Saint Anthony Mary Claret had his future practically mapped out for him. He came from a family involved in the textile industry, and from a young age, he was being prepared by his father to take over the family business. However, Saint Anthony’s heart lay far from business and financial stability.
His desire was to bring the Gospel to the most remote communities, to share with people the joy and meaning of Jesus’s life in simple language and in a way that everyone could understand.
His mission led him to travel the roads of Catalonia and other regions of Spain, preaching from town to town, distributing religious publications, and seeking innovative ways—for his time—to share the Word of God and sow His love in people’s hearts.
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Saint Anthony knew that his vocation, his deep love for the Virgin Mary, and his unconventional way of sharing the Word of God were calling him to embark on a new path. And so, together with five other priests, on July 16, 1849, he founded the Congregation of the Missionaries Sons of the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary, known as the Claretian Missionaries.
It has been 177 years since that founding, and this year we find ourselves celebrating, once again, the life and legacy of our founder on his feast day. We also celebrate the work of thousands of missionaries who, over the course of nearly two centuries, have traveled to the most remote corners of the world to bring God’s love to the communities most in need.
In his message to the congregation, our Superior General, Father Mathew Vattamattam, CMF, shared a reflection that reminds us of the beauty of this vocation:
“Seeing our brothers close to people amid poverty, insecurity, and hardship, I have felt tears welling up in my eyes and love overflowing from my heart. Their presence and generous self-giving move me deeply. I return grateful to God and to you, with a renewed sense of the beauty of our vocation.”
The spirit of Saint Anthony Mary Claret lives on today in nearly three thousand missionaries around the world, who continue to travel the roads, cross borders, and reach the homes of those most in need and share with them a message of salvation and hope.
May the example of our founder—his dedication and his vocation—also set our hearts ablaze so that we may continue the mission he began nearly two centuries ago.
Happy 177th anniversary of the founding of the Claretian Missionaries!
