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Feast Day: December 9
Birth: June 25, 1697
Blessed Clara Isabella Fornari, also known as Anna Felicia Fornari and Chiara Fornari, was born on 25 June 1697 in Rome, Italy. At the young age of 15, she entered the Poor Clares of Todi, Italy as a novice and shortly after, at the age of 16, she took her vows under the name Clara Isabella.
Clara Isabella possessed a deep spirituality and was blessed with numerous ecstatic visions throughout her life. During these mystical encounters, she reported seeing Jesus, Our Lady, Saint Clare of Assisi, and Saint Catherine of Siena. In one particularly profound vision, Jesus placed a ring on Clara Isabella's finger, declaring her his "spouse of sorrow."
Alongside her spiritual experiences, Clara Isabella also bore the physical marks of Christ's suffering. She exhibited stigmata, constantly bearing the marks of his wounds, and periodically experiencing bleeding from these wounds. Additionally, Clara Isabella carried the weight of a mystical crown of thorns upon her head. These thorns remained invisible but grew through her skin, causing great pain until they eventually emerged, leaving her with open, bleeding wounds.
The constant physical pain she endured took a toll on Clara Isabella's mental and emotional well-being. She battled depression and despair, at times even succumbing to the temptation of apostasy and thoughts of suicide. In her final years, she lost the memories of her earlier consoling visits from Heaven, plunging her further into darkness. However, shortly before her death, Clara Isabella experienced a restoration of those joyful memories and rekindled her joy in God. In this renewed state, she passed from this life into the next, finding peace in her union with God.
Although Blessed Clara Isabella Fornari's representation is not mentioned, her life and devotion have been commemorated on December 9th, the day of her death. While Clara Isabella's cause for beatification is not specified, her exceptional spiritual experiences and enduring faith are sources of inspiration and devotion for many. Her life offers an example of the profound suffering and resilience found in the lives of certain mystics and favored souls in the Catholic tradition.