How did St. Clare of Assisi and St. Francis of Assisi work together to found the Poor Clares?

St. Clare of Assisi and St. Francis of Assisi cofounded the Poor Clares in 1212. Their collaboration was rooted in Clare’s decision to become a follower of Francis, embracing his ideals of evangelical poverty and a life of prayer and penance.213

Under Francis’s guidance, Clare and her early followers were established at the church of San Damiano in Assisi. This community adopted a life of total, cloistered poverty that mirrored the spirit of the Franciscan order. While Francis provided the initial spiritual direction and support for the community, Clare was the founder who established the order's specific rule. Her rule, which emphasized "perfect poverty" and forbade the ownership of property by the community, was ultimately approved by Pope Innocent IV in 1253. Together, they established the second of the three Franciscan orders, creating a lasting legacy of contemplative, austere religious life within the Roman Catholic Church.4123