Monday of the Thirtieth Week of Ordinary Time

Saint Anthony Mary Claret was born on December 23, 1807, in Sallent near Barcelona, Spain, into a hardworking family of wool manufacturers. As a boy he learned the weaver’s trade, yet his heart was drawn more deeply to God. After studies in Barcelona and a time of discernment, he entered the seminary at Vic and was ordained a priest in 1835. Burning with missionary zeal, he preached tirelessly across Catalonia, walking from town to town, calling souls to conversion and spending long hours in the confessional, especially for the poor and those wounded by civil unrest. In 1849 he founded the Missionary Sons of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, the Claretians, to spread the Gospel with fervor and fidelity. That same year he was appointed Archbishop of Santiago de Cuba, where he reformed clerical life, promoted schools and hospitals, defended the oppressed, and endured violent opposition, even surviving an assassination attempt. Later he served as confessor to Queen Isabella II, using his influence for charity and evangelization, and prepared for the First Vatican Council. He is venerated as patron of weavers and textile workers. He died on October 24, 1870; his feast day is October 24.

Saint Demetrius of Thessaloniki was born around 270 in Thessalonica, Macedonia, to pious Christian parents. Tradition remembers him as a gifted young man of senatorial rank who served as proconsul in the district of Thessalonica. In an age when confessing Christ could cost one’s life, Demetrius remained steadfast. During the persecutions under Emperor Galerius, he was martyred in Thessalonica around 306, pierced with spears, and so won the crown of a great martyr. In the centuries that followed, devotion to Demetrius flourished, especially in Thessaloniki, where a great church rose in his honor and where he came to be cherished as the city’s heavenly protector. Many credited him with miraculous aid during attacks and sieges, and he became renowned as a mighty military saint, often honored alongside Saint George. When his relics were said to stream fragrant myrrh, he received the beloved title “the Myroblyte.” He is venerated in many places, including Koroni and Chrysoupoli. His feast day is October 26.