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| Venerable Aloysius Philip Schwart |
When Father Aloysius Schwartz arrived in Busan, South Korea, in December 1957, the Korean War had left widespread poverty in its wake. The young American priest encountered children who needed food, shelter, and care. The missionary vocation he had carried since childhood now placed those needs directly before him.
Born in Washington, D.C., on September 18, 1930, Aloysius entered the seminary at fourteen. His studies eventually took him to Belgium, where he attended the Catholic University of Louvain. During his time in Europe, he helped impoverished people who survived by collecting discarded materials. A visit to the Marian shrine at Banneux deepened his resolve to devote his priesthood to the poor. He was ordained in 1957 and left for Korea that same year.
In 1964, Father Al founded the Sisters of Mary. Together, they developed Boystowns and Girlstowns where children from desperately poor families could receive shelter, education, and care. He also established medical facilities and homes for people who had few places to turn. In 1981, he founded the Brothers of Christ. His concern embraced both material needs and the life of the soul, and he personally chose to live in poverty.
The work expanded to the Philippines and later Mexico. In 1989, Father Al was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS. As the disease weakened his body and confined him to a wheelchair, he continued his ministry. The Sisters remember him praying before the Blessed Sacrament, hearing confessions, and preaching despite his increasing limitations. He understood his illness as another means of offering his life to God.
Father Al died at Girlstown in Manila on March 16, 1992, aged sixty-one. On January 22, 2015, Pope Francis recognized his heroic virtues, giving him the title Venerable. The religious communities he founded continue the work that shaped his priesthood, caring for children and helping them build lives beyond poverty.
