Saint Anthony Mary Claret, Bishop

The Church commemorates Saint Anthony Mary Claret on October 24. Born in 1807 in Sallent, Spain, Claret was ordained a priest in 1835. He founded the Missionaries of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, now known as the Claretian Missionaries, in 1849.

Claret served as the Archbishop of Santiago in Cuba from 1851 to 1857. He addressed social issues including poverty, illiteracy, and slavery. He promoted agricultural improvements by establishing a model farm in Camagüey to help the poor diversify crops beyond sugar cane. He also implemented the establishment of savings banks in every parish.

In Spain, Claret served as the director of the seminary in Madrid and as chaplain to the Queen. He was an author of 144 books and established a Catholic printing house and publishing facility. Claret attended the First Vatican Council in 1869 and died in 1870 at the age of 63.