Saint Anthony
Mary Claret
Autobiography
AND COMPLEMENTARY WRITINGS
Bicentennial edition
(Publisher)
Saint Anthony
Mary Claret
Autobiography and
COMPLEMENTARY WRITINGS
Saint Anthony
Mary Claret
Autobiography
AND COMPLEMENTARY WRITINGS
Transcription, introductions
and footnotes by
José María Viñas
and
Jesús Bermejo
Claretian Missionaries
Introductions by
Josep Maria Abella
Superior General
and
Gustavo Alonso
Former Superior General
Claretian Missionaries
(Publisher / city/ date)
Viñas, José María,
Original title: San Antonio María Claret: Autobiografia y escritos complemenatarios / José María Viñas and Jesús Bermejo – 1st ed. Buenos Aires: Editorial Claretiana, 2008. 1104 p. : il.; 20 x 14 cm.
ISBN 978-950-512-646-0
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Antonio María Claret, Santo - Biografía. I. Bermejo, Jesús
II. Title
Bicentennial Edition revised and updated.
Cover photograph: Antoine Trinquart, Paris, 1868
Spanish text revision: Jesús Bermejo
Autobiography translated from Spanish by Joseph Daries
Footnotes and additional texts translated from Spanish by James Overend
English Text revision and editing: S. Jesu Doss and Anthony Ejikeme of the Center for Claretian Spirituality (CESC) in Vic, Spain and Rosendo Urrabazo in Rome
1st Edition (Spanish), February 2008.
All rights reserved.
Printed in Argentina
English Edition,
All rights reserved.
Printed in India
To the entire Claretian family,
heir of the spirit and mission
of Saint Anthony Mary Claret
on the bicentennial of his birth,
with fraternal affection,
José María Viñas
and Jesús Bermejo
Table of Contents
List of Illustrations
Introduction to the present edition
Introduction to the 1981 edition
Note on the bicentennial edition
Abbreviations
Old Testament
New Testament
Other important abbreviations
Important notices
Preliminaries
Claret Timetable Synopsis
General Introduction
The “Apostolic Mission”
of Saint Anthony Mary Claret
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An Extraordinary “Mission”
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Claret “Apostolic Missionary”
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“Missionary” Vision
The Social Sin
The Ideologies
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Evangelization as a Response
Evangelization of People
Evangelization and Human Development
Evangelization and Slavery
Evangelization and Politics
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The Evangelizers
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“I have completed My Mission ”
General Bibliography
A) Claretian Manuscripts (Mss. Claret)
B) Works by Claret
Apostolic Missionary (1840-1850)
Archbishop of Cuba (1850-1857)
Royal Confessor (1857-1869)
Father of the Council (1869-1870)
Posthumous Works
C) Edited or Attributed Works
D) Writings
E) Letters
F) Pontifical Documentation
G) Biographies
Unedited
Published During the Life of the Saint
Published After the Death of the Saint
H) Studies
I) Anti-Claret Writings
Autobiography
Revised Edition, Introduction and Notes
by José María Viñas and Jesús Bermejo
Introduction to the Autobiography
Historical Dates
The Autobiographical Codices
Literary Form
Historical Value
An Interpretation of His Own Life from the Perspective of His Missionary Charism
Spirituality for Mission
The Congregation of Missionaries
The Publication of the Autobiography
How to Read the Autobiography
The Bicentenary Edition
Editions of the Autobiography
Prayer Before Reading the Autobiography
Autobiography of Saint Anthony Mary Claret
Biography of Archbishop Anthony Mary Claret
Preface
First Part
Chapters
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My Birth and Baptism
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Early Childhood
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First Inclinations
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Early education
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At Work in the Factory
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First Devotions
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Early Devotion to Mary
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In 1825, Around My Eighteenth Birthday, I Move to Barcelona
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Why I Gave Up Manufacturing
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My Resolve to Become a Carthusian Monk at Monte-Alegre
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From Barcelona to Vic
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Ordination
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Assistant Pastor and Administrator
Second Part
About the Missions
Chapters
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God’s Call to Preach Missions
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Departure from Spain
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Events of My Journey through France
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Events Aboard Ship
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Arrival in Rome and Entering the Jesuit Novitiate
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Prayers I Wrote During the Novitiate
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Departure from Rome and Arrival in Spain
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Beginning of the Missions
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and Healing the Sick
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On Healing the Possessed, and on the
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Many Fictitious Cases of Possession
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The Importance of being sent
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The Goal I had in Mind Whenever I Went to a
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Town to Which My Superior Sent me
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How I was Moved to Preach Missions
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by the Example of the Prophets, of Jesus Christ,
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of the Apostles, the Fathers, and Other Saints
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The Example and Encouragement I Received
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From Certain Women Saints
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On the Same Subject
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On the Same Subject
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Means I Used to Achieve Success
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Other Means I Made Use of to do Good
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Adult Instruction
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Sermons
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The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius
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Books and Pamphlets
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On the Same Subject and on Everyday Conversations,
on Medals, Pictures, Rosaries and Scapulars
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Virtues I Consider Essential for an Effective Ministry:
The First Virtue: Humility
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The Second Virtue: Poverty
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The Third Virtue: Meekness
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The Fourth Virtue: Modesty
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The Fifth Virtue: Mortification
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The Virtue of Mortification (continued)
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Virtues of Jesus that I Resolved to Imitate
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The Virtue of Love of God and neighbor
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Towns I have Preached in and Persecutions I have Suffered
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Topics I Preached on, and the Care I Took in Presenting Them
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Preaching Missions in the Canary Islands
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The Congregation of the Immaculate Heart of Mary
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Accepting the Appointment as Archbishop of Santiago, Cuba
Third Part
From the Consecration as
Archbishop onwards
Chapters
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Consecration, Voyage, Arrival, and First Ministries
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Persecutions in El Cobre and Events at Puerto Príncipe
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Missions in Puerto Principe, Manzanillo, San Fructuoso, and Bayamon
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The Earthquakes in Santiago
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The Cholera Epidemic in The Diocese of Cuba
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Journey to Baracoa, Mayarí and Santiago. Outcome of my First Pastoral Visit
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Various Arrangements I made for the Good of the Diocese
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How I was Wounded and the Events Surrounding My Cure
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How I was Summoned to Madrid
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Biographical Sketch of My Co-workers
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How I Disliked Living in Madrid
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How I have Never Sought Positions or Meddled in Politics
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My Conduct has Never been Self-serving
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Ordinary and Extraordinary Occupations
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The Plan of Life and Resolutions I will Strive to Keep with God’s Help
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Some Particular Devotions
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Some Homely Animals that have Served Me as Examples of Virtue
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Some Noteworthy Things that God and the Blessed Virgin Mary have Made Me Understand
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The Most Notable Dates in My Life
Continuation of the Biography of the Archbishop
Anthony Mary Claret
Chapters
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On Tour With Their Majesties and Highnesses in Andalucía
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Things Done for the Sisters of Andalucía
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Damages and Errors Spread by Protestants
and Socialists in the Provinces of Andalucía
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The Slanders Malicious Men have Spread about Catholic Priests
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Things I have Done Since my Return from Andalucía
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Account of Conscience to My Spiritual Director Toward the End of 1862
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An Account of My Mission to the Palace
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Account of Conscience to My Spiritual Director for the Year 1863
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Retreat Resolutions
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An Important Chapter for The Congregation
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Account I Made to My Spiritual Director of
My Activities During the Year 1864
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Cases for Confessors and Preachers
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More Examples That May Serve as a Warning
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Punishments Occasioned by Cursing
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Some Cases of Punished Sins
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Some of My Experiences
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(Blank in the Manuscript)
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Resignation from the Court
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Letter of His Holiness
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Letter of the Nuncio
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A Gentleman’s Defense
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A Report Published in LE MONDE
Autobiographical Documents
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On Devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary (1812-1831)
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A Student Devoted to Our Lady of the Holy Rosary (1831)
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A Model Seminarian at Prayer (1829-1835)
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Vocation to the Apostolate (1831-1835)
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Confraternities (1819-1840)
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Declaration Made on Entering the Society of Jesus (1807-1839)
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Apostolic Missionary: Self Portrait (1840-1846)
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Résumé of His Life (1813-1856)
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Graces Granted by the Blessed Virgin Mary (1807-1867)
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Imitating His Model, Jesus (1858-1864)
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Witness to the Truth (1807-1864)
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The Librería Religiosa (1851-1869)
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Royal Confessor (1857-1869)
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Uncertainties About His Office As Royal Confessor (1865)
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Benefits and Graces Obtained Through Mary (1807-1869)
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Notes Concerning the First Vatican Council (1869-1870)
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Matters that Should be Discussed
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Notes on Themes for the Council:
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Council Documents and Dates
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Daybook of the Congregations
De vita et honestate clericorum
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Discourse on Papal Infallibility
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Address to Spanish Bishops on Seminaries
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Address to Spanish Bishops on a Uniform Catechism
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On the Margin of the Council
Resolutions and spiritual notes
Introduction and notes by José Maria Viñas
General Introduction
Resolutions
1843
1844
1845
1846
1847
1848
1849
1850 - A
1850 - B
1851
1852
1853
1854
1855
1856
1857
1858
1859
1860
1861
1862
1863
1864
1865
1866
1867
1868
1869
1870
Spiritual Notes
Introduction
Archbishop of Cuba (1850-1857)
Royal Confessor (1857-1869)
Father of the First Vatican Council (1869-1870)
Lights and Graces
Introduction
1855
1856
1857
1858
1859
1860
1861
1862
1863
1864
1865
1866
1867
1868
1869
1870
Appendices
Introduction
Appendix I
Notes of Fr. Lorenzo Puig
Appendix II
A visit of Claret to the Bishop of Huesca in Rome
Appendix III
Six recollections of the Claretians in Prades
Appendix IV
Fr. Claret in Fontfroide
Appendix V
Biographical notes
Appendix VI
The Processes
Closing Document
Letter-message of Pope Benedict XVI
Indexes
Name and Place Index
Thematic Index
Illustrations
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Claret at his writing desk………………………….. Page I [PAGE NN. FROM SPANISH EDITION]
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Coat of Arms - Librería Religiosa ……………………………………... Page 283
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Plan of the Academy of St. Michael …………………………………… Page 284
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Map of Catalonia ……...……………………………............................ Page 331
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Map of Grand Canary Island …………………………………………. Page 343
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Writing and seal of Archbishop Claret……………………………….. Page 350
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Four maps: pastoral visits of Claret in Cuba……………………... Page 394-5
Following Page 407
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Panoramic views of Sallent ……………………………………………….. 1st Page
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Birthplace of Claret; Virgin of Fusimanya; Chapel of the Virgin of Fusimanya………………………………………………………………... 2nd Page
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Weaving machine in the time of the Saint; Sallent - Home of Claret ……. 3rd Page
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Barcelona – Cathedral; Barcelona – La Lonja (Exchange Building)…... 4th Page
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Vic - Queralt Bridge over the Mèder River; Vic - Main Square ………... 5th Page
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Vic – Holy Cross Hospital; Vic – Seminary………………………………...6th Page
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Rome - St. Mary in Traspontina; Rome - St. Andrew in Montecavallo…...7th Page
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Viladrau - Tower of the parish church; Pencil drawing of Claret ….…8th Page
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Our Lady of Montserrat;
Las Palmas of Grand Canary Island – Cathedral …………………..…9th Page
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Las Palmas, Grand Canary Island - San Telmo Park;
Room of the Foundation of the Congregation, Vic …………………… 10th Page
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Scene of the Foundation;
Painting of the Immaculate Heart of Mary of Divine Love ….……..11th Page
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Santiago, Cuba: Cathedral;
Sanctuary of Our Lady of Charity of El Cobre, Cuba ………………..12th Page
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Our Lady of Charity;
Claret and several of his collaborators, Cuba 1853 (1st photo of Claret).. 13th Page
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Episcopal seal used by Claret in his books;
Baracoa Mountains, Cuba…………………………………………………14th Page
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Mother María Antonia Paris;
Pulpit of the main church in Holguín, Cuba…………………………….. 15th Page
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Isabel II, Queen of Spain; Madrid - Royal Palace…………………………..16th Page
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Map of Spain ………………………………………………………………………Page 449
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Facsimile of first edition of “Solace of a Slandered Soul”…………………. Page 479
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The philosopher Jaime Balmes; Facsimile of his writing ………………..….Page 529
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St. Peter’s Basilica, Rome: Floor plan of the Council Hall………………. Page 583
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Claret’s handwriting (1861)………………………………………………. Page 814-15
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Death-bed of Fr. Claret …………………………………………………….Page 881
Following Page 886
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Seal of the Congregation (1857); Monastery of the Escorial………………… 1st Page
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Lisbon – Tower of Bethlehem; Lisbon – Palace of the Hieronymites……... 2nd Page
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Paris – Champs Elisées; Paris – Notre Dame des Victoires ………………….3rd Page
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Painting and Photograph of Claret in Madrid, 1858 &1860 …………………4th Page
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Painting of Claret in 1860; Photograph of Claret, Madrid, 1867…………. 5th Page
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Photographs of Claret, Paris, 1868 ………………………………………………6th Page
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Paintings of Claret, Paris, 1869 & Rome, 1869……………………………. 7th Page
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Rome, Basilica and Plaza of St. Peter (1869) &
Palace of the Chancellery …………………………………………………..8th Page
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Painting of Claret at First Vatican Council;
Rome, Church of St. Adrian ……………………………………………………9th Page
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Claret’s room, Convent of St. Adrian, Rome;
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Cistercian Monastery of Fontfroide ………………………………………………10th Page
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Cloister, Monastery of Fontfroide;
Sepulcher of Fr. Claret in Fontfroide …………………………………….11th Page
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Sepulcher tombstone of Claret in Fontfroide …………………………..……12th Page
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Sepulcher of Fr. Claret in Vic; Crypt of St. Claret Church in Vic………… 13th Page
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Paintings of Fr. Claret …………………………………………………………. 14th Page
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Drawing of the Saint; Painting of Claret for India;
Model for Engraving………………………………………………………… 15th Page
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Mosaic of Claret in the Basilica of St. Peter…………………………………..16th Page
Introduction to English Edition
To open one’s heart to the story of another person’s life is always an enriching experience, often awe-inspiring. The narrated events and the various resonances that these found in the heart of that person are transformed into messages of life for us who receive with great respect, the testimony that is given to us.
Anthony Mary Claret wrote the story of his own life because someone who was profoundly inspired by it and ardently desired that it continue being an inspiration for many asked him to do so. It was difficult for Claret to respond to this request and he only did it because, in that moment, the one asking, Fr. José Xifré was the superior of the Congregation of Missionaries that Claret himself had founded. Anthony Mary Claret has left us in his Autobiography a living testimony of those events and experiences that marked his life and guided his tireless apostolic work.
The life of Claret, like that of each human being, had it moments of light and of darkness. Reading the Autobiography will reveal them. It is important to make oneself a “fellow traveler” to be able to take in all of the force of the testimony presented to us.
It is of capital importance to discover the underlying principles that guided his life and that appear, in various ways, during the different periods of the same. Reading the Autobiography draws us into the spiritual experience of a man who allowed himself to be questioned and guided by the Word of God, who felt with a very strong intensity the call to dedicate his life to the proclamation of the gospel and who knew how to bring many others into that work. The Autobiography allows us to peer into the interior of the person and see how the Spirit of the Lord guided him to new horizons of sanctity and apostolic commitment.
The Autobiography of St. Anthony Mary Claret is available in many editions and in various languages. Many people from diverse countries and cultures have been able to approach these pages born in the heart of one who lived passionately for Christ and for the proclamation of the Gospel. The Spanish and English editions had finished and there were calls for new editions. It is a joy, dear reader, to be able to put this now into your hands. Fr. Jesús Bermejo, an expert in St. Anthony Mary Claret, and the team of the Center for Claretian Spirituality (CESC) in Vic, Spain, have done a revision of the text and its notes and have prepared some pedagogical materials that will facilitate greater comprehension of the pages of the Autobiography.
With regard to this English edition, I cannot but thank the work done for many years by Fr. Joseph Daries, who has dedicated countless hours so that the person of Anthony Mary Claret might be better known in the English-speaking world. To him do we owe the basic translation of the Autobiography and many of the autobiographical writings contained in this volume. I also want to acknowledge the invaluable collaboration of Frs. Rosendo Urrabazo who together with the CESC team of Frs. Anthony Ejikeme and S. Jesu Doss have reviewed and revised all of the English texts. Special thanks also to Fr. James Overend who translated the interesting and extensive notes by which this edition has been enriched.
I hope that contact with the testimony of Claret touches your life and increases your love for Jesus and the ardent desire to work for the kingdom. I place this edition in the hands, even more, in the heart of Mary, for whom St. Anthony Mary Claret felt so loved and accompanied in the growth of his faith and missionary commitment.
Rome, August 4, 2009
JOSEP M. ABELLA
General Superior
of the Claretian Missionaries
Introduction to the
1981 edition
The edition of the Autobiographical and Spiritual Writings of Saint Anthony Mary Claret published by the Biblioteca de Autores Crisitianos (BAC) in 1959 placed an exceptional document, the Autobiography of the Saint, at the disposal of the public-at-large for the first time; which until that time had been the private patrimony of the Missionary Sons of the Heart of Mary. As a matter of fact, the two previous editions (1915 and 1951), although with different characteristics, had only been planned for a limited distribution among the communities of the Congregation.
However, starting from the 1959 edition, the Claret Autobiography has been published in several languages (French, Portuguese, English, Italian), in addition to another–manual size–edition in Spanish. This has resulted in a widespread distribution of this document which has subsequently been extended even more with this new edition that the BAC now presents, with the intention of being critically more refined, while at the same time better situating the period, mainly through introductions and notes.
In presenting this new edition, I do not think it is necessary to refer to literary or historic aspects of the text. Even though they have their validity and it would be fair to focus on them when the time comes, these aspects do not correspond to what the author and editors specifically intended. I would like, therefore, to underline that the Autobiography of Saint Anthony Mary Claret is, above all, a testimonial and pedagogical document. Its greatest values and the key to its optimum reading are found there.
But most of all, it is a living testimony, in the sense that it communicates, emotionally and personally, a special experience of God and man, through which existence itself takes on a sense of mission, as it did with Jesus Christ. It is the testimony of a lived experience through a long process of search and affirmation, of action and passion, of dedication and martyrdom, and which little by little makes a total identification with Jesus Christ, the only measure of the missionary vocation.
It is a fact that the 19th century for Christians (especially in Spain) has much greater weight for its living testimonies than from its elaboration of a theology or a spiritual doctrine. For this reason, also is this autobiographic document of Claret of some importance. It can help in the understanding of an historic fragment of ecclesial life. Moreover, above all, it illustrates the encouraging presence of the Spirit in the ever-current praxis of the mission, which, through a total and unifying experience, gives meaning to life, placing it before the Father of Jesus, unchangeable source of the sending, and before the sometimes turbulent events of the people to whom we are sent.
On the other hand, the Autobiography of Saint Anthony Mary Claret has a stated pedagogical intention: to serve in the formation of those called for the mission. It entered into the plans of whoever imposed upon the Saint the obedience to write these pages. And, on the other hand, it fit in with Claret’s constantly sought purpose, since the first years of his priesthood, in which he invested so much time and effort to cultivate in priests the dedication and adequate preparation for the missions. The Congregation of Missionaries that he founded has considered his Autobiography a living interpretation of the Constitutions and a necessary place for the encounter with his spirit.
But, going beyond this particular reference, it is natural that a document of this type, profoundly evangelical and vivid, retains a contemporary relevance in times when, everywhere, the Lord is arousing vocations for the service of missionary evangelization throughout the Church. It is truly a manual of missionary spirituality that introduces the experience of a life dedicated to the Gospel, to the proclamation of the Good News, the same as the life of Jesus. Transmitted in clear and warm pages, full of serenity and strength, this living proposal of Father Claret is fostering today the birth of many consecrated, as well as secular missionary, vocations from the most diverse latitudes.
Claret, moved by his apostolic keenness, having written extensively about many diverse subjects, found nothing more repulsive as in narrating his own life. Maybe because of this, with a sense of death to himself by which he planted this seed, today it has such force and is producing an abundance of missionary vocations. And, by the same token, nothing is more pleasing to his spirit, which yearned for the formation of a large family of evangelizers.
I hope that the optimum work carried out by the responsible persons of “Studium Claretianum” of Rome and by the BAC in the presentation of this volume is blessed by this same fruit: a new emergence of vocations for the mission, in a Church that is again clearly conscience of its everlasting condition: sent, as Jesus, for the salvation of mankind.
GUSTAVO ALONSO, CMF
Superior General
of the Claretian Missionaries
(1971-1991)
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