VENERABLE
ENRIQUE ERNESTO SHAW was
an Argentine Roman
Catholic businessman. He was born in France, later emigrating
to Argentina where he served in the marines.
He promoted and encouraged business growth in accordance with the social
doctrine of the faith and founded the Christian Association of Business
Executives. He was also a prolific writer and published a range of books.\
He
was born in 1921 in Paris as one of two children of Argentine parents,
Alejandro Shaw and Sara Tornquist Altgelt; he was of both German and Scottish
descent. The Shaws moved back to Argentina in 1923. Sara died in 1925.
Before
she died, she made her husband promise that he would have the Enrique’s religious
education entrusted to a Sacramentino priest. Enrique’s father kept his promise.
Enrique
was enrolled in the Colegio de La Salle in Buenos Aires. He was not only an
outstanding student, but his deep religious faith stood out. He attended Mass
every day and received Holy Communion.
He
was among the top three in his class and became the youngest graduate of the
school to graduate.
He
served as a marine in Argentina and entered in 1936 despite the opposition of
his father. He became a Junior Lieutenant.
He
started his business at the conclusion of World War II and established in 1952
the Christian Association of Business Executives with the assistance of
Archbishop, later Cardinal, Joseph Cardijn of Belgium.
He
became a prolific writer and he published a wide range of books. He was also
among the founders of the Christian Family Movement and he also served as the
president of the Argentine Catholic Action. He also established a
pension fund and a health care plan to provide medical services and financial
support in circumstances such as illness and new births.
In
1955 he became a victim of anti-Catholic persecution in the administration of Juan Peron. He was arrested and was seen
as an altruistic prisoner as he provided fellow inmates with mattresses that
relatives brought to him as well as food. In 1961 a firm he led was sold to an
American trust fund that decided to fire over a thousand people.
Venerable
Enrique was opposed to this and proposed a plan to retain all workers.
One
of his initiatives was the application of Catholic
social doctrine in the workplace, using the social
teachings of Pope Pius XII in 1946. At that time
he served in an organization for humanitarian aid for post-war Europe.
In
1943 he married Cecilia Bunge and the couple went on to have nine children; one
of whom became a priest. All of his children were taught the importance of
prayer.
In
1957 he fell ill with cancer. He took to writing during this time and also
found time to speak at conferences. In mid1962 he received a blood transfusion donated from his
fellow workers. People at the hospital that the Venerable was admitted to were astonished
to see the number of workers in line to donate blood.
Enrique
himself said before his death that he was pleased that the blood of his workers
coursed through his veins. He was able to take a pilgrimage to Lourdes before
his death. He died on 27 August 1962 in a hospital in Buenos Aires at the age of 41.
Venerable
Enrique was a member of the Order of the
Knights of the Holy Sepulcher. The beatification process began in September
2001 under Pope (St.) John Paul II in a
process in Buenos Aires under Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, the future Pope Francis.
In
an interview in 2015, the Holy Father said of him: “Enrique Shaw was rich, yet
saintly. A person can have money. God gives it to him so he can administer it
well, and this man administered it well.”
