FOR 60 YEARS, THE Poor Clare Missionary Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament have been guiding the lives of young children at the Santa Clara Day Nursery School while following the Franciscan ideals of adoring the Lord, living simply and devoting their time to prayer and community service.
TIME FOR HOPSCOTCH AT RECESS AT THE SANTA CLARA DAY NURSERY SCHOOL IN COSTA MESA. PHOTOS BY ALAN WENDELL/DIOCESE OF ORANGE
Blessed Maria Inés Teresa of The Blessed Sacrament founded the Poor Clare Missionary Sisters in Mexico 100 years ago during a time of widespread persecution of Christians.
She opened the preschool in 1965 to help the families of Orange County by providing a safe and nurturing environment for their young children.
The Poor Clare Missionary Sisters have been continuing her work there ever since.
“Our mother foundress wanted to provide a safe place for children and youth, where parents could leave their children knowing they would be cared for spiritually and educationally,” said Sister Superior Yanori Zuniga, who joined the Missionary Sisters 36 Years ago in her native Costa Rica after a deacon in her parish introduced her to the order.
“And when deacon took me to see the sisters, he said the moment would be special,” Sr. Yanori said. “So, I was waiting for that moment. And that moment came when I stepped in the convent of the Poor Clare Missionary Sisters.”
While the Poor Clare Missionary Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament are an independent order, their roots can be traced back to the Poor Clare Sisters, a Franciscan order founded by St. Clare of Assisi in the early 1200s.
SR. GUADALUPE TORRES TEACHES COLORS AND SHAPES TO HER STUDENTS.
The Poor Clare Missionary Sisters emulate the same Franciscan tenets of poverty, chastity and obedience.
“We are 50 percent active and 50 percent contemplative,” Sr. Yanori said. “We wake up early for prayer and Mass, and then spend the day in various activities, including teaching and community service.”
Of the 18 sisters in the order, 12 work in the preschool. All of the sisters live in the convent, which is on the same campus as the school. The furnishings in the convent reflect the order’s vow of poverty – basic tables, chairs and desks. Funds are used only for needed repairs on the grounds or to purchase new items when old items are no longer functional.
“The less we have, the more we get,” Sr. Yanori said. “It’s about living simply and focusing on what truly matters.”
Sr. Hena Andrade, Santa Clara’s program director, said she felt Jesus calling her to the order through her aunt, who was also a Poor Clare Missionary Sister. Sr. Hena was inspired by the stories surrounding the work the Poor Clare Missionary Sisters were doing around the world.
SISTER SUPERIOR YANORI ZUNIGA (LEFT), SR. KARLA ANTONIO AND SR. HENA ANDRADE PAUSE FOR A PHOTO WHILE STUDENTS PLAY ON THE PLAYGROUND.
“I visited other communities, but I felt God was leading me here,” Sr. Hena said.
The sisters’ commitment to serve can sometimes extend beyond the walls of the nursery school.
Two sisters from the Santa Ana convent are doing missionary work in Michoacan, Mexico, during Holy Week, Sr. Yanori said.
Sr. Guadalupe Torres, a teacher at the preschool who joined the order 36 years ago in her native Mexico, spent 23 years doing missionary work in India, where she helped build schools and medical facilities for poor children and families.
The sisters planted rice and vegetables and taught women how to use sewing machines, she said.
“In India, you have to go ready to help the poor people,” Sr. Guadalupe said. “The children were not knowing about God. So, I was teaching Spanish, and I was also telling them that God is there and is close to them and God created them.”
There are currently 85 children enrolled in the Santa Clara Day Nursery, up considerably from the low enrollment in the wake of the corona virus pandemic. Pre-COVID, a waiting list of 30 to 40 students was typical.
The Poor Clare Missionary Sisters are celebrating the 60th anniversary of the Santa Clara Day Nursery with a Mass and reception beginning at 3 p.m. June 21 at Christ Cathedral.