Fr. CLOTET YEAR - Man in the presence of God

Fr. CLOTET YEAR - Man in the presence of God  (July 24, 1822 -February 4, 1898)

Prologue

We are two years short of 175 years of the foundation of our congregation.

The commemoration of the bicentenary birth of our founder was an event of grace for the whole Claretian Family in 2007.

Five years ago, we celebrated the “Xifré Year”.

On 4 February 2022, we inaugurated the “Clotet Year”.

The gift of our charism was well cherished and lived by the five co-founders. In each of them we discover a rich and particular way of living this gift.

“Clotet, his simple and profound interior life, in the presence of God, his great filial love for Fr. Claret and his fraternal love and interest for each one of the brothers in the community where he lived, his openness, sincerity and respect for his superiors, his concern for the poor, in particular, in his case, the fruitful apostolate in support of the deaf” (ref. Dated Medellín, 5 July 2022, Letter about Clotet year, Fr. Carlos Sánchez Miranda, cmf. General Prefect of Spirituality and Community Life)

We will conclude the “Clotet Year”, on Saturday, 4 February 2023.

I wish you a joyful and fruitful celebration of this bicentenary of Venerable Fr. Clotet; may his memory and his intercession help us to live ever more rooted in Christ and ever more audacious in Mission.

LIFE, LEGACY AND LESSON

Birth

Jaime Clotet was born on July 24, 1822 in Manresa (Barcelona - Spain), was the last of eight children. He was baptized on the day of his birth. 

Education

He completed the first three years of study with the Jesuits of his native city. At seventeen he entered the Seminary of Barcelona. He studied rhetoric and philosophy at the Grammar School of the University of that City.  He studied Theology in Barcelona and Moral Theology in Vic.

The world of his time

Due to the situation of persecution of the Church in Spain, he went to France and then to Rome.

Ordination

He was ordained a priest on July 20, 1845 in Rome.

First appointment

On returning to Spain he was appointed in July 1846, as Vicar of bursar Castellfollit del Boix, parish located in front of Monserrat. 

In 1847 he was appointed Treasurer Cura Santa Maria Civit, another small town in the mountains.

In pursuit of his missionary identity

Then, he went to Rome where he was ordained priest.  Back in Spain, he performed various pastoral duties but soon he realised that the cure of souls was not his vocation.

Turning point (1845-49)

These four years of pastoral ministry were very good to him, but in his heart was a strong missionary concern. Therefore, in June 1849, he exhibited his Bishop Dr. Jaime Passarell his desire to leave the parish. The interruption of his ministry was providential: let him contact Fr Claret, who was about to start a new congregation.

Meets Fr.Claret
Advised by Dr. Passarell, secretary to the Bishop of Vic, he had an interview with Fr. Claret
Surrenders himself to the plan of Claret

Clotet notes that “once the will of God was known, Fr.Claret called several priests together, and proposed the carefully prepared plan. Some of them accepted it, others however, either were not moved to follow him, or some insurmountable obstacle prevented them”.

On 16th July, 1849 Jaimes Clotet became as part of the group of founders, was the youngest of all. Clotet was just 26 years old at the time of founding the congregation. He was a faithful and kind person. His companions were: Esteban Sala, 37, a learned,    José Xifré, 32, energetic and enterprising,    Dominic Fabregas, 32, good man, invited at the eleventh hour,        

 Manuel Vilaró, 33, a virtuous missionary in Tarragona,   and Antonio Claret, 41, a tireless missionary.  Fr. Clotet finally discovered his vocation and mission in the new Congregation.“At three o’clock we were all gathered in the above mentioned place of the Seminary.  Before we started the inauguration exercises Fr. Claret said: TODAY A GREAT WORK BEGINS. Fr. Manuel Vilaró answered, with a festive mood and a smile: What can we do, so young and so few? You will see, Fr. Claret replied; ``if we are few and young, so much the more will the power and mercy of God shine” (These are words taken down by Fr. Clotet).

 Taught catechism and took care of deaf

The early years of ministry in the Congregation were marked by popular missions, spiritual exercises and retreats. Above all, catechesis, ministry for which he was specially trained.  In particular was devoted to catechesis with deaf, which was the ministry for which he was more qualified and which conveyed much life. He wrote the book : " The communication of thought by means of natural signs , that is, rules to understand and be understood of a deaf mute ," which was very useful for those engaged in this apostolic ministry. In addition he also wrote some pamphlets for clergy and for the formation of the Brothers of the Congregation.

Fr. Jaime Clotet felt fully imbued with the spirit and style of Claretian life, alternating months stay at home, devoted to prayer and study, with others devoted to missionary preaching.  

Clotet was one of the Promoters of Catalan sign language”.

A generous and steadfast service as Sub director General

On 1st May, Fr. Clotet was the first Assistant Director of the Congregation, being chosen for such service in 1858, when Fr Xifré was elected Superior General after the death of Fr. Stephen Sala, held this position for 30 consecutive years. His concern for formation of the future missionaries

Soon after he took charge of the first Brothers of the Congregation.  A year of novitiate, early missionaries lived an intense life of Jaime Clotet community ... Novices must be at ease in such a fraternal, spiritual and disciplined environment. There is no doubt that , on the other hand , such an environment and especially the words and example of the Founder should stir in him a desire to give himself to the work of sanctification.( Devotion in anis 49-50 " ( Mss. Clotet IV , p 240. ) " . ( LOZANO , Manuel. A man in the presence of God, p . 83-84).

We are happy to see that as Assistant Director of the Congregation was towards the formation and he has spent most years of his missionary life in the seminary. The person was required to complement Fr.Xifré in his service as Superior General. The two met in depth the Founder and both were different enough to mutually enrich the Institute's management.

It happened that in those days, Archbishop Anthony Mary Claret, the founder of the congregation, spent a few days in the novitiate, sick and persecuted by the revolution in Spain. We have an example in our Archbishop” said Father Xifre with his telegraphic style of speaking.” He who is of Christ, suffers the cross like Christ” Anyone who is not willing to give his life, is not suited for this. But it has to be a generous donation and with joy. God repays abundantly. Are you prepared to do this? Mariano Avellana Lasierra said yes. A month after this interview, he and other fifteen novices who were preparing for the missionary life were saddened by the death of the father Founder. This was communicated by the novitiate superior, a teary-eyed Father Jaime Clotet.

Faithful friend of Claret and kept the memory of Claret alive

In 1870 he accompanied Fr. Claret in his last days in Fontfroide, and later on he wrote a Summary of his Life

Claret reached France on July 23, 1870. Owing to failing health he withdrew to prada de Conflent in the French Pyrenees, where he was still harassed by his Spanish enemies; shortly afterwards Father Founder took refuge in the Cistercian abbey at fontfroide, Narbonne, southern France on 6th august 1870.

8-X-1870 Father Founder  is sick (his condition was much worse and received viaticum, after making his confession, with admirable faith, piety and fervor, from the hands of father Xifre,the superior general of the congregation. and professes (Final Vows) in the Congregation.

During these days, Father James Clotet, one of the Co-founders who had the privilege of being with Father Claret.

Claret looked extremely handsome while dying.  Though Claret was laid to rest only on October 27th, three days after the death, his body was flexible and fresh as that of a living person. His twisted mouth became straight soon after death.  Therefore, Clotet said that “Archbishop is not dead, but he sleeps”.

The burial of father claret, once archbishop of Cuba and confessor to the queen Isabella 11,had a cortege of three humble Spanish missionaries namely Fr. Joseph Xifre, the director general of the congregation, Fr. James Clotet, the subdirector of the congregation and one more claretian missionary and three French priests.

According to Fr.Jesus Bermejo, Fr Clotet was: "Few people knew him as closely as the missionary saint, not because he lived a long time with him, but for spiritual fellowship that was between them after the founding of the Congregation and, in a special way, in visits Vic and Holy Grace and in the last weeks of his life when Fr.Clotet served him with immense filial affection.” (Clotet, Jaime. Uplifting Life of Father Claret, missionary and founder, p. V).

Two holy men and their mutual love.

All historians are showing how Fr.Claret always distinguished the venerable co-founder clotet with a special affection. And simultaneously, how Fr. Clotet barely met Fr.Founder began to admire and have him as a model and source of inspiration missionary. He had the grace of the Holy meet several times, but especially, joy to accompany and assist close the last weeks of his life on earth. Thanks to the constantly sent letters to Fr.Xifré to inform the health of Claret. We have extraordinary material for details of the death of Fr Founder. Just succeeded this heading contacted Don Francis Aguilar, who has provided all the materials he had, that he writes a first biography of Archbishop Saint.

On August 20, 1880 Martin Alsina, the future superior general of the congregation, made his religious profession in the hands of Fr. Clotet, superior of the Community.

Worked towards the process of beatification of our Holy Founder Claret

The genuine filial love that he had for Father Claret led him to collect all the data and take testimony to recognize his holiness and thus begin the process of beatification. The collected material was abundant and the work of Fr.Jaime Clotet was amazing and tireless.

From Sub director General to Secretary General

At the General Chapter of 1888 he was not elected as Deputy, but Fr. Xifré was appointed Secretary General. Between 1865 and 1895 he was appointed local superior of many of the first houses of the Institute in Spain and France: Vic, Prades, Thuir , Santo Domingo de la Calzada, Cervera and Grace. Furthermore he was dedicated to the training of missionaries, especially the Brothers

Man in the presence of God

Fr.Clotet was a man who constantly shone through the grace to live in the presence of the Lord. He was a man of peace, wisdom and faith. He breathed sweet scents of holiness, creating in his love warm environments around, and pointing with his prudence. He did not have an enemy. His life always reflected a halo of evangelical holiness “(Fernandez, Christopher. Congregation of Missionaries ... Volume I. p. 53)

Thank God we have different writings of the same Fr.Clotet, allowing us to glimpse the possible process experienced in their spiritual experience. Already in his ordination he had the awareness of living in God's presence for an entire year. Juan María Lozano has thoroughly studied this issue in his book “Man in the presence of God." It presents the spiritual journey lived by Fr. Clotet.   First was a journey of personal search, which went from merely repeating the views of teachers in the spirit of his time to claiming the originality of his own spiritual path in absolute trust in God. And secondly, a way in which he lived several stages: the temporal grace of divine presence around the ordination, the tenacious struggle with the obstacles that hindered live in God's presence, the simple attention to the Presence, the divine attraction and the simple joy of welcoming the presence of God. Gradually, Fr. Clotet made a way of ascetic who spent searching for the presence of the Lord to the mystical experience of free hosting and free grace of living always in his presence. This is not isolated in his inner world, but what makes a contemplative man. He played an important role in his Apostolic Congregation: reminding that the true missionary zeal can only spring from a profound experience of encounter with God.

Holy Death
In 1885, being very sick and almost blind was intended for the Community of Grace (Barcelona. On February 4, 1898, he died in the house of Gracia (Barcelona) with the reputation of holiness. Fr. Xifré was commissioned to write a short obituary for Annals, in which he said: "... I came to the seventy-five years , during which he was a model of piety , zeal and exercise of all the virtues which accompanied him to the finally, as witness who knew him and tried or witnessed his death , which for their patience, resignation and fervent love God, it was beautiful and uplifting ... " (Annals Vol VI , p. 296 ) .

10-05 1963 the beatification of Jaime Clotet was presented in Rome

Recognition from the Church. Pope John Paul II declared him venerable in 1989.

His Legacy

The official document a good summary of his life is : " Among his brothers of the Congregation has always been seen as a perfect sampler ideal Missionary set by San Antonio Maria Claret ( ... ) In his ordination he received a clear awareness of an extraordinary gift that was given by the Lord : the intimate experience of God's presence in your soul ( ... ) .

His mission at the Institute can be summarized as: strong supporter of the inner life in an intensely Apostolic Institute. God's presence was a constant stimulus in the exercise of all the virtues. An extraordinary supernatural gift of faith lived in intensity and manifested in authentically apostolic (...) features.

The servant of God, and his position as Deputy Secretary gave constant proof of admirable prudence, conjugated with an authentic Christian fortitude that if one part was for him a cause of deep purification, moreover, made him appear as a model justice, inner and outer peace, moderation, delicacy of conscience, unlimited confidence in divine grace. The constant exercise of these virtues won him the admiration of all and his life was uplifting climaxing to his peaceful death. “(Annals CMF (1989) 68, 70, 71.)

Man of good will and man of endurance

According to Xifre, “Fr. Clotet kept his trust  in God. he was a man of prudence and sincerity. 

Fr.Xifré and Fr. Clotet: According to Cardinal Aquilino Bocos Merino: "Fr Clotet was another way of being. He was affable and gentle, thorough and good counsellor. He always gave the feeling of serenity, of someone who is in the continual presence of God (...). It has been compared to Fr.Xifré and Fr. Clotet as centripetal and centrifugal force, respectively, in the life and mission of the Congregation. Fr. Xifré always led the congregation to new horizons and missionary adventures. Fr. Clotet’s memory became the core values that energize the missionary dynamism. Both were like two complementary ways of making and keeping alive the Congregation. “(Heritage and Prophecy, 1998, p. 51-52)

The "Diario" of Fr. Clotet: In Vic, Very Rev. Fr. Joan Sidera CMF has made the transcription of the "Diario" of Fr. Clotet in Spain in 2009.

Portrayal of Clotet in “Traces of Claret” 

He was born in Manresa (Barcelona) on 24 July 1822. He studied Philosophy and Theology in Barcelona, and Moral Theology in Vic. Then he went to Rome where he was ordained priest. Back in Spain, he performed various pastoral duties but soon he realised that the cure of souls was not his vocation. Advised by Dr. Passarell, secretary to the Bishop of Vic, he had an interview with Fr. Claret whom he only knew by hearsay. This happened in June 1849. In July he joined Fr. Claret founded the Congregation. Soon after he took charge of the first Brothers of the Congregation. In 1858 he was designated Subdirector General of the Congregation. In 1870 he accompanied Fr. Claret in his last days in Fontfroide, and later on he wrote a Summary of his Life. In 1888 he stopped being Subdirector General and became Secretary. In 1898 he died in the house of Gracia (Barcelona) with the reputation of holiness. His cause of Beatification has already been introduced in Rome.

We end with this brief profile by a biographer: “well loved and venerated by all, tireless forger of his own Christian and religious perfection; solicitous for the welfare of everyone; he passed by this world leaving behind a delicate scent of sanctity. He had no enemy at all.” (Traces of Claret 2008). 

Thanks.  God Bless.--