Claretian Formation

GENERALATE OF FR. CLEMENT SERRAT (1899-1906)

The Congregation without Fr. Xifré

Immediately after the death of Fr. Xifré, the VIII General Chapter was celebrated in Vic from December 19 to 27, 1899. Fr. Clement Serrat was elected Superior General, with the prestigious Frs. Martin Alsina and Francis Naval as companions. Neither in this Chapter nor in the subsequent Provincial Chapters of Catalonia and Castile were they able to advance in the consolidation of the provinces. Their fruits however were not long in coming and, in 1901, the decree of constitution of the two noviciates of Vic and Segovia was promulgated. Also, beginning this year, the American Visitorships became dependent from the Provinces: those of South America (Chile, Argentina and Brazil) from Castile and that of Mexico from Catalonia.

During this period, the Congregation continued its progress toward the consolidation, without neglecting the establishment of new foundation. We could say that its history became more complex because the two Provinces followed separate ways.

General Dispositions

In 1900 the first Disposiciones Generales are published. They are an organic and systematic compilation of the general norms of the Congregation, emanated from the General Chapters. In addition to insuring observance, they give the Institute its own face and character, like its own distinctive seal. They were updated in 1905, 1906 and 1912.

Andacollo (Chile), First Parish

In the year 1900 a house was founded in Andacollo at the request of the Bishop of La Serena. The first contract was provisional, till they could see how this foundation developed, considering that the permanent attention to the Marian Shrine and to a vast rural zone was not very adequate to the ministry so far performed by the missionaries. Soon the efficacy of their work and the necessity of not depending on the pastor of La Serena became evident. Thus the creation of the first parish of the Congregation was requested and easily obtained.

First History of the Congregation (1901)

Fr. Mariano Aguilar, who had already published the Vida Admirable del P. Claret, prepared the first Historia de la Congregación, which did not satisfy everyone, because it showed “a not sufficiently generous and ample concept of the nature and demands of History.”

The Religious Vocation

In 1902, on his birthday, Fr. Serrat published a beautiful circular to the Congregation entitled La Vocación Religiosa, through which he wanted to stimulate in everyone feelings of gratitude, by reminding them of the gift of divine vocation. At the same time he invited to fidelity and the imitation of the Master by three means: humility and meekness, two typical virtues of a Claretian missionary, patient charity, avoiding harshness and severity, and unity.

The Mission of Guinea in this Period

Thanks to a Decree of the Ministry of State of 1902, which imposed the presentation of a yearly Report of the Spanish possessions in Africa, we have abundant information from Fr. Coll. In 1903 too, the publication of the fortnightly Claretian magazine “La Guinea Española” began, with the aim of “commenting on the religious, material and moral interests of the Gulf of Guinea.”

The Provinces of Catalonia and Castile

Fr. Cepeda was re-elected Provincial of Catalonia in the provincial chapter of 1901. Soon difficulties began to arise that led him to resign from his office in 1902. Fr. Francis Cases was appointed to take his place. In this period the Province of Catalonia made only one foundation in Cartagena (1906).

The Provincial Chapter had re-elected the Provincial Government en bloc, with Fr. Burgos as Superior, who was leading the Province with determination. The quarters of the Government were established in Segovia. In 1902 the Province founded the house of Zamora as a result of a Retreat preached by Frs. Dominic Solá and Edward Gómez. One of the first to be assigned to this house was Fr. Nicholas García, future General of the Congregation. In 1904 the houses of Jerez de los Caballeros and Gibraltar were founded.

In Portugal where Aldeia da Ponte was the only existing foundation, the Province of Castile founded during these years the houses of Fraga (1903) and Lisbon (1905).

Progress of the Visitorships

The Visitorships of Chile, Argentina-Brazil and Mexico continued as such, in a growing process until the extraordinary General Chapter of 1904, when they were constituted as General Vicariates or Quasi-Provinces.

In that of Chile there was a great foundational activity in this period. There were foundations in Andacollo (1900), Temuco (1901), Coquimbo, Antofagasta and Talca (1903). The sowing was hard but the harvest was extraordinary, thanks to the tireless work of missionaries such as Fr. Thomas Sesé, stimulated by Fr. Raymond Genover, dependent Visitor from the Province of Castile to which this Visitorship belonged. It’s unavoidable to mention here Frs. Avellana and Soteras, extraordinary missionaries; the first died in the hospital of Carral in 1904 with the reputation of being a saint, and the second in La Serena in 1905.

The South American Visitorship grew during this period both in Argentina and in Brazil. In Argentina the first foundation was in Buenos Aires in 1901; then followed Tucumán (1902) Catamarca (1903) and Rosario (1904). The initiative originated also in Fr. Genover, Visitor of Castile, to which this Visitorship also belonged. The most salient figure in Argentina during this period was Fr. Zacharias Iglesias, coming from Chile. In Brazil a house was founded in Pouso Alegre (1901), also under the impulse of Fr. Genover. The first steps of this foundation were described by Fr. Ozamis.

Mexico, already made into a Vice-Province, founded in Monterrey (1904). The person in charge of carrying out this foundation was Fr. Raymond Prat, Vice-provincial Superior. There was also a foundation in Celaya (1905). During this period, Fr. Cepeda, again in Mexico, founded the magazine “La Esperanza.”

Foundation in the United States

As a result of the missions preached from Mexico in Texas and California, Fr. Raymond Prat carried out the foundation of San Antonio in 1902. First from the residence of the Bishop and later on from their own residence, they started their tireless missionary work throughout the entire region. At the same time they started to take the first steps toward the foundation in San Marcos, a small town of 2,000 inhabitants, about 200 kilometres from San Antonio.

IX Extraordinary General Chapter

In 1904 the IX extraordinary General Chapter was celebrated, in which it was granted that the Provinces should have their own Scholasticate, and the Central House of Studies was created for those who finished their career: it was called Año de Aranda. The three General Vicariates of Mexico, Chile and Argentina-Brazil were created and segregated from the Provinces of Spain, in addition to that of Fernando Póo. Shortly after, the latter was elevated to Vicariate, with the Most Rev. Fr. Armengol Coll as its first Vicar. He was also the first bishop of the Congregation after the Founder.

Creation of the Province of Betica

In this Chapter it was also decided to create the third Province of the Congregation, that of Betica. The resolution was implemented at the beginning of October of 1906, Fr. Cándido Catalán being appointed Provincial Superior. He fixed his residence in Zafra.

Statistics and Apostolate in this Period

During this period, the Congregation went from 1,368 Claretians in 1899 to 1,490 in 1907, with 84 houses, 24 more than at the death of Fr. Xifré. The principal ministry was still preaching, but without the exclusive attachment to missions and exercises. Other ministries, like parishes, were accepted, especially in America, where the first parish of the Congregation was established in Andacollo, Chile, in 1900. Secondary education was also accepted in both internal and external schools. In this period was also born a rudimentary publishing house (1903), seed of the future “Editorial del Corazón de María.” In the same way, publications like “La Guinea Española” or “El Misionero” (1903) spread throughout the whole Congregation.