Birthday of Maria Antonia Paris – 2018

June 28, remembering the birth of Maria Antonia Paris, in Valmoll, a town near Tarragona (Spain), in 1813.

Always and in everything and in spite of everything, the difficulties that surrounded the beginnings of her life and later in adolescence did not diminish her growth in the faith, nor her option neither to consecrate her life to the service of God, nor to fulfil His will. We recognize in Antonia a woman not of many words, serious, of a good sense, helpful, hardworking, firm and deeply in love with God and Lord of history who asked for the foundation of a new Order of Apostles. This deep love held her before the misunderstandings and stumbles in carrying out the mission and made her discover, step by step her personal vocation, to love and suffer for the Church; it was concrete that of her time, even wanting to give her life if necessary. Without a doubt, a life lived to the fullness.

We are invited as a Claretian family, and inspired by the intuition of our founders, Maria Antonia Paris and Antonio Maria Claret, to live cultivating the profound and transforming encounter with God of Life, taking care of the fraternity, bringing the words and gestures of Jesus to the hearts of men, as seeds of humanity, hope and holiness, contributing to the renewal of the Church and society. (cf. Letter of Ana Maria in occasion of this celebration)