Suor Clara Carlitti, SFP

March 12, 1936 – April 11, 2024

Sr. Clara Carlitti, whose baptismal name was Maria Giuseppa, was born on March 12, 1936, in Tufillo, in the province of Chieti (Abruzzo), to her parents Nicola and Albina. She was baptized in her parish, San Raffaele Arcangelo. She had two younger brothers, Enrico and Franco, whom she cared for from childhood.
She entered the Congregation of the Franciscan Sisters of the Poor on May 21, 1952. On May 31, 1955, she professed her First Vows, and on August 12, 1960, she made her Perpetual Profession.  
During her Temporary Profession, she received a Certificate in Sewing, which she put to use embroidering the crosses on the scapulars of the sisters’ habits with special precision and skill. In 1962, she took a Course for Teachers sanctioned by the Ministry of Public Education and obtained her Diploma in Religion from the Vicariate of Rome.
Sr. Clara devoted her life as a Franciscan Sister of the Poor to the service of her sisters in the community where she lived, mostly in Rome and Vermicino, with a brief time spent in Riozzo, in the province of Milan, and in Messina.
In 1969 in Vermicino, in the large Maria Immacolata Convent, she employed her energies in the laundry and in caring for children in the nursery school. Following this, she lived in the Regional House in Monteverde for three years, where she dedicated herself to cooking. She then transferred to the Santa Chiara Community in Messina, where she saw to the needs of the sisters and offered her time for the poor while visiting families in need for nine years.  
In 1986 she returned to Rome and lived in the communities in Monteverde and Vermicino. She took care of her sick mother with dedication, remaining by her side until the end and continuing to give her time and work to the sisters of the community. For several years, she works in the laundry of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate, taking into her heart the young religious in formation.
In 2007, she returned to Casa Schervier, where she began to dedicate herself to prayer ministry while also helping with the ironing in the Casetta Nova community. She always had a passion and special attention for the younger women whom she loved and spoiled by cooking them a good meal, sharing sweets, and praying for their vocations. Sr. Clara had a good and generous soul and lived the mission of prayer with great devotion. She had a special relationship with the Virgin Mary to whom she entrusted all the intentions of the Congregation and the needs of poor and suffering humanity.
Sr. Clara was a humble and simple soul who knew how to rejoice in the little things. Her maternal touch gave attention and help to those in need who approached her. In October 2015, she moved to the Pio X nursing facility of the Daughters of St. Mary of Providence (Guanellian Sisters) in Rome, welcoming with an open heart the mission to be near Sr. Rosamaria, who had been disabled after a serious accident.
When we went to see her, it was always a celebration. She welcomed us with her smile and often gifted us with her wisdom. She was a very affable person and made herself loved by everyone: she amazed us and we were edified by the circle of tenderness and love that she succeeded in creating around her with the workers, the nurses, and the Guanellian Sisters, which confirms that she carried the charism of Mother Francis with her fragile and suffering presence.
Sr. Clara always had a great love for the Congregation and for the poor, carrying above all in her heart the young generations, whom she supported and counseled and for whom she prayed incessantly. She loved her family, particularly her beloved brothers Franco and Enrico, who preceded her in Heaven in 2021, and her dear nieces, nephews, great-nieces, and great-nephews.
Thank you, Sr. Clara, for your testimony of faithful sequela.
We are moved by a holy card that we found on which you wrote in your handwriting, “Jesus says: Learn from me for I am gentle and humble in heart.” We feel that you profoundly lived this invitation from Jesus and that you now leave it to us as our inheritance for the journey.
Thank you for your simplicity and goodness, for the humble service you gave to all of us with dedication, and for the sweet smile with which you always welcomed us. You lived as a true Franciscan Sister of the Poor. May Mother Frances welcome you into her arms in Heaven.

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The following are some testimonials from our Sisters and Associates who remember with affection Sr. Clara Carlitti:

While serving in leadership, I had the pleasure and privilege to regularly visit Sr. Clara in the nursing facility in Rome. In her early days at the facility, when she was able to easily communicate, whenever I encountered her, she would lovingly say, “you are Americana”. With those words, her eyes would light up and a big smile would suddenly appear on her face. These brief encounters with Sr. Clara were like warm sunshine for me. Like her name, Clara, she offered a quiet light to our world. May she now know the fullness of Light forever!
Sr. Marilyn Trowbridge, SFP

You were one of the first stars to illuminate the life of Frances Schervier in Italy! Thank you for your life lived in Franciscan simplicity!  May Mother Frances welcome you and lead you to the Lord, our Spouse, for the eternal prize! Thank you, Sr. Clara!
Sr. Francesca Atorino, SFP

I am sorry for the sad separation but I thank God for Sr. Clara’s life. For me she has been a mother who looked after the good of others. She illuminated me with her simplicity and humility by always placing others first. Her generosity drove her to share what she had. She was very respectful with everyone. I remember her love for the Congregation and her constant prayer.
Thank you, Sr. Clara. Your entire life has been a beautiful testament.  
Sr. Marie Augustine Ndione, SFP

I wish to thank the Lord for the great gift that Sr. Clara has been in my life. Her thoughtful and attentive love toward everyone always enchanted me. I was able to attend to her in the last week of her life, and it was a blessing to me. She suffered and offered silently. She created around her a circle of love, and it was edifying to see how all the workers in the nursing facility loved her. She received affection, care, and attention. Everything that she had given in her life was given back to her. I am certain that she is now in Heaven and is smiling among the angels and saints.
Thank you, Sr. Clara, for your honest faith, for your testimony of a charism lived to the end. You gave and received…for me you are an example of generativity.
Sr. Loredana Giugliano, SFP

Time shared with Sr. Clara was always light and happy. Working with her in the ironing gave me the opportunity to listen to her stories about the good and wonderful things she had experienced in her long life as a Franciscan Sister of the poor. Being with her gave me light and courage to continue my journey.
I will never forget the joy in her eyes when she spoke about her love for babies and children and of her trip to Jerusalem.   
For me she is the example of a sister who learned how to live daily life while looking after her relationship with the Lord, in service and Franciscan cheerfulness.
Sr. Maria Chiara Ferrari, SFP

I never had the pleasure of knowing Sr. Clara well. We always greeted one another during the assemblies and smiled at one another. I will remember her sincere eyes, in love with humanity.
Associate SFP Gigi Sapone

Pubblished: May 23, 2024