Early history:Between 600,000 and 200,000 years ago, "Heidelberg Man" died at nearby Mauer. His jaw bone was discovered in 1907; with scientific dating, his remains were determined to be the earliest evidence of human life in Europe. In the 5th century BC, a Celtic fortress of refuge and place of...
(1444), to Amiens
Amiens
Amiens is a city and commune in northern France, north of Paris and south-west of Lille. It is the capital of the Somme department in Picardy...
, and to other communities of Poor Clares. To the seventeen monasteries founded during her lifetime must be added another begun by her at Pont-à-Mousson
Pont-à-Mousson
Pont-à-Mousson is a commune in the Meurthe-et-Moselle department in north-eastern France.Population : 14,592 . It is an industrial town , situated on the Moselle River...
in Lorraine. For the monasteries which followed her reform, she prescribed extreme poverty, going barefoot, and the observance of perpetual fast and abstinence.
During the Council of Constance
Council of Constance
The Council of Constance is the 15th ecumenical council recognized by the Roman Catholic Church, held from 1414 to 1418. The council ended the Three-Popes Controversy, by deposing or accepting the resignation of the remaining Papal claimants and electing Pope Martin V.The Council also condemned and...
she wrote to disavow Benedict, and during the Council of Basel she wrote to ask the bishops to withdraw.
She also inaugurated a reform among the Franciscan friars (the Coletani), not to be confounded with the Observants. These Coletani remained obedient to the authority of the provincial of the Franciscan convents, and never attained much importance, even in France. In 1448 they had only thirteen convents, and—together with other small branches of the Order of Friars Minor--were suppressed in 1517 by Leo X
Pope Leo X
Pope Leo X , born Giovanni di Lorenzo de' Medici, was the Pope from 1513 to his death in 1521. He was the last non-priest to be elected Pope. He is known for granting indulgences for those who donated to reconstruct St. Peter's Basilica and his challenging of Martin Luther's 95 Theses...
.
In addition to the strict rules of the Poor Clares, the Colettines follow their special constitutions sanctioned in 1434 by the then-Minister General
Minister general
Minister General is the term used for the Superior General of the different branches of the Franciscan Order. It is a term exclusive to them, and comes directly from its founder, St. Francis of Assisi....
of the friars, William of Casale, and approved in 1448 by Pope Nicholas V
Pope Nicholas V
Pope Nicholas V , born Tommaso Parentucelli, was Pope from March 6, 1447 to his death in 1455.-Biography:He was born at Sarzana, Liguria, where his father was a physician...
, in 1458 by Pope Pius II
Pope Pius II
Pope Pius II, born Enea Silvio Piccolomini was Pope from August 19, 1458 until his death in 1464. Pius II was born at Corsignano in the Sienese territory of a noble but decayed family...
, and in 1482 by Pope Sixtus IV
Pope Sixtus IV
Pope Sixtus IV , born Francesco della Rovere, was Pope from 1471 to 1484. His accomplishments as Pope included the establishment of the Sistine Chapel; the group of artists that he brought together introduced the Early Renaissance into Rome with the first masterpiece of the city's new artistic age,...
.
Colette died at Ghent
Ghent
Ghent is a city and a municipality located in the Flemish region of Belgium. It is the capital and biggest city of the East Flanders province. The city started as a settlement at the confluence of the Rivers Scheldt and Lys and in the Middle Ages became one of the largest and richest cities of...
in March 1447. She was beatified 23 January 1740, and canonized 24 May 1807. The Colettine nuns are found today, outside of France, in Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.