Fr. Alex Gaitán, CMF

1975-2026

”My calling to service comes from the poor, from the vulnerable, from the people who are excluded.

Striving to imitate Christ

A man of action, Fr. Alex could not sit idle in the face of injustice. Through his ministry in Newark, he brought people together, inside and outside of detention centers, to champion the dignity of all God’s people, especially immigrants. His inspiration was simple: Jesus Christ.

Take a moment to listen to his words and reflect on how you can share God’s love.

Services for Fr. Alex Gaitán, CMF

Services will be held Samedi, Septembre 12, 2026 at 3:00 pm.

Templo de la Parroquia Corazón de María, San Salvador.

We ask that you join us in prayer for his family, for his Claretian brothers, and for all those whose lives he touched by sharing God’s love in every way he could.

“Without the Claretian values, I would find it difficult to serve the Church in these ministries.”

Fr. Alex’s ministries reached across barriers and renewed hope. Like St. Claret, Fr. Alex went to where there was the greatest need, standing in solidarity with those he met and uniting them in prayer.

In Newark, Fr. Alex led the rosary inside of Delaney Hall, an ICE detention center. Once outside, he led the rosary with hundreds of protestors. United in prayer, they chanted: “We need you to have hope.”

In Atlanta, Fr. Alex led a regular Bible Study in a trailer park. The news spread and hundreds of families joined. In no time, the parish began training laywomen and men to teach Bible groups too.

Listen here

At the United Nations, Fr. Alex and his Claretian brothers advocated for vulnerable communities, supporting sustainable development and acting as observers to ensure UN priorities.

We invite you to share your memories.

Please send your tributes to communicationsdept@claretians.org and we will share them with Fr. Alex’s family.

Thank you, and God bless.