The Claretians are a congregation of missionaries with 25 Bishops, 2259 Priests, and 106 brothers of the 2972 members from 71 countries on five continents and distributed in 32 Major Organisms. The congregation has over 175 years of experience in pastoral and social ministry worldwide. 

The mission of the order is attending to those on the periphery of society: the disenfranchised, the neediest, the marginalized, the poor, the unseen and more. The ministry is holistic by attending not only to the spiritual life of the people but also to their socio-economic and human development hrough the implementation of various projects to improve the quality of life. Below, there are links to websites to explore the warp and weave of this mission in practice. 

An interesting place to explore is how the spirit of the order compares to our own experience. A constant is the unchanging mutual spiritual bond between members of the order. Whatever task or place they find themselves in they are not alone. They are always accompanied by their bond to their spiritual family. 

Vatican II brought changes in rubric and organization that has caused some revanchism and tribulation that continues. The Claretians seem very in tune with the direction of the Church arising out of Vatican II as well as the Pontificates of Popes Francis and Leo XIV. There is an interesting video about the Claretian journey through the last 6 decades (see History of the Claretians link below), but first some insights from a video (iClaret News 004/April 2025), which Fr Vattamattam, Superior General of the Claretians shares. He comments on his learning from Pope Francis that applies to the congregation’s approach to community and mission. Below  are his thoughts, edited for length, from a video on iClaret which can be viewed at:https://youtu.be/xwErkNjyZew?list=PLfTtdJ70NontZDPnHARD9zTjk2TlY71lW 

Notes ()are editorial comment to hopefully add clarity. The “we” and “us” in the following is the Superior General’s attribution of an action to the collective professed members. 

The Congregation initiated a synodal process in the last chapter conversations which we call generating. This process draws on input from all members of the order or of a province in discerning our direction. 

In our missionary activities, we recognize that the local people know the need.  Our efforts are guided through a process of listening and dialog. (Note: listening is a dominate theme in many areas commented on. This is listening to understand, not automatic agreement or approval.) 

Pope Francis applied the same level of spirituality to all the church. He noted that every baptized person is responsible for the church, for the mission. (Note: This points away from hierarchical Clericalism by emphasizing that all including laypeople have an active role in the mission of the Church.) Each role is different; the Church’s mission is common to all. 

From this lesson, The Superior General looked at the congregation and noted the core responsibility of all who are professed is the overall mission. There are different roles each individual performs within that. I am a Superior General operating from Rome, another missionary maybe in the Amazon or in Russia doing the same mission but with the different roles.(Note: The mission is one of many community nexuses. The roles are individual responsibilities are aimed at carrying out that mission. While this sounds very much like the traditional deployment, the Synodal process includes every member of the community into mission creation. It creates an organization that operates less top down.) 

None of us are perfect. We cannot be solitary missionaries. We cannot live as collections of (disconnected) missions. I sometimes use (the idea of) potatoes in a sack together but disconnected, that’s not Claretian mission. We need to care for one another, help us to grow in our vocations and this, therefore, (is a) core responsibility. 

Mutual accompaniment is also something I have learned from the inspirations of the Pope. (Note: Spiritual ac­companiment must lead others ever closer to God… to accompany them would be counterproductive if it … ceased to be a pilgrimage with Christ to the Father. (Evangelii Gaudium, 170) 

The congregation has a collective responsibility to listening to the whisper of the Holy Spirit to each of us and in the church.  Listening with an open mind untempered by personal preference or wishes. Not influenced by the Superior General or a Provincial. This is a valid for responsibility each individual. 

I learned from Pope Francis to see the congregation not just from Rome but from the peripheries. And the congregation is alive and active in the various missions.(We need) to see the congregation from that perspective. Not so much from our narrow role or from so-called administrative levels, but from those perspectives which are important (to our shared mission). The ethos of the congregational charisma is in our communities and seeing congregation from that perspective is also very important. 

When faced with challenges from within or outside the Church, Pope Francis took a slow, calm discernment before responding. He would seek the truth of an accusation and even institute investigation. It is not unusual that the challenges come from perspectives not shared by the Pope which he would listen to openly without prejudice.