Anthony Mary Claret was born on December 23, 1807, in Sallent, a small textile town in Catalonia, Spain. The fifth of eleven children in a devout family, young Anthony initially followed his father into the weaving trade, showing remarkable skill. Yet even as he worked the looms, his heart was drawn irresistibly toward God. He entered the seminary in Vic and was ordained a priest in 1835, beginning a ministry that would reshape the Church in Spain and beyond.
His early years as a parish priest revealed an extraordinary gift for preaching. His sermons drew vast crowds, and his tireless energy carried him across Catalonia and the Canary Islands, where he conducted popular missions that brought thousands back to the practice of the faith. He was a man on fire, consumed by a desire to spread the Gospel to every corner of the world.
In 1849, Claret gathered a small band of like-minded priests and founded the Missionary Sons of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, known today as the Claretians. The congregation was born from his conviction that the Church needed zealous missionaries who could go wherever the need was greatest.
"Love of God and zeal for souls is the heartbeat of the apostolate." — Saint Anthony Mary Claret
The Claretians embraced a life of poverty, prayer, and preaching. Their mission was simple yet demanding: to proclaim the Word of God through every available means. Under Claret's guidance, the congregation grew rapidly, establishing missions and parishes throughout Spain and eventually across the globe.
In 1850, Queen Isabella II appointed Claret as Archbishop of Santiago de Cuba. He accepted reluctantly, knowing the enormity of the task. Cuba at that time was rife with moral corruption, slavery, and religious neglect. Claret threw himself into reform with characteristic intensity:
His reforms earned him powerful enemies. He survived no fewer than fifteen assassination attempts, the most serious of which left him with a deep knife wound to the face. Yet nothing could deter him from his mission.
Recalled to Spain in 1857, Claret served as confessor to Queen Isabella II. Though he found court life distasteful, he used his proximity to power to advocate for the poor and for the Church's mission. He accompanied the queen into exile in France after the revolution of 1868.
Throughout his life, Claret was an astonishingly prolific writer and publisher. He authored or edited over 200 books and pamphlets on topics ranging from theology and catechesis to agriculture and public health. He founded the Religious Publishing House, understanding long before the modern age that the printed word was a powerful instrument of evangelization. His insight into media and communication was prophetic.
Claret's interior life was as intense as his external activity. He was a mystic who experienced extraordinary graces, including the singular gift of preserving the Eucharistic species in his heart from one Communion to the next. He practiced rigorous self-discipline, sleeping little and eating sparingly, yet always radiating joy and warmth.
"We must pray without tiring, for the salvation of mankind does not depend on material success but on Jesus alone." — Saint Anthony Mary Claret
He died in exile at the Cistercian monastery of Fontfroide, France, on October 24, 1870, worn out by labor and persecution. He was canonized by Pope Pius XII in 1950. His feast day is celebrated on October 24.
Saint Anthony Mary Claret remains a model for the modern Church in many ways:
His life challenges us to ask: What gifts has God given me, and how am I using them for the salvation of souls?