If we too wish to give all or nothing, we must remember that everyone must give according to the different graces they receive from God. Holiness is not so much about “always giving just a little bit more” as it is about opening our hearts more to receive what God is doing in our lives.
All or Nothing: Sr. Clare Crockett by HM Television
When a woman makes religious vows, she places her life upon the altar of the cross and is slowly consumed by God’s all-holy fire. It is the ultimate offering to God, repeated throughout history in the lives of the saints. While it might be tempting to think that such stories have all been told and that saintly sacrifices are a relic of the past, the documentary All or Nothing (O Todo O Nada) begs to differ as it shares the story of Sister Clare Crockett, S.H.M..
Born in Ireland in 1982, Clare Crockett had little interest in her family’s nominal Catholic faith. Instead, she pursued a career in acting, and was immensely successful (she was even once contacted by Nickelodeon). During this time in her life, a friend invited her to a trip to Spain. Clare agreed, thinking it would involve the beach and parties, but was utterly surprised to discover that it was a Holy Week pilgrimage. On that trip she received a dramatic grace which opened her heart to the reality of Christ’s redeeming love. Thus, Clare began her journey to the convent, which eventually led her to enter the Servant Sisters of the Home of the Mother in 2001. She spent the rest of her life growing in love for Christ and zeal for the apostolate. In 2016, an earthquake struck the school where she was serving in Ecuador, killing her along with five other young women. The suddenness of her death prompted her community to reflect on her life and virtues, and eventually to open the cause for her canonization.
One aspect of Sr. Clare’s life emphasized in the documentary was the tireless gift of her time and energy. She was indeed blessed by God with great natural talent—but she didn’t hoard it. She was heroically generous and patient, and won over even the most difficult students. Her sisters described her as “very forgetful of self” and “obedient.” She was a wonderful addition to every community in which she lived. Sr. Clare’s life of holiness, however, should not be reduced to her being an extroverted, talented, and “fun” sister to be around, but rather to her growth in love and devotion to the cross of Jesus.
Recognizing the love that Jesus had for her in his sacrifice, she desired to be a “spouse of the crucified one.” This love for the cross contextualizes the great sacrifice of her time and energy for the sake of her apostolate. Towards the end of Sr. Clare’s life, one of her sisters remarked on the contrast between her physical weariness and the growing intensity of her spirit. She was, indeed, burning herself out for Christ—consecrated to the “consuming fire” (Heb 12:29). St. Thomas Aquinas says, for this reason, that those who vow themselves to God in religious life make a holocaust, or burnt offering, of their life. The holocaust was the all-consuming offering of the Old Testament sacrificial system. In the holocaust offering, nothing was left over.
Such fire, however, must be handled with care. Sr. Clare, having died just 10 years ago, is a powerful witness to the relevance and potency of religious consecration in the modern world. Her work in parishes and in schools may be very similar to our own, and one might be tempted to jump in and imitate Sr. Clare’s amazing acts of generosity. While well-intentioned, this might quickly lead to burnout. Sr. Clare’s generosity came from her own natural capacities, but even more so it came from her growing awareness and deep conviction that she was first loved by God.
If we too wish to give all or nothing, we must remember that everyone must give according to the different graces they receive from God. Holiness is not so much about “always giving just a little bit more” as it is about opening our hearts more to receive what God is doing in our lives. We may not have the capacity to give everything of our time or energy or sleep, but we can give God everything of our hearts. This certainly characterized Sr. Clare, who was indeed radically obedient to God’s will and his call. From that obedience flowed all the many qualities and gifts extolled by the documentary. May Sr. Clare inspire us to live with greater conformity to the cross and greater fidelity to God’s will. May she pray for us, that we too may offer ourselves up more and more to God’s holy fire, letting him consume us and transform us into himself.
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Republished with gracious permission from Dominicana (August 2025).
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Photo by Fr. Lawrence Lew, O.P. (used with permission)