Born in 1917 in France into an immigrant family whose members were treated as social outcasts, Joseph Wresinski knew first-hand, from childhood on, what it meant to be discriminated against. Inspired by his own mother’s strength in facing hardships and her fierce pride in her children, he always sided with the underdog. Since all his life experiences made him feel more and more certain that Jesus Christ had chosen to commit himself totally to putting the most vulnerable at the heart of humanity, he decided to become a priest. With families struggling to survive in an emergency housing camp he founded a Movement that advocated for the idea that forcing people to live in extreme poverty stripped them of all their basic securities: “Wherever men and women are condemned to live in extreme poverty, human rights are violated. It is our solemn duty to come together to ensure that they are respected.”

To find out more about the Fourth World Movement’s founder, please see the website and view the film, “A 50-year Fight against Poverty”.

Father Joseph Wresinski