SAINT ANTHONY MARY CLARET
Bishop, Confessor
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.
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 . . .
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.
