Anna Salomé von Manderscheidt Blankenheim has been a canonness and member of the chapter in Thorn since 1642. Her sister Clara Elisabeth also comes to Thorn. She is a beautiful lady and Salomé expects her sister to get married soon. But in the meantime, the addition in income as a canoness is of course welcome.

Clara receives, through her brother, a marriage proposal from Maurits van Nassau Hadamar. Maurits may be a drinking brother and womanizer, but he more than meets the social and financial requirements. Clara thinks Maurits is a bit of a brute and has little appetite for marriage with him, but the position is mandatory. Clara, however, suffers from paralysis and from delay comes adjustment.
Clara stays in Thorn. Her sister gets her a canonesse title in Thorn. Her constitution, however, remains weak. So weak that she is nicknamed the "Weak Lady".

Clara spends her time studying, embroidering and tending to the weak. She teaches a girl for years but finds out that her student leads a riotous life and spends the nights in a farm, in the woods, north of Thorn. Nota bene a place where the annual procession passes.

Clara's solution is very special. She buys the piece of land with the farm. The farm is demolished and Clara has the chapel built. A copy of Loreto's cottage.

If you want to hear what is strange about Clara's epitaph (epitave), choose the "extra info" button

3A. Clara Elisabeth von Manderscheidt Blankenheim extra
Clara is very ill in 1668. Her sister thinks she will die. She is already having an epitaph made in the sacrament chapel that can still be seen in the church, to the left of the main altar. The date is 1668. However, Clara does not die. In fact, she lives another 20 years. During that time she built the Chapel under the Linden. Clara Elisabeth dies in 1688.