Oblates of St. Frances of Rome - Monastery of Tor De' Specchi

Monastery of Tor De' Specchi

Within a few years some of the women desired to live a life in common, where they could more easily practice spiritual exercises and be freer to commit themselves to the poor. This was already widespread in Rome for men and women who belonged to the Third Order of St. Francis and other new spiritual movements. To answer this need, Frances acquired a house near the Campidoglio, next to the Church of San Andrea dei Funari. This stood in the shade of the fortified tower built by the Specchi family, from which the name of the house comes (Italian: Torre degli Specchi). Those among the oblates so inclined could live a common life there, according to their Benedictine spirituality. Those who did enter this community, however, were not to be bound by monastic vows, as nuns would be. In this way, they would be free to pursue their service to the poor out in the streets and hospitals of the city.

This new religious congregation was formally established on March 25th, 1433, the Feast of the Annunciation. Through a mystical vision, St. Frances was inspired to have St. Paul, St. Benedict and St. Mary Magdalen as the patron saints of the new community. They continued to live without vows, but otherwise lived a typical monastic life of prayer and manual labor. The monastery received papal approval on July 4th of that same year. Thus they formed an innovative form of religious life for the period, neither cloistered nuns nor laity. St. Frances joined them upon the death of her husband in 1436, becoming the President of the community, a post she held till her death four years later.

The community still lives in this basic pattern established at their founding. They follow a basic monastic routine and offer a ministry of hospitality in the heart of the City of Rome. Instead of the standard three vows, they promise obedience to the President of the community, and not to depart, should they chose to do so, in a way which might disrupt the lives of the community. The Oblates were not formally recognized as Religious Sisters, however, until a special decree of Blessed Pope John XXIII in 1958, by which he commanded that the form of commitment taken by the Oblates was to be acknowledged as canonical vows.