Our brothers and priests in the United States and Canada are part of a worldwide Congregation of approximately 3,019 missionaries in 68 countries. Our Congregation, Sons of the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary, or Claretian Missionaries (www.claret.org), was founded by Saint Anthony Claret in Vic, Spain, on July 16, 1849. Pope Pius IX officially recognized the Congregation on December 2, 1865.
Following their Founder, Saint Anthony Mary Claret, the Claretians expanded their ministries throughout the world. The map indicates the current provinces sponsored by the General Government located in Rome, Italy. Listed below is the historical progression of the Claretian missionary effort:
1849 Spain
1869 Barbastro, Spain
1870 Chile
1880 Pamplona-Iruna, Spain
1881 Canary Islands
1884 Mexico
1884 Equatorial Guinea
1895 Catalonia
1895 Brazil
1901 Argentina
1902 United States
1906 Bética, Spain
1909 Uruguay
1912 Italy
1912 England
1912 Colombia
1913 France
1914 Peru
1919 Bolivia
1924 Germany
1927 Sao Tomé
1928 Panama
1928 Venezuela
1930 Cuba
1932 Poland
1938 Dominican Republic
1947 Portugal
1951 Costa Rica
1951 Japan
1952 Canada
1954 Austria
1955 Ecuador
1958 Switzerland
1962 Congo
1964 Puerto Rico
1964 Nicaragua
1966 Guatemala
1967 Philippines
1967 Honduras
1967 Switzerland
1970 Cameroon
1970 Kuravilangad, India
1973 East Nigeria
1973 Bangalore, India
1975 Gabon
1976 Chennai, India
1979 Paraguay
1985 Korea
1987 Northeast India
1988 Slovenia
1990 West Nigeria
1991 Kenya
1992 Indonesia
1992 Russia
1993 Angola
1994 Ivory Coast
1994 Sri Lanka
1994 Taiwan
1995 Czech Republic
1996 Tanzania
1997 Ghana
1999 Uganda
2000 Haiti
2002 Vietnam
2002 Zimbabwe
2006 Macau
2008 Timor Leste
2009 Australia
2015 Hong Kong