Venerable Enrique Shaw

Enrique Ernesto Shaw (26 February 1921 – 27 August 1962) was an Argentine Roman Catholic businessman. He was born in France and later emigrated to Argentina where he served in the marines. He promoted and encouraged business growth in accordance with the Catholic Church's social doctrine of the faith and he founded the Christian Association of Business Executives. He was also a prolific writer and published a range of books. His cause of sainthood commenced in 2001 and he has been accorded the title Servant of God to recognize the commencement of the process. Enrique Ernesto Shaw 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. 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. 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. Shaw was opposed to this and proposed a plan to retain all workers.