Hogar de Cristo

Home of Christ
Hogar de Cristo

The entrance to the Hogar de Cristo from Father Hurtado Sanctuary in the borough of Estación Central (Santiago).
Abbreviation "HdC"
Motto Love and Dignity
Formation 19 October 1944 (1944-10-19)
Founder Saint Alberto Hurtado Cruchaga
Type Charity Institution
Legal status Foundation
Headquarters  Chile Estación Central (Santiago)
Location
Coordinates 33°27′42.80″S 70°41′15.25″W / 33.4618889°S 70.6875694°W / -33.4618889; -70.6875694Coordinates: 33°27′42.80″S 70°41′15.25″W / 33.4618889°S 70.6875694°W / -33.4618889; -70.6875694
Official language
 Spanish
Chaplain General
 Pablo Walker (S.J.)
Social national Director
 Verónica Monroy[1]
Directorate President
 José Musalem Sarquis
Key people
 volunteers
Affiliations Fundación Paréntesis, Fundación Emplea, Fundación Súmate, Fundación Rostros Nuevos
Volunteers
 anonymous
Slogan In all, loving and serving
Mission The Hogar de Cristo welcomes with love and dignity to the poorest of the poors
Website www.hogardecristo.cl

The Hogar de Cristo (In Spanish, and its pronunciation is /o.'gaɾ.ðe.'kɾis.to/) [Home of Christ] is a Chilean public institution of charity, created by Saint Alberto Hurtado, a Jesuit priest, on October 19, 1944, who was declared as saint by the Pope Benedict XVI in 2005. Currently, this foundation serves monthly more than 25 thousand of people in extreme poverty, in the more than 500 works which has throughout the country. It is led by Father Pablo Walker, and is part of the works of the Jesuits in Chile.

History

Hogar de Cristo was born as an initiative of the Jesuit priest Alberto Hurtado Cruchaga, who wanted to create a place of refuge for people in street situations. Thus, he began a campaign, mainly through the newspaper "El Mercurio" that led to the foundation of the Home. On December 21, 1944, he laid the headquarter cornerstone of the foundation building, located in Bernal del Mercado Street, in the commune of Estación Central, Santiago. The Foundation happen to have legal status in 1945, and the first inn was inaugurated. The following year, the inn of Estación Central is opened, which now functions as the institutional headquarter.[2]

Henceforth, Hogar de Cristo has exceeded its objectives widely, and thanks to a very efficient and effective resource generation, many different areas of social action are reached. So, whether initially it was not more than a stay overnight residential, it shall over time become to serve terminally ill patiens, destituted elderlies, young people with substance abuse problems, and so on.

Father Hurtado, Founder of the Home and chaplain of it, died in 1952 and was succeeded by Father Guillermo Balmaceda. In 1955, it begins the spread of this Foundation into the rest of the country, being in Antofagasta and Los Ángeles where the first branch-offices were inaugurated (1957). The foundation opened the first nursing home in 1954, the first opened daylight in 1973, and the first central high risk in 1981.[3]

On April 3, 1987, the Pope John Paul II visited the offices of Home of Christ, in Santiago, as part of his visit to Chile during his six-day journey.[4] The pope himself was who beatified Alberto Hurtado in 1994, the same year that began the construction of Padre Hurtado's sanctuary (sanctuary and tomb) in Estación Central, which was opened on November 1995.[3]

Financing

It manages resources for over $42,000 millions of Chilean pesos (about US $87 millions)[5] and it is a major donation recipient in Chile. It get some dependent foundations that meet with some specific goals,[6] such as Fondo Esperanza (Fund-Hope, in English) --dedicated to microcredit--, and Fundación para la Vivienda Hogar de Cristo (Home of Christ Foundation for Housing, in English), which provides basic houses for low income people. Currently, it has more than 600 thousand benefactor partners,[7] 46 subsidiaries throughout Chile and serves 73,000 people per day.[8]

A traditional event initiated in 1983 which is still performed year after year at Hogar de Cristo's branch-offices along the country is called: Cena de Pan y Vino [Bread and Wine Supper], instance in which the Institution gives thanks to the community, to the business and political world, for their support during the year; and this tradition invites and encourages everyone to continue participating in the work. National television personalities and show-stars are involved in these dinners.[9]

At Chillán branch-office, The shirts of Deportivo Ñublense were auctioned off in 2007, that, showcased (wore) Hogar de Cristo like main sponsor of its T-shirt in some of the Championship matches of the Chilean Primera División during that year,[10] being the first Chilean club to use a charity sponsor on its shirt.

Chaplains

Affiliated organizations

References

  1. ↑ Interview to Verónica Monroy, the new social director of "Hogar de Cristo", in Periódico Encuentro
  2. ↑ "Nuestra Historia". Hogar de Cristo. Retrieved November 2, 2013.
  3. 1 2 A history of Chile. Books.google.com. 16 August 2007. Retrieved 17 April 2010.
  4. ↑ "Chronology visit". iglesia.cl. Retrieved November 2, 2013.
  5. ↑ Hogar de Cristo. "Información Financiera 2010, Estado de resultado corporativo". Retrieved 20 June 2011.
  6. ↑ Hogar de Cristo. "Fundaciones asociadas". Retrieved 20 June 2011.
  7. ↑ Hogar de Cristo. "Balance Social 2009 Hogar de Cristo" (PDF). Retrieved 20 June 2011.
  8. ↑ el nortero (26 May 2011). "Hogar de Cristo comienza campaña de captación de Socios en Antofagasta". Retrieved 20 June 2011.
  9. ↑ Revista paula (August 27, 2012). "Cena de Pan y Vino 2012". Retrieved 24 March 2013.
  10. ↑ "Ñublense: Con sponsor a beneficio del Hogar de Cristo". Fútbol Chileno. March 23, 2007. Retrieved March 24, 2013.
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