Claretian Formation

I. Students in the Congregation (1858)

1. Fr. Xifré, concerned for the expansion of the Congregation, consulted the Fr. Founder on the opportuneness of admitting students into it.7 In reply, the Founder wrote to the Fr. General, suggesting that if they saw a well-disposed young man, they should admit him, even if he were not yet a priest, or even ordained, so long as he was well along in his studies and offered a guarantee of perseverance. 8 The economic straits of the Congregation, which were troubling Fr. Xifré, also conditioned the possibility of accepting young men who had not
finished their studies.

In another letter, full of gospel spirituality and of trust in the Lord’s providence, the Founder encourages Fr. Xifré in these terms: “And so, don’t hesitate to admit subjects whom you consider fit by reason of their learning and virtue and who offer hopes of proving useful, even though they are young and not ordained at all.”9

At that time, the Founder only spoke of persons who were advanced in their priestly studies, were well disposed and had the will to belong to the Congregation and to persevere in it. At any rate, this was a crucial step
that would in future days change the very face of the Congregation.10

2. On the occasion of the First Assembly of the Institute (1859), Claret and Xifré had to talk about students and the possibility of making their studies in houses of the Congregation. This we gather from a letter of 15 June 1859,11 in which the Fr. Founder informs Fr. Xifré that he had talked with the Nuncio on the matter, and that the latter had granted permission for the students of the Congregation to pursue their studies in our own houses as if they were in seminaries.12 This faculty, as we gather from a letter of the Founder to the Nuncio, dated 11 June 1859,13 was granted orally in a conversation which must have taken place three days later, on June 14.

In order for Claret to obtain the faculty in writing, the Nuncio must have asked him to submit an official and formal request. This he did via a letter of 28 July 1859.14 Some days later, on 11 August 1859, the Nuncio replied, granting him the faculty in writing, adding certain observations in the writ of concession.15 On August 12, the Founder informed Fr. Xifré of the faculty granted by the Nuncio,16 and at the same time, sent him some very brief pointers of his own on the studies that ought to be made in the Congregation, entitled Plan of Studies of the
Congregation of the Sons of the Immaculate Heart of Mary.17

3. Notwithstanding the foregoing, an event took place that was going to disturb the peace of Fr. Xifré in this matter. On 25 September 1859, the Fr. General sent Fr. Claret a petition to handle before the Holy See, in which he asked for the approval of the Institute and of its Constitutions. He also asked for several other favours, among them, the faculty allowing the students to do their studies in our houses under the supervision of the Superior General. It was the same faculty that the Nuncio had granted verbally and in writing, to the Fr. Founder and the Congregation, which Fr. Xifré now wanted to assure with pontifical approval. The reply to this petition, which arrived a year later, on 19 October 1860, was negative.18

In view of this reversal, it was only logical that Fr. Xifré should ask the Founder about the validity of the faculty granted a year earlier by the Nuncio. The Fr. Founder set the General’s mind at peace and at the same time promised to consult the Nuncio for some assurance in the matter. The Nuncio ́s reply must have been affirmative, as our Founder’s letter to Fr. Xifré, dated 12 December 1860, bears witness.19

4. In practice, the Congregation continued using the faculty granted by the Nuncio as if nothing had happened. In fact, our Founder already had a fair idea that a negative reply would come from the Holy See. However, he wrote a letter on 29 June 1860 20 counseling the admission of a student, the future Fr. Donato
Berenguer, who had not yet completed his seminary studies, and added some norms on how he might finish those studies. And on 3 May 1861 he wrote to Fr. Xifré, stating his satisfaction on the establishment of a chair of Canon Law, adding some practical norms on oratory, moral theology and the advisability of learning French.21

5. This is how the first formation centres of the Congregation began to spring up in Vic. The year 1861 saw the inauguration of the first noviciate for priests and students. It had to begin somewhat earlier for the brothers, so that they could attend to the needs of the candidates who were entering. From 1861 to 1868, the year in which the Congregation had to leave Spain because of the Revolution, there were two noviciates in Vic, with their respective Masters and formation regulations.22

The scholasticate, too, probably began in 1861 with the first candidates admitted, although some classes had already been given them. One set of statistics mentions 5 students in the course 1864-65, 7 in 1865-66, 10 in 1866-67, 11 in 1867-68 and 11 in 1868-69. Among the professors were Frs. James Clotet, Bernard Sala, Lawrence Font, Paul Vallier and Felix Bruch. During the summer, lectures were given by the aforesaid professors and others, including Fr. Xifré. It seems that the Novicemaster of both student and priest novices, was also the Prefect of the professed students.23