Father Al and The Sisters of Mary
The humanitarian work of the Sisters of Mary owes its origin to Venerable Father Aloysius Schwartz. More affectionately called “Father Al” by all those whose lives he touched, he was a champion of the poor and provided a safe home and place to learn for countless deprived children throughout the world.
Born on 18th September 1930, Father Al grew up wanting to become a priest and work as a missionary serving the poor, and in 1944 he began his religious formation at St Charles Seminary in Maryland USA. He earned a BA degree from Maryknoll College later going to Belgium to continue his studies at the Catholic University of Louvain. There he fully prepared himself for his mission of service to those most in need by helping the poorest in his local community.
The first programmes in South Korea
Father Al was ordained as a diocesan priest in 1957 and assigned to Busan, South Korea later that year. In South Korea he witnessed the devastating effects of the Korean War and dedicated himself to helping the many thousands of orphans and children from the poorest families affected by it. He set up a charity to support his missionary projects and founded the Sisters of Mary in 1964 to support his missionary work.
Thanks to the financial contributions of his friends and supporters, Father Al built the first schools for Children (known as Villages) in Busan, South Korea in 1968. The children were loved and cared for by the Sisters and educated by locally recruited teachers. Following the invitation of the Mayor of Seoul, the schools programme expanded into that City including the development of hospitals and hospices for the homeless.
Bringing education programmes to more countries
In 1985, at the invitation of the government, Father Al expanded his mission and the work of the Sisters into the Philippines. Sr Elena, the current Superior General of the Sisters of Mary recalls Father Al sitting on a rough concrete bench at the first school in Manila. “He had a beautiful smile and was so holy a man, I thought”.
In 1989, Father Al was diagnosed with the terminal illness Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) also called Lou Gehrig’s Disease. But despite his deteriorating health, with the help of the Sisters, he went on to establish the first school for Children in Mexico in 1990, encouraging the Sisters with the words of Our Lady of Guadalupe “Am I not here? Am I not your mother? Why be afraid?
With deep humility and steadfast faith, Father Al endured criticism and suffering to serve God through the poor. Though unable to walk, he continued his mission from a wheelchair, working joyfully until the end.
The case for Beatification
Father Al passed away at the Girlstown in the Philippines in 1992. He named Sister Michaela Kim of the Sisters of Mary as his successor. Under the leadership of Sister Michaela, Sister Maria Cho and now Sister Elena together with 390 Sisters of Mary, Father Al’s mission continues and has expanded into Central and South America and Africa – first into Mexico and Guatemala, then Brazil, Honduras and Tanzania.
Under the guidance of the Sisters of Mary the Vatican’s congregation for the Causes of Saints is currently reviewing Father Al’s cause for Beatification and Canonization. In May 2004, the church declared him a Servant of God. Later, in 2015 Pope Francis confirmed his heroic virtue and declared him “Venerable”.