Since the 1960s, the sisters and daughters of St. Clare of Assisi have resided at the Monastery of St. Clare in Andover. Before moving across the street to the current  facility on River Road in 2001, the Monastery of St. Clare owned buildings in Jamaica Plain and Lowell. The sisters and daughters of St. Clare of Assisi dedicate their daily activities to God and live a life of "prayer, poverty, silence, solitude and community." Called the Poor Clares, the women that reside on River Road spend a portion of their days volunteering for the good of the community. St. Clare was born in 1193 in Assisi, Italy, and decided to dedicate her life to God at the age of 18.