Anthony mary claret autobiography meaning

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Every available means was used to discredit his name, and render him inactive. Anthony’s impact on the Church was profound. His sermons were known for their clarity, zeal, and powerful impact, touching the hearts of both the educated and the common people.

Founding of the Missionary Sons of the Immaculate Heart of Mary

In 1849, responding to the need for a more organized approach to mission work, St.

Anthony founded the Missionary Sons of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, also known as the Claretians. When his personal efforts became insufficient for the task on hand he called on the assistance of other apostolic men and founded the Congregation of Missionary Sons of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (Claretian Fathers) on July 16, 1849.

The Holy Father being well aware of Father Claret’s apostolic dynamism considered him the ideal Pastor for the very difficult vacant See of Santiago in Cuba and appointed him its Archbishop.

Despite suffering from severe illness, he continued to write and guide his religious congregation from afar. On October 24, 1870, St. Anthony Mary Claret passed away at the age of 62. His body was eventually returned to Vic, Spain, where he was venerated as a saintly figure.

Legacy and Canonization

St. He went to his reward in the Cistercian Monastery of Fontifroid on October 24, 1870.

At the present time, devotion to Saint Anthony Mary Claret is rapidly spreading throughout the world, and especially here in America.

Reports from all over the United States, Canada and Mexico attribute very recent and wonderful graces received through the intercession of our great Saint.

Upon returning to Spain, he founded the Congregation of the Missionary Sons of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, otherwise known as the Claretians. After briefly working in his father’s weaving business, he felt the call to the priesthood and entered the seminary in Vic, Spain. He founded the Libreria Religiosa de Barcelona, which became a center for Catholic literature and an effective means of spreading the faith throughout Spain.

Anthony Mary Claret, a towering figure of 19th-century Catholicism, was born on December 23, 1807, in the small town of Sallent, Spain, to a deeply religious family of weavers.

He is also known to have many a time delivered as many as eight sermons in one day and often to have heard confessions for ten solid hours without interruption.

Everywhere he went miracles of conversion were recorded and the faithful returned to a fervent militant practice of the Catholic Faith. He was ordained on June 13, 1835, and subsequently began missionary work in Catalonia.

People soon began to look to him not only for spiritual help but also for relief of their physical ills. And even then, their relentless persecution followed him into exile.

From his exile in Paris, the Archbishop traveled to Rome for the Vatican Council, at which he took a very active part. His passionate preaching and personal holiness drew large crowds and brought many people back to the faith.

He also served as the confessor of Queen Isabella II, and his many holy works resulted in at least fifteen assassination attempts on his life.

Anthony Claret wrote his Autobiography at the order of his spiritual director, and prepared for the First Vatican Council in 1869. He published a simple illustrated catechism and devised a system for teaching religion which was later approved by the Vatican Council for the entire Church.

However, the financial circumstances of the family made it necessary for him to spend his early youth helping his father in the weaver’s shop. Over the course of his life, St. Anthony wrote or published more than 200 religious books and pamphlets.

One of his most famous works was his autobiography, in which he recounted his spiritual journey and missionary efforts, providing an enduring source of inspiration for generations of Catholics.

Final Years and Death

In his later years, political unrest in Spain forced St.

Anthony into exile. With remarkable energy and pastoral zeal, he launched a sweeping reform, restoring the local clergy’s discipline, encouraging frequent reception of the sacraments, and advocating for social justice, especially for the poor and enslaved.

During his time in Cuba, he established the Teaching Sisters of Mary Immaculate, a congregation dedicated to educating the youth and uplifting the oppressed.

His printing apostolate produced thousands of religious pamphlets, catechisms, and books aimed at strengthening the faith of ordinary Catholics. He became a weaver at the age of twelve, and later devoted his spare time to the study of Latin, French, and engraving.