OUR WORK ABOUT US NEWS SIGN UP GET INVOLVED DONATE LOGIN MEET OUR FOUNDER FATHER AL Aloysius Schwartz was the founder of World Villages for Children and the Sisters of Mary. More affectionately called "Father Al" by those whose lives he touched, he was a Champion of the Poor and the father to countless children in our Villages (our Girlstowns and Boystown) throughout the world. Explore the life of Father Al in video. FATHER AL'S LIFE A saint in the making Aloysius Schwartz was born in Washington, DC on 18 September, 1930. He grew up with the idea of becoming a priest and working as a missionary serving the poor. In 1944, he entered St. Charles Seminary in Maryland, then finished his BA degree at Maryknoll College, and went on to study theology at The Catholic University of Louvain in Belgium. As he spent his little free time helping at ragpickers’ camps in Europe, he was inspired to dedicate his priesthood to the service of the poor. After visiting Banneux, where the Virgin of the Poor appeared, he was more inspired to dedicate his priesthood to the service of the poor in fulfillment of her message. Aloysius Schwartz, age 21. In 1957, Msgr. Schwartz was ordained as a diocesan priest. He was assigned to Busan, South Korea later that year. Shortly after, in 1961, he incorporated in the United States the dedicated not-for-profit organisation that would raise the funds to support his projects – originally known as Korean Relief. Recognising that he needed help to lead and grow his charitable mission, he founded the religious congregation of the Sisters of Mary to serve the poorest of the poor in 1964. Thanks to the financial contributions of his friends and benefactors, Father Al built the first Villages for Children in South Korea. Within these Boystowns and Girlstowns, and together with the Sisters of Mary, he set on to take care of, educate, and give a bright future to those who needed it the most: orphans, abandoned children, and those coming from the poorest families. He also built hospitals and tuberculosis sanatoriums for very indigent patients; hospices for the homeless, handicapped elderly men, disabled children, and unwed mothers. In 1985, his mission expanded into the Philippines. But in 1989, Father Al was diagnosed with the terminal illness Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease. In spite of his deteriorating health, he established the first Village for Children in Mexico in 1990. His illness made him immobile, but even in a wheelchair he continued to fulfill his duties with joy. Father Al died at the Girlstown in Manila in 1992, and he was buried in Silang, Cavite. He named Sister Michaela Kim of the Sisters of Mary as his successor. Under the leadership of Sister Michaela and the Sisters of Mary, Father Al’s mission continued to expand into Central and South America – first into Guatemala, then Brazil and Honduras and most recently Tanzania. Monsignor Aloysius Schwartz is currently under consideration for Beatification and Canonization by the Vatican’s Congregation for the Causes of Saints. As part of this process, he was declared a “Servant of God” in May of 2004 and more recently, on 22 January 2015, Pope Francis signed a decree confirming that he lived a life of heroic virtue and declared him “Venerable”. Explore Father Al’s bibliography, or learn more about Father Al’s journey towards Sainthood. KEY MILESTONES September 18, 1930 - Birth of Aloysius Schwartz Father Al was born in Washington DC He was the son of Louis F Schwartz and Cedelia A Bourassa. June 29, 1957 - Ordination to Priesthood Father Al was ordained a diocesan priest in St Martin's Church, Washington, DC by Bishop McNamara, Auxiliary Bishop of Washington. December 8, 1957 - Father Al arrives in South Korea Upon his arrival, Fr. Al was incardinated in the Diocese of Busan, South Korea. August 15, 1964 - The Sisters of Mary are founded Originally called the Mariahwe Sisters, a religious group now numbering over 370 Sisters working in the Philippines, Mexico, Guatemala, Brazil, Honduras and Tanzania. READ MORE October 1989 - Father Al diagnosed with ALS During a visit to the US, Father Al is diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (Lou Gehrig's disease) March 16, 1992 - Father Al dies of ALS Before he died, Father Al named Sister Michaela Kim of the Sisters of Mary as his successor. December 10, 2003 - Cause for beatification & canonization is opened The Archdiocesan Process for the Beatification and Canonization of Father Al was formally opened at the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception (Manila Cathedral) Intramuros, Manila, Philippines. January 22, 2015 - Father Al is named Venerable Pope Francis authorised the Congregation of Saints to promulgate the decree of heroic virtue of Aloysius Schwartz, thus giving him the title of "Venerable". READ MORE JOIN OUR MAILING LIST TO SEE HOW YOU CAN HELP US TO CARE FOR MORE CHILDREN IN NEED Contact Information Phone: 0207 629 3050 Email: enquiries@worldvillages.org.uk Kings Buildings, 16 Smith Square London SW1P 3HQ About Us Our Team The Sisters of Mary Meet our Founder Father Al Work for us Our Work Vision, mission and values Our Impact Our Villages Stories from the Villages Accountability and Transparency Safeguarding Resource Centre News Blog Covid-19 Connect Contact Us Prayer Request Social Dashboard Join Our Mailing List World Villages for Children is a registered charity number 1058973. Supporter Promise Privacy Notice Map © 2021