Holy Name Parish / Used with permission
CV NEWS FEED // Three young women from Holy Name Catholic Church in Denver, Colorado, have answered the call to a cloistered contemplative life as Poor Clare nuns in Roswell, New Mexico.
Sister Antonia of the Holy Wounds of Jesus, formerly known as Brianna Farens, joined the Poor Clares in June 2020, according to a e-newsletter from Holy Name Parish. Helen Blain joined in October 2024, and most recently, Mary Kroner, a former writer for CatholicVote, entered the order in January 2025.
The Poor Clares, named after St. Clare of Assisi, are known for their commitment to prayer, penance, and simplicity, living out their vocation in silence and seclusion.
Blain, a graduate of Thomas Aquinas College (TAC) in California and a competitive athlete, never expected to be called to the vocation of a cloistered nun, according to her alma mater’s blog.
“The Lord has given me so much grace,” Blain told TAC. “If He can make a cloistered, contemplative nun out of me, what can’t He do?”
The order currently includes 27 women living in the Roswell monastery, according to the e-newsletter. They sustain themselves through manual labor, intellectual work, and the alms of the faithful.
The Poor Clares dedicate their lives to prayer and penance for the salvation of the world, as expressed in the Church’s prayer during a nun’s profession: “Lord, in your love grant that her way of life may bring glory to your name, salvation to all mankind, and spread your love and joy through all the world.”
The daily schedule of the Poor Clares reflects their intense dedication to this mission, beginning as early as 1:30 a.m. for Matins and continuing through a structured day of Mass, Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, the Liturgy of the Hours, and periods of work, study, and recreation. Outside of communal prayers and recreation, their lives are marked by silence and reflection.
Holy Name Parish highlighted A Right to Be Merry by Mother Mary Francis, a founder of the Roswell Monastery, as a profound and intimate exploration of the challenges, cares, and joys of cloistered life.
Blain credits the book as a significant influence in her decision to join the Poor Clares, according to TAC.
“In the book,” Blain said. “Mother Mary Francis lays out three requirements for a woman who wants to live the contemplative life: a love of prayer, a love of silence, and a sense of humor. When I thought about it, I fit all the criteria!”
Holy Name Parish noted the unique experience of cloistered life.
“No one who has not lived in a cloister can fully understand just how intertwined are the lives of cloistered nuns,” the e-newsletter said. “Their hearts may be wide as the universe and bottomless as eternity, but the practical details of their living are boxed up into the small area within the enclosure walls.”
“But,” the release added, “as Mother Mary Francis points out, they also have ‘as great a right to be merry as any lady in the world.’”
