sgr. Aloysius Schwartz was born in Washington DC on September 18, 1930 to Louis Schwartz and Cedelia Bourassa. He grew up with the idea of becoming a secular priest, work as a missionary and his apostolate would be to the poor.

At 14 years old, he entered at St. Charles Seminary in Maryland, finished B.A. Degree at Maryknoll College and studied Theology at Louvain Catholic University in Belgium. He used to spend his vacation helping at the rag pickers’ camps for derelicts of the French society. 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.

He established Boystowns and Girlstowns to take care, educate and give a bright future to the orphans, abandoned and children coming from the very poor families. He also built sanatoriums and hospitals for very indigent patients; hospices for the homeless, handicapped elderly men, retarded children and for unwed mothers.He did not mind being considered a beggar in order to give the best to the needy, totally free of charge.With humility, courage, and unwavering faith, he suffered and accepted a lot of humiliations, criticisms, trials, pains, and difficulties, just to be able to serve and love God through the poor.

In 1989, he was afflicted with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), which he accepted with joy and serenity as a gift from God. His illness made him immobile but still even on a wheelchair, he continued to fulfill his duties with joy. He celebrated mass with much devotion. He also spent hours before the Blessed Sacrament, praying the rosary, hearing confessions, and heroically preaching in words and examples the virtues of truth, justice, chastity, charity and humility. His love for God and the poor consumed him. He did not only help the poor but also he lived poorly.

On March 16, 1992, he breathed his last at the Girlstown in Manila. He was buried in Silang, Cavite, Philippines.

The Archdiocesan Cause for his Beatification and Canonization was formally opened in Manila on December 10, 2003 and has already been submitted to the Congregation of Saints in Rome on June 2004. The faithful is encouraged to pray and ask for Msgr. Al's intercession and favors and miracles be submitted to Fr. Al's Commission Office in Biga, Silang, Cavite.