Our Apostolate

St. Anthony Mary Claret gave his Missionaries this watchword:

"Use all possible means for the salvation of all."

Claretians preach the word of God through a wide variety of ministries.

We give priority to:

"whatever is most urgent, timely and effective."

The Claretian Congregation may be dubbed as:

"the Congregation that has a job for everyone."

Whatever talents one may have can be used in the
Claretian Apostolate.

In the Philippines

Since 1946, the Claretian Missionaries have been involved in the following:

Parishes.Vast missionary apostolate being carried out in parishes like the Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish in U.P. Village, Quezon City and in all the parishes in Zamboanga City and Basilan Province:

• building Basic Ecclesial Communities (B.E.C.)
• catechetical work
• adult education
• youth programs
• social projects
• family life programs
• training lay leaders
• charismatic movements
• bible studies
• prayer meetings

Schools. For 35 years, the Claretians have been running: schools for elementary and high school like Claret School of Quezon City, Claret School of Zamboanga and those in Basilan Province, where the Muslims have been the most beneficiaries.

The Badjaos of Basilan. The Badjaos (also dubbed as sea-gypsies) are indigenous people with a culture and belief system of their own. They have a unique lifestyle of austere living and references. They live in stilt houses along coastal areas. In Basilan as in some other places, Badjaos are discrimitaed to the lowest degree. The Claretians are reaching out to them. More Information

Peace Advocates of Zamboanga (P.A.Z.). A catholic organization whose objective is the promotion of peace in Zamboanga and the region of Mindanao, Philippines, by strengthening good relations among Muslims and Christians, and other peoples. Commitment: Forge a brand of unity where cultural diversity is respected and given greater latitude.

Clinic and Hospital. A permanent witness of the untiring dedication and zeal of the Claretians for the welfare of the poor people in Basilan, serving an average of 150 patients everyday, most of them Muslims.

Claretian Publications. It is a pastoral endeavor of the Claretian missionaries in the Philippines. It aims to promote a renewed spirituality rooted in the process of total liberation and solidarity in response to the needs, challenges and demands of the Church today. A large network of Publishing houses and Bookstores here and in 11 other countries that promotes renewed spirituality in response to the needs, challenges and pastoral demands of the Church today. More

Institute for Consecrated Life in Asia (ICLA). The Claretian missionaries keep on promoting the renewal of religious life in the Church. ICLA, located at 526 Tandang Sora Ave, Quezon City, is a center for higher ecclesiastical studies, specialized on Consecrated Life. It is now incorporated into the Theological Faculty of UST. More

Popular Missions and Retreats Itinerant Communities Evangelization, which is the ministry of the Word, is the special calling of the Claretians among the people of God. We are Servants of the Word of God according to the style and the spirit we have inherited from our founder, St. Anthony Mary Claret. Retreat House

Claret Formation Centers. The vocation ministry and the formation of new missionaries has been at the center of their efforts. Claretian Missionaries believe that: "Evangelization is not perfect until the local Church arrives at full development as a community of communities with native priests and religious." The vocation and formation program is the first priority among all their apostolates, considering that this is the best contribution that they, as Missionaries, can give to the Filipino Church.

Commitment in Asia

In order to contribute as evangelizers in responding to the great challenges in Asia, their commitment brings them:

1. To bear witness to the Christian experience of God in the context of religious pluralism.
   
   
2. To respond to the growing interest in the Word of God and to promote the missionary animation of local churches.
   
   
3. To enhance formation for inculturation, for interreligious dialogue and for justice and peace.
   
   
4. To reinforce our collaboration with the laity and to spur on the Lay Claretian Movement.
   
   
5. To deepen our commitment to the mission "ad gentes," in a dialogue of faith and life with other religions and cultures and with the poor.

As evangelizers, they are distressed to see so many persons who do not know the full manifestation of the love of God made real in Jesus.

Around the World

Imitating the footsteps of St. Anthony Mary Claret who said "My spirit is for the whole world" and impelled by a constantly renewed missionary dynamism, the Claretian Missionaries are also presently working in 58 countries:

EUROPE: Spain, Poland, Italy, Portugal, England, Austria, France, Switzerland, Germany, Yugoslavia, Russia, Czech, Republic Byelorussia

THE AMERICAS: Chile, Venezuela, Mexico, Dominican Republic, Brazil, Costa Rica, Argentina, Canada, USA, El Salvador, Columbia, Ecuador, Uruguay, Nicaragua, Peru, Guatemala, Cuba, Honduras, Bolivia, Puerto Rico, Panama, Paraguay

AFRICA: Equatorial Guinea, Nigeria, Sao Tome, Cameron, Zaire, Gabon, Angola, Uganda, Tanzania, Congo Republic, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Kenya

ASIA: Philippines, South Korea, Japan, Australia, India, Indonesia, Sri-Lanka, Taiwan, East Timor, Vietnam.

Who are We? * Our Spirituality * Becoming a Claretian Missionary