Saint Alberto Hurtado Cruchaga, born on January 22, 1901, in Viña del Mar, Chile, was a Jesuit priest, lawyer, social worker, and writer of Basque ancestry. After losing his father at the age of four, he and his family faced significant financial hardships, leading them to live with various relatives. Despite these challenges, Hurtado secured a scholarship to the Jesuit school of St. Ignacio in Santiago and later earned a law degree from the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile. In 1923, he entered the Society of Jesus and was ordained a priest in 1933.‍

Hurtado's ministry was deeply rooted in social justice and the plight of the poor. In 1944, he founded Hogar de Cristo (Home of Christ), an organization dedicated to providing shelter and care for homeless children and adults in Santiago. His commitment to social issues extended to labor rights; in 1947, he established the Asociación Sindical Chilena (ASICH), a Catholic workers' union aimed at promoting social justice in the workplace. ‍

Beyond his social initiatives, Hurtado was a prolific writer and educator, authoring several works on Catholic social teaching and founding the journal "Mensaje" in 1951 to disseminate these ideas. His life was marked by a profound spiritual commitment, encapsulated in his desire to "be another Christ." Hurtado passed away from pancreatic cancer on August 18, 1952. He was beatified by Pope John Paul II in 1994 and canonized by Pope Benedict XVI in 2005, becoming Chile's second saint.