St. Anthony Mary Claret (1807-1870)
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(CNA) Born in Spain Catalonia at Salent in the Diocese of Vich, Anthony was trained for manual labor since his father was a weaver according to EWTN but in 1829 Anthony entered the Seminary at Vich and Ordained into the Priesthood in 1835 and was subsequently assigned as a pastor in his home parish and for 10 yrs worked there.
In 1849 Fr. Anthony gathered together 5 other Priests and formed the basis of the ‘Missionary Sons of the Immaculate Heart of Mary’ –popularly known as ‘The Claretians’ subsequently at the suggestion of the Queen of Spain Isabella II, Fr. Anthony was named Archbishop of Cuba Santiago in 1850 successfully reforming the Clergy and Laity, preaching against Slavery and regularized numerous marriages.
As a result of Archbishop Claret’s activities, he would often receive death threats and on one occasion, an attempt was actually made on his life.
In 1857 Archbishop Claret was recalled back to Spain as Confessor to the Queen00in this position, he was able to exert some influence in the naming of Bishop’s together with establishing a ‘Center for Ecclesiastical Studies’ at the Escorial (Monastery in Central Spain) and worked towards the recognition of religious orders in Spain.
In 1869 while in Rome preparing for the ‘First Vatican Council’ Archbishop Claret followed Queen Isabella II into exile and at the insistence of the Spanish Ambassador, Archbishop Claret was placed under house-arrest in the Cistercian Monastery in France, where he would subsequently breathe his last on this date in 1870
Archbishop Claret was Beatified in 1934 by Pope Pius XI and Canonized in 1950 by Pope Pius XII
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Related: For Today’s Holy Scripture Readings for the Memorial of St. Anthony Mary Claret, Visit: -USCCB