MEMORIAL OF SAINT ANTHONY MARY CLARET, BISHOP AND SAINT MAGLOIRE, ABBOT – FEAST DAY ~ OCTOBER 24TH: Today, we celebrate the Memorial of St. Anthony Mary Claret, Bishop and Saint Magloire, Abbot. Through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary and the Saints on this feast day, we humbly pray for God’s Divine Grace and Mercy upon us all. We pray for the poor, the needy and the most vulnerable in our communities and around the world. We pray for peace, love, justice and unity in our marriages, our families and our world. We pray for the sick and dying, especially those who are mentally and physically ill, and those suffering from cancers and other terminal diseases. We pray for the souls in Purgatory and the repose of the souls of the faithful departed. We pray for all widows and widowers. And we continue to pray for our Holy Father, the Bishops, the Clergy, for vocations to the priesthood and religious life, for the Church, for persecuted Christians, for the conversion of sinners, and Christians all over the world…. Amen🙏
SAINT ANTHONY MARY CLARET, BISHOP: St. Anthony Mary Claret (1807–1870) the founder of the Missionary Sons of the Immaculate Heart of Mary was born in Spain in 1807, the same year Napoleon invaded the country. He was the fifth of eleven children and like his father, he was a weaver by trade. He took up his father’s trade of weaving before entering the priesthood. In his spare time, he studied Latin, and at the age of 22, he entered the seminary, and was ordained a priest in 1835. After five years, he began to give missions and retreats all over Catalonia. He served as a parish priest with a missionary’s zeal for the salvation of souls. He often preached multiple sermons in a single day, traveled to preach parish missions and retreats for the clergy, and heard confessions for hours on end. His labors were rewarded by many people returning to a fervent practice of the Catholic faith, especially as a result of his meek and gentle manner. He preached and worked in the missions for 10 years and seeing the success and the people’s need for salvation, to increase his apostolic efforts in 1849 he founded the Missionary Sons of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, known today as the Claretians to continue this work on a wider scale. Shortly thereafter, in that same year, he was consecrated Archbishop of Santiago de Cuba from 1849-1857. Finding the diocese in a deplorable spiritual condition, he quickly initiated vigorous reform measures, one of which was the establishment of the Teaching Sisters of Mary Immaculate.
While he was Archbishop, he successfully reformed the clergy and the laity. His great reforms of the neglected diocese, both ecclesiastically and socially, were so sweeping and effective that his life was threatened. In 1857, St. Anthony was recalled back to Spain and made chaplain and confessor to the queen, Queen Isabella II. This position made it possible for him to continue his mission work by preaching and publishing. Here he oversaw his congregation, published a few books and his tireless and fruitful priestly work continued. He established a museum, library, schools, and a laboratory, also helping to revive the Catalan language. He also founded a major Catholic publisher in Spain, and wrote or published hundreds of books. St. Anthony spread devotion to the Blessed Sacrament and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, and was so opposed in his efforts that he was severely persecuted and eventually exiled to Paris in 1868, along with the Spanish queen, by the Spanish revolutionary enemies of religion. He took part in the First Vatican Council, his wisdom and sanctity being evident to all, before suffering a stroke and dying in exile in France. After Vatican I, the archbishop sought refuge at a Cistercian monastery in France, where he died in 1870. He was canonized in 1950 by Pope Pius XII. During his life St. Anthony Marie Claret had the gift of prophesy and reading of consciences, in addition to performing many miracles. A resplendent light was also observed to shine from his face as he offered the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. He’s the Patron Saint of Catholic press; Claretians; Missionary Sons of the Immaculate Heart of Mary; weavers; savings banks; foundations. His feast day is October 24th.
PRAYER: God, You strengthened St. Anthony Mary with wondrous love and patience in evangelizing the people. Through his intercession, enable us to seek those things that are Yours, and to labor in Christ for the good of our fellowmen. Amen 🙏
SAINT MAGLOIRE, ABBOT: St. Magloire was born in the early 500s. His mother was a Welsh Princess, his father a Breton nobleman. From the age of 5 he studied at the monastery at Llantwit Major under the tutelage of St Illtud. After his ordination he was made Abbot of a monastery at Lammeur in Brittany, where he governed with prudence and holiness for 52 years. He is traditionally given to be a cousin of Saint Samson of Dol, and his successor as bishop of Dol at the end of the seventh century. He remained there for only two or three years, and then after receiving instructions from a visiting angel, he resigned his post to Budoc, and in 565 withdrew to the island of Sark where he established a community of 62 monks. He died about the year 575. Several miracles are attributed to St Magloire. He’s credited with introducing Christianity to Sark and as such has been adopted as the Patron Saint of the island. His feast day is October 24th.
Saint Magloire, Abbot ~ Pray for us 🙏