The recent election of José Antonio Kast Rist as president of Chile has once again brought into the public spotlight the figure of his sister Bárbara Kast Rist, a young Catholic who died in 1968 whose spiritual life continues to be remembered in ecclesiastical circles, especially in the Schoenstatt Movement.
Although at various times there has been talk of a potential beatification cause, there is no canonical process officially initiated to date. The official website of the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints does not contain any information on the matter, and the Archdiocese of Santiago has clarified that no formal request has been submitted to open the cause, so Bárbara has not yet been declared Servant of God or Venerable.
A life marked by faith
Bárbara Kast Rist was born on July 24, 1950, in Germany and arrived in Chile with her family as a baby, after her parents’ emigration in the years following World War II. She grew up in a deeply Catholic home, in a large family settled in the commune of Buin (Metropolitan Region), where faith was part of everyday life.
From a young age, she showed a marked spiritual restlessness. She studied in Catholic schools and stood out for her responsibility, closeness to her classmates, and willingness to serve. Those who knew her describe her as a cheerful, disciplined young woman with an intense inner life, unusual for her age.
The Schoenstatt Movement and her spiritual ideal
In 1967, at the age of 17, Bárbara joined the Schoenstatt Apostolic Movement, where she deepened her prayer life and Marian devotion. In her personal writings—published posthumously—she left a record of a spirituality centered on total surrender to God in ordinary life.
On December 8, 1968, the solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, she sealed the Covenant of Love with the Virgin Mary in the Bellavista Shrine in Santiago. In her spiritual notes, she defined herself as “tabernacle of God”, expressing her desire to be a living dwelling place for Christ and to bear witness to faith in the world.
Sudden death and enduring testimony
Just a few weeks later, on December 29, 1968, Bárbara Kast died tragically in a traffic accident while on her way to Sunday Mass. She was 18 years old. Her death caused a profound shock among family, friends, and Schoenstatt members, and her funeral gathered numerous people at the Bellavista Shrine.
After her death, her spiritual diaries began to circulate in ecclesiastical circles, consolidating a reputation for holiness based on the coherence of her Christian life, her sense of duty, and her confident abandonment to the will of God. In 1994, a public high school in the commune of Paine was named after her, as recognition of her human and Christian example.
A name that returns to the present
The arrival of José Antonio Kast Rist to the presidency of Chile has reactivated media interest in the Kast family history, marked by a strong Catholic imprint. The president-elect himself has mentioned on various occasions the spiritual influence of his family and the memory of his sister Bárbara as part of that legacy.
Beyond political readings or hagiographic speculations, the figure of Bárbara Kast Rist remains as a testimony of faith lived in the everyday with a real footprint in the memory of the Chilean Church.