Saint Anthony Mary Claret (1870 A.D.)

SAINT ANTHONY MARY CLARET
Bishop, Confessor

Claretian archbishop and founder. Anthony was born in Salient in Catalonia, Spain, in 1807, the son of a weaver. He took up weaving but then studied for the priesthood, desiring to be a Jesuit. Ill health prevented his entering the Order, and he served as a secular priest. In 1849, he founded the Missionary Sons of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, known today as the Claretians, and the Apostolic Training Institute of the Immaculate Conception, Claretian nuns. From 1850 to 1857, Anthony served as the archbishop of Santiago de Cuba, Cuba. He returned to the court of Queen Isabella II as confessor, and went into exile with her in 1868. In 1869 and 1870, Anthony participated in the First Vatican Council. He died in the Cistercian monastery of Fontfroide in southern France on October 24, 1870. Anthony Mary Claret had the gift of prophecy and performed many miracles. He was opposed by the liberal forces of Spain and Cuba and endured many trials.

SIMPLE / WHITE
Mass of a CONFESSOR BISHOP, except

Introit
Ps 131:9-10.
May Your priests, O Lord, be clothed with justice; let Your faithful ones shout merrily for joy. For the sake of David Your servant, reject not the plea of Your anointed.
Ps 131:1
Remember, O Lord, David and all his meekness.
V. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost.
R. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
May Your priests, O Lord, be clothed with justice; let Your faithful ones shout merrily for joy. For the sake of David Your servant, reject not the plea of Your anointed.

COLLECT
O God, with the virtues of an apostle Thou didst exalt blessed Anthony Mary, and through him build in Thy Church new religious congregations of men and women; grant, we pray, that led by his counsels and helped by his prayers, we may unremittingly work for the salvation of souls. Through our Lord . . .

Lesson
Heb 7:23 - 27.
Brethren: The priests were numerous, because they were prevented by death from continuing in office; but Jesus, because He continues forever, has an everlasting priesthood. Therefore He is able at all times to save those who come to God through Him, since He lives always to make intercession for them. For it was fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, innocent, undefiled, set apart from sinners, and become higher than the heavens. He does not need to offer sacrifices daily - as the other priests did - first for His own sins, and then for the sins of the people; for this latter He did once for all in offering up Himself, Jesus Christ our Lord.

  Gradual
Ps 131:16-17
Her priests I will clothe with salvation, and her faithful ones shall shout merrily for joy.
V. In her will I make a horn to spout for David; I will place a lamp for My anointed. Alleluia, alleluia.
Ps 109:4
V. The Lord has sworn, and He will not repent: "You are a priest forever, according to the order of Melchisedec." Alleluia.

 GOSPEL

Continuation ☩ of the Holy Gospel according to Matthew
R. Glory be to Thee, O Lord.
Matt. 24:42 - 47.
At that time, Jesus said to His disciples, "Watch, for you do not know at what hour your Lord is to come. But of this be assured, that if the householder had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would certainly have watched, and not have let his house be broken into. Therefore you also must be ready, because at an hour that you do not expect, the Son of Man will come. Who, do you think, is the faithful and prudent servant whom his master has set over his household to give them their food in due time? Blessed is that servant whom his master, when he comes, shall find so doing. Amen I say to you, he will set him over all his goods."

SECRET

May this annual feast of Saint Anthony Mary Thy Confessor and Bishop make us in Thy kindness acceptable to Thee, O Lord, and may this present rite duly appease Thee, bring happy recompense to him, and assure gifts of Thy grace to us. Through our Lord . . .

POSTCOMMUNION

O God, the Rewarder of faithful souls, grant, that by the prayers of blessed Anthony Mary, Thy Confessor and Bishop, whose venerable feast we celebrate, we may obtain pardon. Through our Lord . . .

Saint Anthony's story 

Anthony was born in Spain's northeast region of Catalonia in 1807 to a working class family. His father was a weaver and employed several people in the first floor factory of their small two story house. When Anthony was born on December 23, 1807, and throughout his earliest years, his hometown of Sallent was in the path of the invading French Armies of Napoleon. With the armies came revolutionary ideas that would trouble Spain throughout Anthony's life. His character was built on lasting childhood experiences and impressions: shared family life and prayer, manual work, competition, creativity and practicality, and sensitivity to the needs of others.

Anthony's parents were prosperous but not wealthy. His father owned some small textile factories where Anthony would work once he was old enough. After the French occupation, hard times hit Spain. Many people were forced to leave farms and small towns for the larger cities. Anthony, the second son, was not to inherit any of the family businesses, so his father sent him to Barcelona as a student and to work in the large textile mills. Anthony, who did very well in the textile design school and on the factory floor, seemed destined to be a successful businessman in the new textile industry, and so as a young man of 18 he left home and set off for Barcelona. His dream and passion was to become a great industrialist and he dedicated himself with great passion and creativity. In order to not restrict his studies to theory only, he went to work as a special designer and technician in a large manufacturing plant in the city. There he was offered the position of technical director of a large textile plant. This encouraged him to further improve himself, and his job became an obsession for him. Night and day, he visualized canvasses, models, and new processes.

Tensions were created as men and women moved from the countryside, where there was greater respect of religion and traditional morality, into the city, where ideas of political liberty meant release from traditional values. The clash deeply disturbed Anthony. He felt the tension in his own personal choices and was distressed to see the neglect of religion and morality in his friends in school and in the factory. His imagination was assailed by a multitude of projects, designs, and the latest trends in the textile industry. And yet, in the midst of this, he saw something was missing in his life, that this way of life wasn't giving him much satisfaction.

The spirituality engendered by his parents and parish community began to mature in his own vocational discernment process. It was a seed long planted, encouraged by family and friends, but often forgotten. The practice of virtue, prayer, and sacraments continued in this free environment. Anthony studied, lived alone, worked, had varied friendships, and was exposed to those things society lacked.

Anthony came to terms with a desire to consecrate his life in service to God and was filled with hope and consolation. He shared this with his father, who at first was disappointed by the decision. His father saw Anthony as the grown man he was at 24 years old, and encouraged him in his reflections even though his personal preference would have been for him to continue in the family business.

Initially Anthony felt his calling was to monastic life. A wise priest urged him to begin his seminary studies and after a year to decide whether his call was indeed monastic. In that first year he was introduced to daily reading of the scriptures and this nurtured his vocation to become an apostolic missionary. At the age of 28 he completed his studies and was ordained a priest for the diocese of Vic. He began parish ministry in his own hometown of Sallent. A prophetic vocation sprang from the scriptures, his life nourished and transformed by the Eucharist, and his identity as a missionary was discovered in the life of the Mother of Jesus.

Active in the ministry of the spoken and written word, he was constantly devoted to prayer and his on-going formation. Claret was enthusiastic about everything he believed in and, having to put his ideas into action, rebelled against the restrictions the government put on his preaching and ministry. He left for Rome where he offered himself to the pope as a missionary. While in Rome he tested his call to the Jesuits, but ill health convinced the superiors he was not called to become one of them. He returned to Spain immediately where, ironically, he took on an extremely busy schedule as a missionary.

Claret's years as a wandering preacher-he was given the title of “apostolic missionary” by the pope-were very happy and extremely successful. He had the ability to talk to all people: children, youths, educated professionals, couples planning marriage, and seniors preparing for death. His messages were always very clear and meaningful in helping people in their trials.

He is heroic among us as a missionary, religious founder, social reformer, and chaplain to royalty, forerunner of Catholic Action and role of laity in the church, writer, publisher, archbishop, and survivor of numerous attempted assassinations.

Anthony became one of the most popular preachers in the country. His missions and retreats emphasized devotion to the Eucharist and the Immaculate Heart of Mary. He also published hundreds of books and pamphlets on the faith.

At the age of 42, Anthony founded the Missionary Sons of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (the Claretians); he later co-founded the Claretian Sisters. Appointed archbishop of Santiago, Cuba, in 1850, Anthony entered a world where immorality was rampant among clergy and there existed great antagonism toward the church. He provided hope and preaching while hearing confessions, instructing slaves, and promoting family-owned farms and credit unions. The reforms he advocated brought enemies, and a hired assassin slashed open his face and wrist. Anthony worked to get his would-be assassin's death sentence commuted to a prison term.

After seven years he was called back to Spain and was named Confessor to Queen Isabella. He felt restricted in his new role but worked in a variety of areas. He founded a science laboratory, a museum of natural history, music and language schools, and an association of writers and artists.

He was exiled from Spain and fled to France during the revolution of 1868 and died there two years later on October 24, 1870 at 62 years of age.

He was declared a Saint on May 7, 1950. The men who have followed in his way, the Claretians, now number over 3,000 strong and minister in over 60 countries worldwide.