Claretian Formation

TOWARD THE FIRST CENTENNIAL OF THE CONGREGATION (1937-1949)

New Mandate of Fr. Nicholas García

On July 11, 1937 Fr. Philip Maroto suddenly died in Rome. In Albano Laziale, near Rome, the XIV General Chapter of the Congregation was celebrated from 22 November to 7 December. Fr. Nicholas García, who had already governed the Congregation from 1922 to 1934, was again elected Superior General.

In this new mandate, the Congregation would be involved in the turmoil of disorder caused by the continuation of the Spanish civil war and the second great world conflagration.

In Spain, many of the houses that had been confiscated were returned at the end of the war in 1939. Then the publications and the expeditions to mission territories started anew. At the same time, the remains of the martyrs were transferred with all reverence.

The Second World War harmed the Congregation because of the isolation it brought about from 1941 to 1945 and because of losses of personnel in the Russian war. Fr. General made many visitations during his mandate and received several decorations for the enormous work of the Claretians all throughout the world.

In 1947, with the General Government back in Rome, normalcy returned to the governance of the Congregation.

Vocational Crisis

The events of the Spanish civil war caused an important drawing back in the personnel in Spain, a circumstance that was noted by the General Chapter of 1937. This inspired Fr. Nicholas García to write a circular entitled The Missionary Vocation (1938), in which he invited all Provinces to increase their schools for postulancy and prepostulancy and to create the figure of vocation promoter.

The Review “Religious Life“

As early as 1938 Fr. Arturo Tabera had presented to the General Government a project to create a review on religious life, but it was not until 1944 that he finally succeeded, and the first issue of the review entitled “Vida Religiosa” came to light in Madrid. It was re-structured after the Vatican II Council. This magazine is now acknowledged as the great pioneering instrument of renewal of religious life, not only in Spain but also in 85 other countries of the world.

Consecration of the World to the Heart of Mary

The consecration of the world to the Heart of Mary was a great event for the Church and for the Congregation due to the great effort that was exerted in this work. It was made by Pope Pius XII on October 31 and on December 8, 1942. Immediately after this consecration, many other consecrations were made in Archdioceses, Dioceses, Congregations, etc. The Claretian Congregation considerably contributed to make this dream come true. Since 1944, these consecrations were followed by coronations of the images of Our Lady, Titular of the Claretian Missionaries.

In 1940 Fr. Narciso García Garcés, together with a group of Spanish theologians, founded the Spanish Mariological Society, which would give origin to the Mariological Weeks and would publish the Marian Studies which would later be followed by the review Ephemerides Mariologicae.

Ephemeral Foundation in the Philippine Islands

In 1946 a new continent lay open to the Congregation with the foundation of the Catholic Mission of Santa Barbara in the Philippine Islands. The initiative was carried out from the United States and Fr. Raymond Catalán was the person who made it possible. It did not live long, but it is good to put on record this first attempt that would be repeated later with lasting success.

Statistics of 1949

On the threshold of the centennial of the foundation of the Congregation a gigantic step could be observed in the growth with respect to that taken in the time previous to 1922. The Congregation had 2,638 professed members and 160 novices.

The most peculiar aspect was the expansion of the Congregation outside of Spain. The sum total was 240 houses distributed throughout the various continents: 97 in Europe, 8 in Asia, 11 in Africa and 124 in America. All of them grouped in 10 Provinces, 2 Vice-Provinces and 5 Visitorships.

The publications had increased and the schools had scattered throughout the continents, especially in Europe and America.

Among the hierarchical dignities of the Church, the Congregation counted in its first century of existence with 3 Archbishops, 8 Bishops, 1 Apostolic Vicar and 6 Apostolic Prefects.