In a wealthy Asian city, a play asks why St. Clare of Assisi chose to own nothing

SINGAPORE — St. Clare of Assisi, as she appears on a church stage in Singapore this week, opens her story with a list of what her family owned. “We had money, we had servants ... we had horses,” she tells the audience. “We had everything, but for a girl like me, my life was already written for me.”

The line comes early in “TO GAZE: St. Clare of Assisi,” performed Oct. 16 and 17 at the Church of St. Mary of the Angels, a Catholic parish in Bukit Batok in western Singapore served by Franciscan friars.

The official poster for “TO GAZE: St. Clare of Assisi,” presented by CANA and Saint Max in Singapore Oct. 16–17, 2026, for the Jubilee Year of St. Francis, with Sharda Harrison as St. Clare and Fra Rowland Yeo, OFM, as St. Francis. | Credit: Courtesy of CANA and Saint Max

Presented by CANA, a faith-based community and cultural hub in Singapore, and Saint Max , the production is part of the celebrations of the Jubilee Year of St. Francis of Assisi, which the worldwide Franciscan family has held to mark 800 years since Francis died in October 1226.

Actress Sharda Harrison wrote the script and plays the role of Clare; according to the organizers, she also directed the show.…