Feast Day: October 24
Title: Archbishop, Confessor, Founder of the Claretians
Lifespan: December 23, 1807 – October 24, 1870
I. Early Life and Formation
Birth and Childhood
St. Anthony Mary Claret was born in Sallent, Catalonia, Spain, in 1807. He was the fifth of eleven children born to a devout Catholic family of weavers. His early years were marked by an intense piety, a precocious devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary, and an extraordinary purity of life.
Education and Seminary Formation
Originally trained in the family weaving business, he later felt drawn to the priesthood. After entering the seminary at Vic, he studied with great diligence and ascetic rigor, showing early signs of mystical inclinations and theological insight. He was ordained a priest in 1835.
II. Apostolic Zeal and Missionary Preaching
The Apostle of Catalonia
Endowed with an extraordinary gift of preaching, Fr. Claret soon became known throughout Catalonia as a fiery and tireless missionary. His sermons, always rooted in traditional Catholic doctrine, the Sacred Scriptures, and the lives of the saints, were accompanied by miracles, conversions, and penitents returning to the sacraments after years of neglect.
He often preached multiple sermons a day, heard thousands of confessions, and traveled on foot across rugged territories—imitating the apostolic fervor of St. Paul.
Virtues in Practice
Fr. Claret was marked by:
Profound humility despite his popularity
Extreme mortification and penance
A total consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, which he considered his guiding light and refuge
III. Founder of the Claretians
In 1849, he founded the Missionary Sons of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, commonly known today as the Claretians, a congregation dedicated to evangelization, particularly in mission territories and among the poor and forgotten. The order was deeply Marian and apostolic, combining preaching with solid spiritual formation.
IV. Archbishop of Santiago de Cuba (1850–1857)
Pope Pius IX appointed Claret Archbishop of Santiago de Cuba, a diocese plagued by moral decay, lax clergy, and political corruption. There he undertook a complete renewal:
Restored ecclesiastical discipline among clergy
Combated Freemasonry and secularist movements
Promoted the sanctity of marriage and Christian education
Fought tirelessly against slavery and injustice
Survived multiple assassination attempts, one of which left him permanently scarred
He also revitalized devotion to the Holy Eucharist and Our Lady, especially under the title of Our Lady of Charity of El Cobre.
V. Confessor to the Queen and Final Years
In 1857, Claret was recalled to Spain to serve as the personal confessor to Queen Isabella II, a role he accepted reluctantly. While he disliked the court life, he used the position to:
Promote religious orders
Found libraries and schools
Defend the Church’s rights against growing secularism
When Queen Isabella was deposed in the 1868 revolution, Claret followed her into exile in France, where he spent his final years suffering calumny, ill health, and increasing opposition from anti-clerical forces.
VI. Death and Canonization
He died in Fontfroide, France, on October 24, 1870, in the Cistercian monastery where he had taken refuge.
He was canonized in 1950 by Pope Pius XII, who praised his heroic virtue, his Marian devotion, and his apostolic fruitfulness.
VII. Spiritual Legacy
St. Anthony Mary Claret left behind:
Over 140 written works, including treatises on catechesis, the priesthood, spiritual warfare, and Marian devotion
A personal rule of life centered on daily meditation, frequent confession, and constant mortification
A model for modern apostolic missionaries and confessors
His most well-known works include:
Autobiografía de San Antonio María Claret
The Golden Key to Heaven
Numerous catechisms and spiritual guides for both clergy and laity
VIII. Patronage and Devotion
Patron of:
The Claretians (Missionary Sons of the Immaculate Heart of Mary)
Catholic Press and Publishers (due to his founding of numerous publications)
Missionaries
Spiritual Emphasis:
Devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary
Zeal for souls, especially through preaching and the sacrament of Confession
Love of the Holy Eucharist and defense of traditional Catholic teaching
Selected Saying of the Saint
“Love is the most necessary of all virtues. Love is the mainspring of all the other virtues. Love commands, inspires, and perfects all the rest.”