Saint Claret was born on December 23, 1807, as the fifth child of Juan and Josefa Claret in the village of Sallent, in Catalonia, Spain. He entered the diocesan seminary at Vic in 1829, and was ordained on June 13, 1835, on the feast of St. Anthony of Padua.

St. Anthony Claret had a quenchless thirst to rescue souls. When his personal efforts became insufficient for the task on hand, he called on the assistance of other apostolic men and founded the Congregation of Missionary Sons of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (Claretian Fathers) on July 16, 1849.

On October 6, 1850, Anthony Mary Claret was consecrated as Archbishop of Santiago, Cuba taking for his motto “The Charity of Christ urgeth us on”, adding the name of Mary to his own. Saint Claret, the “spiritual father of Cuba”, was a missionary, a religious founder, an organizer of the lay apostolate, a social reformer, a queen's chaplain, a prophet and wonder-worker, a writer, a publisher and a promoter of devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

On October 24, 1870, Father Claret passed from this life. In 1899, Pope Leo XIII declared him venerable and Pope Pius XI pronounced him blessed in 1934. On May 7, 1950, Pope Pius XII declared Anthony Mary Claret a saint. Saint Claret is the patron saint of weavers, Catholic press and Claretians. The feast of Saint Claret is celebrated on 24th October.