Anton Maria Schwartz

To defend exploited young workers, Father Schwartz founded in 1882 the 'Union of Catholic Apprentices under the protection of Saint Joseph Calasanz,' and then on November 24, 1889, the Congregation of Christian Workers of Saint Joseph Calasanz (the Calasanctines). He had the first church dedicated to workers built in Vienna, and opened hostels, youth centers, and vocational schools. He also launched the magazine 'St. Calasanctius-Blätter' and wrote a prayer book for workers. Even before the encyclical Rerum Novarum, he campaigned for the eight-hour workday, paid leave, Sunday rest, and the right to association.

Father Schwartz's social commitment sparked opposition both from conservatives, who deemed his actions too political, and from socialists, who viewed him as a competitor. To preserve his work, he withdrew from public controversies in 1908, continuing his pastoral work discreetly. Exhausted, he died on September 15, 1929, in Vienna. A vast crowd of workers attended his funeral, and his body was transferred in November 1929 to the church of his congregation's motherhouse.

The informative process opened in Vienna in 1949. Declared Venerable on April 6, 1995, by John Paul II, a miracle that occurred in 1972 was officially recognized in 1998. On June 21, 1998, Pope John Paul II celebrated his beatification at the Heldenplatz in Vienna, alongside Father Jakob Kern and Sister Maria Restituta Kafka.

The spirituality of Anton Maria Schwartz is based on a devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and to Mary, Help of Christians, uniting social action and intense prayer. Today, the Congregation of the Calasanctines continues his work of accompaniment and social support for young workers, mainly in Austria, perpetuating his message on the dignity of the worker.