Clare Crockett

Clare Crockett was born in Derry in Northern Ireland.{{cite web|url = https://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/ceremony-marks-step-towards-sainthood-for-northern-ireland-nun-1716707.html | work = breakingnews.ie | publisher = Irish Times DAC | title = Ceremony marks step towards sainthood for Northern Ireland nun | date = 21 January 2025 | accessdate = 1 April 2025 | first = Cillian | last = Sherlock }} As a young child she loved to act and be with her friends.{{Cite web |url=https://www.sisterclare.com/en/her-life/biography/1302-idiomas/english/sister-clare/sr-clare |title=Sister Clare – Sister Clare and Companions |website=sisterclare.com|access-date=1 June 2021}} In secondary school she was most passionate about literature and theatre. She was a very lively student and played the class clown at times. She joined an acting agency at 14 and got her first job at 15. She worked as a theatre actor, writer and director, and as a TV presenter for Channel 4, and was offered a position at Nickelodeon which she turned down. She was a self-confessed wild child during her teenage years and loved to go partying.{{Cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gFQ0BpNXsXQ |title=Sr. Clare Crockett's Testimony at WYD 2011 |via=youtube.com|access-date=1 June 2021}} She wanted to be an actress from a very young age, and landed a small part in the 2002 film Sunday, about the events of Bloody Sunday in Derry in 1972.{{cite web |last1=Carty |first1=Ed |title=Sister Clare Crockett: From 'wild' teen to selfless sister |url=http://www.irishnews.com/news/northernirelandnews/2016/04/18/news/sister-clare-crockett-from-wild-teen-to-selfless-sister-491013/ |website=The Irish News |accessdate=20 May 2020 |language=en |date=18 April 2016}}

After a religious experience in Spain on Good Friday 2000, she felt called to religious life. She felt confirmation of her call in the months afterwards, including from a priest at World Youth Day 2000 who told her surprising details of her childhood.{{cite book |author=Sr Kristen Gardner, SHM |title=Sr. Clare Crockett. Alone with Christ Alone |publisher=EUK Mamie Foundation |date=2020 |isbn=978-8409232468 |pages=55–56 (Kindle edition)}} During her final school year she felt torn between her worldly life and her call to vocation, and her worldly life seemed to be winning out. However, further religious experiences and the continued feeling of having a call helped convince her.{{cite book |author=Sr Kristen Gardner, SHM |title=Sr. Clare Crockett. Alone with Christ Alone |publisher=EUK Mamie Foundation |date=2020 |isbn=978-8409232468 |pages=59–63 (Kindle edition)}} In summer 2001 she went back to the convent of the Servant Sisters of the Home of the Mother (S.H.M.) in Spain, where she took the name Sister Clare Maria of the Trinity and the Heart of Mary.

She worked in Spain, the United States and Ecuador, doing pastoral care duties, hospital chaplaincy, teaching and missionary outreach. She was known for her interpersonal skills and was much loved by her pupils.{{Cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kxy4Hjfpi7U&t=1486s|title= Sr. Clare Crockett Interview with Sr. Grace Silao |via=youtube.com|access-date=13 November 2023}} As part of her work, she voiced the character of Lucy{{Cite web |url=https://www.sisterclare.com/en/multimedia/videos/9506-lucy-and-forgiveness |title=Lucy and Forgiveness – Sister Clare and Companions |website=sisterclare.com|access-date=1 June 2021}} in the children's series "Hi Lucy" which aired on EWTN for many years.{{Cite web |url=https://www.sisterclare.com/en/latest-articles/item/746-fb-etwn |title=Sr. Clare on EWTN's Facebook – Sister Clare and Companions |website=sisterclare.com|access-date=1 June 2021}}

It was still showing as "Lucy and Friends"{{Cite web |url=https://www.ewtn.com/tv/shows/lucy-and-friends |title=Lucy and Friends|website=ewtn.com|access-date=20 May 2023 }} on their Europe{{Cite web |url=https://www.ewtn.com/tv/weekly-grid/europe |title=EWTN Europe TV Schedule|website=ewtn.com|access-date=20 May 2023 }} and Asia-Pacific{{Cite web |url=https://www.ewtn.com/tv/weekly-grid/asia-pacific |title=EWTN Asia-Pacific TV Schedule|website=ewtn.com|access-date=20 May 2023 }} TV channels as of May 2023.

File:2023 Picture of the headstone on Sister Clare Crockett's grave in the new, lower area of Derry City Cemetery on Lone Moor Road.jpg

On 16 April 2016, while she was playing the guitar and singing with her companions, the house where she was staying collapsed due to the 2016 Ecuador earthquake.{{cite web |title=Biography |url=https://www.sisterclare.com/en/her-life/biography | website = sisterclare.com |accessdate=20 May 2020 |language=en |date=2019}} Hours later she was found lifeless under the rubble. She died due to multiple injuries in Playa Prieta, a community of Riochico, Portoviejo, Ecuador.{{cite web |last1=McDonald |first1=Henry |title=Derry nun among those killed in Ecuador earthquake |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/apr/18/derry-nun-sister-clare-theresa-crockett-killed-ecuador-earthquake |website=The Guardian |accessdate=20 May 2020 |language=en |date=18 April 2016}}{{cite web |last1=White |first1=Stephen |title=UK nun killed trying to save friends from Ecuador earthquake |url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/uk-nun-who-gave-up-7784215 |website=Daily Mirror |accessdate=20 May 2020 |language=en |date=18 April 2016}}{{cite web |title=Tragic nun who died in Ecuador earthquake gave up wild teenage lifestyle to help the poor |url=https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/irish-abroad/tragic-nun-who-died-in-ecuador-earthquake-gave-up-wild-teenage-lifestyle-to-help-the-poor-34637296.html |website=Irish Independent |accessdate=20 May 2020 |language=en |date=18 April 2016}}

Her remains were flown from Ecuador two weeks after her death back to her home town of Derry and were buried in the new area of the City Cemetery on Lone Moor Road,{{Cite web |url=https://www.sisterclare.com/en/her-life/her-tomb |title=Her Tomb – Sister Clare and Companions |website=sisterclare.com|access-date=1 June 2021}} at her funeral, she was described as an "inspirational example of womanhood".{{Cite web |url=https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/northern-ireland/sister-clare-crockett-was-an-inspirational-example-of-womanhood-mourners-at-funeral-of-ecuador-earthquake-tragedy-nun-hear-34676147.html |title=Sister Clare Crockett was an 'inspirational example of womanhood' mourners at funeral of Ecuador earthquake tragedy nun hear |via=belfasttelegraph.co.uk|access-date=1 June 2021 | first = Joanne |last = Fleming }}

Her story has been covered in several formats,{{cite book |author=Sr Kristen Gardner, SHM |title=Sr. Clare Crockett. Alone with Christ Alone |publisher=EUK Mamie Foundation |date=2020 |isbn=978-8409232468 |page=339 (Kindle edition)}} The movie All or Nothing documents her life.{{cite web |title=All or Nothing |url=https://www.sisterclare.com/en/ |accessdate=20 May 2020 |language=en |date=2019}}{{Cite news |title=Clare Crockett: Film celebrates nun killed in earthquake |work=BBC News |date=16 April 2018 |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-foyle-west-43782091|access-date=20 February 2021}} In 2020, a house-sized mural commemorating Sister Clare was unveiled near her home in Derry,{{Cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q0Di4FyTfoI |title=Sister Clare Crockett: A wasted life... |via=youtube.com|access-date=1 June 2021}}{{Cite web |url=https://www.belfastlive.co.uk/news/sister-late-clare-crockett-tells-18778700 |title=Sister of late Clare Crockett tells of pride over mural of nun in hometown |first=David |last=Young |date=16 August 2020 |website=BelfastLive|access-date=1 June 2021}}{{Cite web |url=https://www.derryjournal.com/news/people/derry-journal-editorial-all-or-nothing-example-sister-clare-crockett-2943401 |publisher=Derry Journal | title = Editorial: All or Nothing: The example of Sister Clare Crockett |website=derryjournal.com|access-date=1 June 2021 | first = Brendan | last = McDaid }} and a sister in her religious order published a biography of her.{{cite book |last1=Gardner, SHM |first1=Sr. Kristen |title=Sr. Clare Crockett: Alone with Christ Alone |date=2020 |publisher=Agencia |isbn=978-8409232468}}

A number of healings and fertility miracles have reputedly been attributed to her by people who prayed for her intercession,{{Cite web |title=Followers attribute miracles to Derry nun Sister Clare Crockett's intercession |url=http://www.irishnews.com/news/northernirelandnews/2020/02/28/news/followers-attribute-miracles-to-derry-nun-s-intercession-1854092/ |last=McKinney |first=Seamus |date=28 February 2020 |website=The Irish News |language=en|access-date=31 May 2020}}{{Cite web |url=https://www.derryjournal.com/news/people/it-miracle-only-explanation-2900044 |title=It is a miracle, that is the only explanation |website=derryjournal.com|access-date=1 June 2021 | first = Brendan |last = McDaid}}{{Cite news |url=https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/northern-ireland/ecuador-quake-victim-derry-nun-sr-clare-now-a-focus-for-prayers-around-the-world-35227509.html |title=Ecuador quake victim Derry nun Sr Clare now a focus for prayers around the world |newspaper=Belfasttelegraph |via=belfasttelegraph.co.uk|access-date=1 June 2021 | first = Donna |last = Deeney }} and a 2020 article in The Irish Catholic referred to calls for her to be declared a saint.{{Cite web |title=Renewed calls for Derry nun Sister Clare Crockett, who died in an earthquake four years ago today, to be declared a saint |url=https://www.derrynow.com/news/news/535309/renewed-calls-for-derry-nun-sister-clare-crockett-who-died-in-an-earthquake-four-years-ago-today-to-be-declared-a-saint.html |website=derrynow.com | first = Marianne | last = Flood |access-date=31 May 2020}}

In January 2021 her order said that, while they had begun "to take steps in view of opening the cause" of her beatification, such a step would depend on the local ecclesial authorities in Ecuador, as set out in the Catholic Church's 2007 Sanctorum Mater document.{{Cite web |url=https://www.sisterclare.com/en/news/9492-clarification |title=Clarification on the potential opening of the process of beatification of Sr. Clare Crockett |website=sisterclare.com | archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20210522190549/https://www.sisterclare.com/en/news/9492-clarification| archivedate = 22 May 2021 }} In the same statement, the order described as "fake news" a claim that it would open a cause for beatification in 2021, noting that the beatification process does not begin until at least 5 years after a person's death. The order issued a further clarifying statement in September 2021, noting that while it "truly seems that Our Lord is permitting her to intercede and help people", simply visiting her grave a fixed number of times or asking her for help "is not magical".{{cite web|url = https://www.sisterclare.com/en/news/9492-clarification | website = sisterclare.com | title = Clarification about Sr. Clare's Grave | date = 6 September 2021 | archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20230429031111/https://www.sisterclare.com/en/news/9492-clarification | archivedate = 29 April 2023 }} They said that a request for Sr. Clare's intercession depends on the request, one's faith, and on God's will.

In May 2023, Sr. Kristen Gardner stated that she had been appointed postulator of the cause of beatification of Sr. Clare. She said that the opening of the cause was underway and had been moved to the diocese of Alcalá de Henares in Spain after permission was received from the bishop of Portoviejo, from Rome, and from her local bishop. She said this had been done to make the process easier, since their community is headquartered in Spain, and also because Sr. Clare had lived most of her religious life there.{{cite web|title=Sister Clare Crockett: Canonization, Graces & Miracles|url = https://www.homeofthemother.org/en/hm-today/15058-sister-clare-crockett-canonization,-graces-miracles|website=Home of the Mother|language=en| access-date=3 August 2023}}

In 2024, the Catholic Church declared Sister Clare Crockett to be a Servant of God, in what a BBC News article described as the "first step towards being officially recognised as a saint".{{cite web|url = https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c78d03rl7xzo | work = BBC News | title = Sister Clare takes first step towards sainthood | date = 5 November 2024 | accessdate = 31 December 2024 }}

{{Reflist}}

• [https://www.sisterclare.com/en/ Homepage of Sister Clare maintained by her order]
• [https://www.sisterclare.com/en/her-life/book Biography of Sister Clare by Sister Kristen Gardner, SHM (2020)]
• [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dL565Cwmg9o All or Nothing movie on youtube]

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Category:1982 births

Category:2016 deaths

Category:21st-century Irish nuns

Category:21st-century venerated Christians

Category:Deaths in earthquakes

Category:Actresses from Derry (city)

Category:British expatriates in Ecuador

Category:Deaths due to building and structure collapses