Ozanam wrote to his brother, Father Alphonse: “You are not carrying out your true mission. If a larger number of Christians and especially clergymen had looked after the workers in the last ten years we would be more certain of the future”; and again: “The priests must give up their little bourgeois parishes: their flocks are an elite in the midst of a vast population that they do not know…”

The NCR writes of “A new generation of labor priests” in its weekend edition… priests who understand Ozanam’s challenge.

“On July 23, housekeepers and other workers at Hyatt Hotels began a global boycott of the hotel chain. Citing unjust hiring practices, unfair wages and unsafe working conditions, the workers have marched, picketed and petitioned organizers and travelers to join them. At many of these demonstrations, standing by the workers’ sides were Catholic priests, In Washington, it was Fr. Clete Kiley, director of immigration policy at UNITE HERE, the union representing Hyatt workers. In Baltimore, it was Fr. Ty Hullinger and Fr. Patrick Besel.

UNITE HERE workers protest outside of the Park Hyatt Hotel in downtown Chicago in 2009. (EPA/Kamil Krzaczynski)The priests aligned with the Hyatt workers and other industry workers represent a new generation of labor priests — pastors who preach not only for a just working environment for their parishioners, but stand beside them in their struggle.

Red the rest at NCR.