It was Emerson who said: “An institution is the lengthened shadow of one man.” Truly, that is what the Claretian Congregation is; the lengthened shadow of St. Anthony Mary Claret, the founder of Claretian Missionary. The ideals he has put into it, the noble goals he has set for it, and these are its very soul. But the heart and mind; the activity of the congregation are invariably a composite reflection of its followers.
The Claretians, also called the Missionary Sons of the Immaculate Heart of Mary are a community of Roman Catholic priests and brothers. It all began on 16th July 1849 at Barcelona in Spain when five young priests- Estevan Sala, Jose X Fire, Domingo Fabrigas, Jaime Clote and Manual Vilaro were called by Father Claret. When the young men arrived Fr. Claret began the spiritual exercises with these words- “Today a great work is beginning.” Fr. Vilaro responded, “How important can it be since we are so young and so few?” Then Fr. Claret answered, “You will see, if we are few then God’s great power will shine forth even more splendidly.” True to his statement the Claretian Missionaries has grown into an international congregation expanding itself with 3000 Claretians working zealously in 65 countries around the globe. The motto of the Claretians is ‘To light the world on fire with the love of
God.’ The word fire is symbolic of the vigour of energy to spread the message of the Lord so that mankind lives in peace.
St. Anthony Mary Claret, a 19th century Archbishop of Cuba was born on December 23rd, 1807 at Sallent in the province of Barcelona, Spain. Before embarking on the spiritual path, Anthony Claret was a successful businessman. However, riches and material success did not satisfy him; hence left his worldly pursuits in response to God’s call. Burning with love for God he became a priest and then founded the congregation for priests and brothers to spread the message of God’s love for humanity. He sought to serve God in different capacities- as a profound teacher he taught people through his sermons, as a social reformer, he initiated innovative undertakings to uplift the poor and needy. As a visionary, he implemented projects for the agricultural, educational development of society. Finally, as a Prophet, he denounced unhealthy practices of the times and returned to spirituality & morality.
When Father Claret had left his mortal remains on October 24th 1870, the congregation had only 80 members but his spirit which was embodied in those notes is preserved as a priceless treasure by the Claretians today. With this pragmatic charter, the Claretians are rendering exceptionally good services in various fields. They engage in pastoral, social & educational endeavours for the promotion of human life & dignity. The Claretian Initiative programmes are unique since they are designed in recognition of the layers of harsh realities of life. Several youth programmes along with a wide range of other categories like counselling, housing, health, leadership development, scholarships, developing educational institutions, violence prevention are undertaken by them. Besides, the Claretians have a special dedication in working with the Immigrants trying to help them meet their essentials, both social and spiritual needs.
Reaching out to the young, especially those at a disadvantage is a high priority for Claretians. They are also active on college campuses. Sponsoring year-long volunteers, the summer ministry programme devoted to working with children. The congregation has an academic publishing company including numerous Claretian publishing houses that undertake publications of magazines and newsletters, guiding many families to nurture spirituality.
They have their parishes to reach out to the surrounding community, the civic organisations and help foster strong community feelings. It is predominant to state that the Claretians work very closely with the Sisters of Missionaries of Charity founded by MotherTeresa. The Mother had very good contact with the Claretians of India who serve the poor through educational endeavours, care for leprosy-affected, drug addicts, ex-prisoners, physically disabled, tribals & Dalits.
In India, the expansion began from 1956 onwards, when Bishop Sebastian visited the land and selected five students who were sent to Germany for higher studies. Among them Fr. Joseph Manavath was the first Indian Claretian priest and over the years the Claretians grew in numbers, spreading all over the country, rendering yeomen service. As of today, there are five provinces in India: The Province of Bangalore, The Province of Chennai, St. Thomas Province, Kerala, North-East Delegation and the Kolkata Delegation. In addition, Added to this there are 35 educational institutions both schools and colleges located in 16 states. In Bengaluru, the Claretian Mission launched the Educational Ministry in 1989 at Jalahalli, to provide holistic & quality education to the student community at large. A beginning was made in this direction with the establishment of a school and as years rolled by the second phase of its growth was seen in the launching of Pre- University, undergraduate & postgraduate colleges. In its foundation, St. Claret Educational Institutions were designed with a specific vision of St. Anthony Mary Claret, striving to foster positive values based on the pursuit of truth. Their educational program intends to invent possibilities for a new realm of life and to bring transformation among the young Claretines to be a beacon, a light in the heart of Humanity. It’s a matter of honour to declare that the Claretian Missionaries are mapped for a noble cause & let us sincerely pray and work with them to move ever onward in their endeavours & accomplish our Patron’s vision.
Mrs.Annapoorna B.