Claire Halbur

Updated May 2009

Greetings to all my fellow Catholic maidens!

I am Claire the second, or Claire with an "i" for any Anne-minded maidens to whom name spelling is significant. :) I am honored and excited to have been invited to join A Maiden's Wreath as a contributor. Clare and I became acquainted via the blogosphere a number of months ago, and discovered how many similar loves and hobbies we share (not to mention the same name)! She then graciously invited me to contribute. I love writing, and really enjoy blogging — in between the many other ministries our Lord has called me to. Finding time to write is always a challenge, but when I can, I look forward to sharing here!

I graduated in June 2006 from a lifetime of homeschooling, and have remained a daughter at home cultivating my interests and talents through what I call "another form" of higher education. I take college classes locally in languages and music, and am currently serving as the Director of Religious Education at my parish, as well as running my own private music studio teaching Suzuki violin and piano. Since music, teaching, and children are a few of my greatest loves, it's an excellent fit. :) I've always said that attending college full-time and/or pursing a degree is by no means a closed door for me — it's just that for the time being, our Lord has presented a different path for me to follow.

Another mission our Lord has given me is sharing, especially with other young women, about the beauty and power of modesty and authentic femininity through my apostolate The Rosa Mystica Modesty Movement.

Along with writing, music, and singing, I delight in many forms of the arts, and particularly John Paul II's vision for evangelizing through them. I love acting, drama, and dancing (graceful, ballroom, and folk), and enjoy public speaking, literature, flower arranging, sewing, homemaking, history, foreign languages, braiding hair, and photography.

I've learned that this season — the time following high school, but before one's lifelong vocation — can be a very rich one if used well to serve Him! Whether that service be as a student, missionary, or worker is His individual call. The deep desire of my heart is to be a true handmaiden of the Lord in the spirit of our Lady. I am discerning religious life and pray to fulfill with all my heart His call to motherhood, whether it be biological or spiritual.

One of the reasons I am excited to be a part of this online community is that this type of outreach to young ladies is very close to my heart. In fact, back when I was 14 and 15, I put together my own "newsletter" for my numerous young lady friends and pen pals, and titled it "Wreath of Virtues Journal". The similarity of its name to this one was very striking (Providential) for me when I realized it! I was only able to send a few issues of that project, but it was very enjoyable. Needless to say, I feel that now I can carry on that vision — only in a newer, more efficient way! And with postage going up all the time, a cheaper way too. ;)

My hope and prayer is that, as we journey together toward Heaven, I may offer something to help you add to your Maiden's Wreath of virtues. Know that all our readers will be in my prayers, and I hope that I'll be in yours as well!

Blessings!

~* View Claire's Posts *~