Claire Dwyer

Mom, Wife, Interior Life — that’s it in a nutshell. Claire’s been devouring books and pouring the words back out again longer than she can remember. It’s where her love of God and the Catholic faith finds its fullest expression. Claire has a certification in Spiritual Theology from the Avila Institute and is currently in the graduate program at St. Vincent Seminary’s Institute of Ministry Formation for Spiritual Direction. She has an undergraduate degree in Theology from Franciscan University of Steubenville, where she serves on the Advisory Board of the Leadership Institute. Her roles as writer, editor, spiritual director, and lifelong student of the interior life all came together in her first book, “This Present Paradise: A Spiritual Journey with St. Elizabeth of the Trinity.” which quickly became a best-seller, due in part to having the honor of being chosen by the Abiding Together Podcast for its 2021 Lenten Book Study. She is also a contributor to Blessed is She’s Lenten devotional, New Wine, which released in January 2023. She is under contract for another book and between that, working full-time for the Avila Foundation as editor of spiritualdirection.com, coaching, teaching, and raising a handful of growing kids, she still manages to find time for a few slowly-savored pages of reading almost every (tired) night. She has a passion for helping women in particular see the beauty and possibility in their own interior lives and their unrepeatable place in the Church and for Catholic writers to be encouraged and formed in their writing journey. She is co-founder and content director of Write These Words and the PraiseWritersCatholic Writing Membership Community. Most importantly, she has been married for 25 years to her husband Delaney and they have six children and one grandchild. Connect and keep in touch with her at ClaireDwyer.com.

Articles By Claire Dwyer

Take Up and Read

“Take up and read” the Bible-it’s a daily habit that can’t help but lead to holiness, as St. Elizabeth of the Trinity knew well. Claire Dwyer shares the power of reading scripture in today’s post.

READ MORE »

Teach Us To Pray

Part 33 of This Present Paradise A Series of Reflections on St. Elizabeth of the Trinity (Start with part 1 here.)   When I was a little girl, my parents had a secret language they would use to converse about things in their private grown-up world.  Well, actually, it was Spanish—Dad had been a Spanish

READ MORE »

Motherhood According to the Spirit

A woman’s heart, a woman’s soul is created to be like Mary’s — a refuge, a hiding place, a ‘shelter in which other souls may unfold’ in the words of St. Edith Stein.  Elizabeth was that safe place to fall and to find hope for everyone who knew her. Claire Dwyer continues the series today with a look at spiritual motherhood.

READ MORE »

Called to Carmel for the Persecution

At the turn of the Century, it looked like the earthly forces were winning a decisive victory in France, and that Catholicism was being humiliated and beaten back. But God had another plan. Claire Dwyer continues her series on Elizabeth of the Trinity.

READ MORE »

My Every Act is Love

St. Elizabeth of the Trinity could have led a life of worldly accomplishment. But she embraced obscurity and humility. Claire Dwyer continues her series today.

READ MORE »

St. Anthony, Meet Elizabeth

Once in a while, when our own humanity hits us over the head, we find comfort in knowing that saints were people, too. Claire Dwyer reveals something she shares with St. Elizabeth of the Trinity.

READ MORE »
Scroll to Top