Saint of the day October 24: Saint Anthony Mary Claret. Catholic Saints

Every October 24, the Church celebrates Saint Anthony Mary Claret, Spanish religious and missionary, who became archbishop in America and confessor of a queen. His figure is closely linked to Catholic education thanks to his efforts to promote schools, libraries and groups of readers or scholars.

Added to this is also the work of his spiritual children, the Claretians – the members of the Congregation of the Missionary Sons of the Immaculate Heart of Mary -, continuators of his work.

The textile worker

Born in Sallent, Barcelona (Spain) in 1807, in his youth he was a textile worker, which is why he is considered the patron saint of weavers and the textile industry in Catalonia. His father owned some looms, where Antonio had to work for at least two periods, although inside he discovered he was called to the priesthood. He had expressed this concern from a very young age and that is why his parents invested money in his training, but the economic ups and downs that his family suffered prevented him from continuing his studies.

Whatever the case, Antonio was always recognized as a precocious devotee of the Virgin Mary and a lover of the Eucharist. Once he reached adulthood, the saint would profess a very deep piety to Our Lady, making her a central part of his life and missionary work. It was Maria’s maternal love that Antonio experienced and that is why he always had her as his protector and guide. Both the inclination towards the priestly life, as well as the idea – present in a period – of becoming a Carthusian monk, or, after being ordained, the will to serve as a good shepherd – vicar, parish priest and finally archbishop – were expressions of harmony with the Holy Spirit, which, without Mary, Antonio María would not have understood or welcomed.

In danger, call Mary, and do what the Lord commands

“Oh Virgin and Mother of God… I am your son and missionary, formed in the forge of your mercy and love” (Saint Anthony Mary Claret).

One day, while he was still very young, Antonio went for a walk with some friends heading to the beach. Suddenly, while walking along the shore, he was dragged out to sea by a very large wave. Since he didn’t know how to swim, he started to drown. In a panic, struggling not to sink, he managed to shout: “Holy Virgin, save me!” Suddenly, without knowing how, he was back on shore, safe and sound.

Every time Antonio returned to the episode, he said that it was the Virgin who had saved him.

Founder

Years after that experience, the young Catalan managed to enter the seminary; and, after his training, in 1835, he was ordained a priest. Initially he assumed a parish position, but his greatest desire was to be a missionary. Once discharged from office, he went out to preach the Gospel, first in the outskirts of Catalonia and then to the Canary Islands (1840-1850).

In 1849 he founded the Order of the Missionary Sons of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, today known as “Claretians”. He was also founder (1855) of the Congregation of Religious of Mary Immaculate (Claretian missionaries). He presided over the board in charge of the Monastery of El Escorial (1859-1868), where he opened a community for ecclesiastics, a seminary and a secondary school.

Shortly after the founding of his Order, he received the appointment as archbishop of Santiago de Cuba. Initially he intended to decline the position but after a brief discernment he accepted the papal request.

Central America and the fight against slavery

Antonio María traveled to America in 1850 to assume the episcopal see as archbishop of Santiago de Cuba. There he worked on the reordering of ecclesial life – the archdiocese had been without a pastor for more than a decade – while combating the social injustices of the environment. Archbishop Claret confronted the Europeans who mistreated the natives and prepared a special edition of the Indian Laws to facilitate their dissemination, since these could be a good instrument to improve the treatment of slaves.

Claret, hated by slaveholders, was the target of numerous threats. He even suffered an attack: a man tried to kill him with a knife. Providentially, the attacker only managed to cut off part of his face and right arm. The saint was badly injured for a long period, but once recovered, he began another of his tours through his extensive archdiocese. Claret continued like this until the time came to leave the island and return to Spain at the express request of Queen Elizabeth II.

The Holy Rosary

Upon returning to Europe, he continued writing texts related to faith and doctrine, as well as others of a more spiritual nature, conducive to the training of priests and religious. In one of these he writes:

“Pray the Holy Rosary to her every day with devotion and fervor, and you will see how the Most Holy Mary will be your Mother, your lawyer, your mediator, your teacher, your everything after Jesus.”

Last years in exile

The queen of Spain, Isabel II, expressly called Mons. Antonio María Claret to be her confessor, a service he carefully fulfilled, in response to the devotion and piety with which the queen lived. That spiritual bond eventually brought him serious inconvenience. Spain had gone through years of internal conflicts over the crown that led to the expulsion of Isabel II, which is why San Antonio María Claret – in fidelity to the crown – accompanied the queen into exile after being dethroned in 1868.

At the queen’s side, he remains in France until the end of his days. He only interrupted this stay when he was summoned to Rome by Pope Pius IX to participate in the First Vatican Council in 1869. Since the Council could not conclude, he returned to France. He died there, without being able to return to his homeland, in 1870.

Legacy and patronage

The figure of Antonio María Claret has been the inspiration for abundant works and fruits of the spiritual family that he gathered around Christ. These include the Orders mentioned above to which a lay movement was added. There are also hundreds of educational centers – places where academic excellence is sought – as well as other initiatives in which he participated.

Antonio María Claret was beatified by Pope Pius XI on February 25, 1934, and on May 7, 1950 he was canonized by Pope Pius XII.

On April 13, 1951, he was declared co-patron of the Diocese of the Canary Islands (Spain) by Pope Pius XII himself; and since 1980 he has been the patron of catechesis in Cuba.

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If you want to know more about the life of Saint Anthony Mary Claret, we suggest you read this article from the Catholic Encyclopedia: https://ec.aciprensa.com/wiki/San_Antonio_Mar%C3%ADa_Claret.

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