From Partying to Prayer
Clare Crockett once described herself as a wild child who eventually exchanged a life of partying for one devoted to prayer.
Her initial ambition was to achieve fame and fortune as a Hollywood actress. However, her path took a profound turn when she became a nun and, a decade after her death in an earthquake, is now recognized as a potential saint.
Her sister, Shauna Gill, remarked that Clare "belongs to the world now," as thousands gather for a Catholic retreat named in her honor.
Sister Clare Crockett was born in 1982 in Londonderry, Northern Ireland's second city, during a period marked by political turmoil, including the hunger strike deaths of Bobby Sands and nine other republican prisoners the previous year.
As a child, she witnessed the traumatic event of a British soldier being blown up.
Her life changed dramatically during a 2000 trip to Spain.
"I thought I was going to Spain to party,"she said before her death.
"I thought we were going to a place called Ibiza."
Instead of partying, she found herself on a pilgrimage in Priego, a small town in the Cuenca region of central Spain.
It was there that she first experienced what she described as God's presence and decided to abandon the party lifestyle.
On Good Friday in 2000, she kissed the feet of a statue depicting the crucifixion of Jesus.
"I felt it was my sins that nailed our Lord to the cross and I just starting crying,"she recalled.
She joined the Servant Sisters of the Home of the Mother in 2001 at age 18 and took her first vows in 2006, adopting the religious name Sister Clare Maria of the Trinity and the Heart of Mary.
Her life motto was "all or nothing."
"I fell in love with Jesus Christ,"she said.
"He stole my heart."
She died ten years later in Ecuador when the school where she taught music collapsed during an earthquake in April 2016.
In 2025, the Catholic Church declared her a Servant of God, marking the first step toward sainthood.
Family Reflections and Public Recognition
Since her passing, Sister Clare's family has navigated their grief while witnessing her growing global recognition as a nun and potential saint.
"I don't think that we ever grieved Clare because from the day she died, she is spoken about every day, by us as her family, but also by strangers and by people all around the world,"her sister Shauna Gill told BBC Radio Foyle's North West Today programme.
"Clare is a normal Brandywell girl who turned her life around and could now become a saint."
Gill noted that the family had accepted the lack of private time for reflection on Clare's anniversary due to the large public interest but found comfort in the many attendees at the retreat.
"It is our family's grave, but we are very blessed that Clare is at rest in her home city.
It's not something that would normally happen with a nun who is part of an order.
There'll be no private time, but we will have it at another time."
Will Sister Clare Become a Saint?
Currently, Sister Clare holds the title of Servant of God in the beatification process.
The next phase involves collecting testimonies from witnesses.
The department responsible for recommending candidates to the Pope reviews the evidence thoroughly.
If approved, the case is forwarded to the Pope, who decides if the individual lived a life of "heroic virtue." If so, the person is declared "venerable."
Gill mentioned that approximately 60 witnesses will be interviewed across Ireland, Spain, Ecuador, and the United States.
"Her Story Is So Real"
The anniversary Mass for Sister Clare will be held on Thursday at St Columba's Church, Long Tower, the same location as her funeral Mass ten years prior.
Throughout the week, thousands have attended the Sister Clare retreat, including members of her religious order.
"I think the reason so many young people follow her is because her story is so real, she was very honest about how she loved her teenage years and I think everybody is able to relate to that,"said pilgrim Tina Duffy.
"To me she's already a saint, the fact that it can maybe go down on a piece of paper will be amazing and she's local, all that, but she's already a saint in my eyes."
"Normal Teenager"
Margaret McSwine, a former neighbour of Sister Clare, described the prospect of her becoming a saint as "absolutely incredible."
"She grew up like a normal teenager and I think the young people have really taken to her story you know and formed that connection with her,"she said.
"It would be just absolutely amazing if she were to be made a saint and it will happen - with the help of God - she will be a saint and it's brilliant, just brilliant."
Global Attendance at the Retreat
Fr Gerard Mongan, administrator of Long Tower parish, noted that people from across Ireland and around the world have participated in the retreat.
"There are people tuning in via the webcam from all over the world — every country you can mention, they are tuned in,"he said.
"Sister Clare often said, 'I want to be famous, I want to be a famous nun' and she sure got her wish."
