Enrique Shaw is one of those names that breaks the mold: a deeply humane businessman, a layman committed to the Church, and a family man who understood that holiness also plays a role in the office, in the factory, and in day-to-day management. His life not only left its mark on Argentina, but today inspires thousands of people who seek to live their faith in the midst of the world.
Declared Venerable by the Church in 2021, his cause for beatification is moving forward, driven by the testimony of those who knew him: a man who worked, led, and served as one who wanted to be like Christ. His figure challenges us to rediscover the role of the laity in the mission of the Church, a mission that the CARF Foundation supports supporting the training of seminarians and priests diocesan priests, who will guide as many people as he did, both humanly and spiritually.
The Venerable Enrique Ernest Shaw was born in 1921. His mother died when he was very young, and his father decided to entrust his spiritual education to a priest of the Sacramentinos. That early education marked the beginning of a God-centered life.
He later joined the Navy and married Cecilia Bunge, with whom he had a large family: nine children. After leaving military service, he entered the business world, where he developed an innovative vision of Christian leadership. He was one of the founders of the Christian Association of Business Leaders (ACDE) in Argentina, and promoted spaces where ethics, social justice, and charity were lived out in concrete ways.
An entrepreneur who brought the Gospel to the workplace
Shaw believed that faith should permeate all decisions, including economic ones. He did not conceive of the company as a mere place of production, but as a human community where each person had dignity and rights.
Some characteristics that defined his business style:
His leadership style anticipated what the Church would develop decades later as Social Doctrine applied to the world of work: a leadership that seeks prosperity without sacrificing humanity.
A coherent family and spiritual life
At home, the venerable Shaw lived his faith naturally and joyfully. His warmth, his ability to listen, and his constant search for holiness in everyday life left a mark on his wife, his children, and hundreds of people who crossed his path.
During his illness—a cancer that accompanied him in his final years—he continued to work, encouraging others and offering his suffering for the people he loved. Many testimonies highlight his serenity and his way of facing pain with hope and gratitude.
In 2021, Pope Francis approved the decree recognizing heroic virtues by Enrique Shaw, granting him the title of Venerable. This is a decisive step in the beatification process.
The cause continues to move forward thanks to the testimony of those who witnessed his life and the spiritual fruits that his example continues to bear. For the Church, the venerable Shaw represents a model of the laity: a Christian who sanctifies work, accompanies others, and builds a more just society.
What Enrique Shaw inspires in lay people around the world today
His figure answers a question that many believers ask themselves today: How can we live our faith in a demanding professional environment?
Shaw proves that it is possible:
In a world where competitiveness seems to prevail over the individual, his testimony brings the essence of the Gospel back to the center of professional activity.
The CARF Foundation: training those who will accompany and inspire the laity
Enrique Shaw's life shows how decisive it is to have a good Christian education, especially received from childhood and accompanied by trained priests.
Today, that same mission continues with strength in CARF Foundation, which helps seminarians and diocesan priests from around the world receive a comprehensive education: academic, human, and spiritual. They will be the ones who accompany lay people like Shaw, and who will enlighten businesses, families, parishes, and entire communities.
Your support makes it possible for this chain of training to continue unbroken.
👉 Donate now and put a face to your donation.
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