Modern Jesuit and radical saint

Only 53 years after his untimely death in 1952, the Chilean Jesuit Alberto Hurtado was among the first set of saints canonised by Pope Benedict XVI on October 23.

A man of boundless energy and acute insight, Fr Hurtado is remembered as one of the most endearing and radical men of his time.

During 20 years as a Jesuit priest, social worker, scholar, teacher, trade unionist, youth leader and writer, Fr Hurtado touched the hearts and minds of thousands. In Chile, young and old, rich and poor celebrated the canonisation of this much loved Jesuit priest who was so ahead of his time in his approach to social issues. "Injustice," he said, "causes far more evil than can be repaired by charity."

The man who spoke out so loudly for social justice was one who had himself experienced poverty, and who worked tirelessly with the poor of Santiago, founding Chile's Hogar de Cristo (Hearth of Christ), an organisation that builds homes for the homeless, gives shelter to those on the streets and promotes the education of the poor. It is an efficiently-run movement that has expanded beyond Chile and is a remarkable work of solidarity.

Alberto Hurtado Cruchaga was born to a modest family in January, 1901. However, on the loss of his father when Alberto was four, his mother went through some hard times and it was only through a scholarship from the Jesuits of Santiago that he studied at the College of San Ignacio.

After many long years of following his dream to become a Jesuit, he joined the Society in 1923, though not before his mother suddenly settled a financial matter that had burdened her family for many years.

Alberto Hurtado worked tirelessly with the poor, promoting the rights of the working classes and the unemployed. However, although he is best remembered for his charity work, Fr Hurtado's uncompromising challenges to the Church in Chile, his continual call to society in Chile for solidarity with "the little ones", together with a personal zeal for Christ were what made him known as "God's visit to Chile".

His closeness to Christ in the fields of his mission made Fr Hurtado's soul "radiates apostolic energy", and even when he was diagnosed with cancer of the pancreas, despite intense physical pain, he was heard to repeat over and over, "Contento, Señor, contento" (I am happy Lord, happy).

In the working class neighbourhood of Estación Central (Central Railway Station) in Santiago, the monumental tomb of this Jesuit priest has become a shrine-cum-social services centre. The Maltese Jesuit Fr Eddie Mercieca was for a number of years parish priest of the district's church of Jesús Obrero (Jesus the Worker).

The canonisation of Padre Alberto Hurtado Crughaga, SJ, took place in the presence of an animated and packed St Peter's Square two Sundays ago, World Mission Day, at 9.30 a.m. during a Eucharistic concelebration presided over by the Holy Father.

The four other Blessed canonised together with Fr Hurtado were Josef Bilczewski, Archbishop of Lviv of the Latins (1860-1923); Gaetano Catanoso, priest, founder of the Veronica Sisters of the Holy Countenance (1879-1963); Zygmunt Gorazdowski, priest, founder of the Congregation of the Sisters of St Joseph (1845-1920); and the Capuchin Felice da Nicosia (1715-1787).