The Life and Lessons of Saint Anthony Mary Claret

Born in 1807 and hailing from Sallent, Barcelona, the great Saint and founder of the Missionary

Sons of the Immaculate Heart of Mary may have just as easily been a professional weaver, had

the hand of God not intervened at an early age. Saint Anthony Mary Claret is a Saint who,

though not as widely published today, left behind a legacy of profound miracles, books,

pamphlets, and missionary service that continues to inspire those brave souls venturing into

dangerous regions today. The Claretians, as the members are called, have a presence on 6

continents, including many countries where the Catholic identity is all but prohibited by law, and

have indeed paid the price of their mission frequently as martyrs, particularly during the Spanish

civil war in which hundreds of the congregation were summarily rounded up and executed by

anticlerical communist militias. The spirit of their continued missionary work is that of a bravery

deserving of a special acknowledgment, and at the minimum a serious examination of their

founder.

Saint Claret’s autobiography, a work he was ultimately compelled by his spiritual director to

write shortly before his death, is filled with insightful treasures that were no less relevant to their

time as they are to Catholics now.

“I owe so many thanks to Mary Most Holy, who preserved me from death in my childhood and

has freed me since then from so many predicaments. How ungrateful I am!”

At the age of 12, Anthony felt inspired to become a priest, but work as a weaver under his

father’s trade forestalled this to the point of spiritual complacency. This was, until he read the

text of Matthew: “What will one gain by winning the whole world if he destroys himself?” The

words shook the young man to his core, and after a near death experience at sea, Claret resolved

to dedicate his life to Christ and to Mary, adopting her name.

Throughout his life, he was a model of utmost humility and obedience, traveling tirelessly from

town to town to hear confessions, heal the sick, and preach the gospel. He was the Queen of

Spain’s personal confessor, and survived numerous assassination attempts as the Archbishop of

Santiago de Cuba where he worked to end the practice of slavery and an ongoing

dechristianization within the country. It was said of him that his body in later years was graced

with a Eucharistic preservation which glowed within him as he said mass, and after death his

heart was found incorrupt.

“If I saw someone about to fall into a pit or fire, I would surely run and cry out a warning to

save him from falling. Why shouldn’t I do the same to save someone from falling into the pit and

fire of hell. I simply can’t understand how other priests who believe the same truths that I do, and

as we all should, do not preach and exhort people to save themselves from falling into hell.”

Though not every Catholic will find within themselves the same visible grace that Saint Claret

possessed, the broader message of his life is clear — God rewards those who fully accept and

love Him. Saint Claret remarks that an important aspect to his commune with Christ is the

practice of humility as demonstrated through acts of obedience. Initially, the young Saint

believed himself called to be a cloistered Carthusian, but the missionary path was presented to

him, to which he submitted with his entire being. Throughout his life, he patiently waited for

vocational direction such that nothing was of his own accord—of his own pride. He remarks that

those who endeavor on behalf of the Church will be frequently tempted with praise, and

recognition for the works that they perform; a message particularly salient in an age of digital

ministry and evangelization, where algorithms dictate how widely messages can be

disseminated. He implores the reader to pray for their own humiliation, for their own scorn, such

that they never allow themselves to become instruments of evil. There must always be, within the

hearts of those whose occupation is the salvation of souls, a recognition that without God, none

of their good would be possible, and that they themselves are less than nothing—for even

nothing itself cannot sin.

On the feast day of Saint Anthony Mary Claret which falls on October 24th, we ought to

remember the ways in which we have thus far been spared of great affliction and death, graced

with the opportunity to go forth and spread the word among our friends, neighbors, and even our

enemies. Saint Claret is a wondrous reminder that the work remains unfinished until we are at

last called home, and that hardship is but another voice in which God draws us back to him.

To support the Claretian missionaries, please visit https://www.claret.org/