It’s too obvious it’s probably redundant to point it out, but I’ll point it out anyway. For many, all it takes is to look out the window. For others, an incline of the head to the left or right will do just fine.
Yes, poverty is a social ill beleaguering the Philippines for ages now. And the way things are going, a radical change of tide is not bound to happen anytime soon. Unfortunately, those that take the brunt are those who can’t do much about it – the youth.
Fr. Schwartz and the Sisters of Mary
In 1985, Father Aloysius Schwartz, a missionary whose apostolate was with the poor and the needy, came to Manila to establish the Sisters of Mary School, a non-profit institution that takes care of and educates children from very poor families, including those that had been abandoned and orphaned.
Since its foundation, thousands and thousands of Filipino students had been able to successfully graduate.
In 1989, Father Al was diagnosed with ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), a terminal illness that he accepted as a gift from God. In 1992, he breathed his last.
To date, the Sisters of Mary and the Brothers of Christ, congregations Father Al himself founded, continue to serve the poor not just in the Philippines but also in Korea, Mexico, Guatemala, Brazil and Honduras.
Fr. Al’s Children Foundation
After Father Al’s passing, FACFI (Father Al’s Children Foundation, Inc.) was established to assist in the charitable programs of the Sisters of Mary Boystowns and Girlstowns.
FACFI’s vision is to become the funding arm of the institution in the Philippines and serve as relief organization that accepts donations, contributions and gifts of any kind to provide underprivileged children with food, clothing, shelter and education – a fighting chance at life, indeed.
You don’t have to have much to help. For further information on FACFI and how you can assist in funding the education of our youth, visit their page at http://www.facfi.org.ph/.
To intercede for the rich to help the poor, for the powerful to assist the helpless, and for the poor to help those who are poorer than themselves. – FACFI
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Children all over have the right to life, to freedom from poverty. The Sisters of Mary are doing great in upholding this, and in carrying on the torch of Father Schwartz.
Right you are, Pepper. Thanks for visiting!
It’s admirable that he was able to establish a legacy in helping people through a foundation even after he was gone.
Yes, Franc. And the sisters are actually working to have him beatified by the Catholic Church to ultimately become a saint. He was a very godly man, his apostolate foremost in his mind even when he was very sick.
People like him should be celebrated. Everyone, especially the youth, should hear about his story and his way of sharing hope to those who really need them. We need more people like him.
Amen to that, Chilipina.
Humankind will certainly benefit from having more people like F. Schwartz walking in our midst.
You got that one right, Teresa. Thanks for visiting!
Yeah we can also help even in our own little way. Thanks for the link will visit their website. It is really admirable how Father Al started this project.
Thanks, too, Violy. I hope you can share the link with your friends as well.
That’s really an admirable endeavor…to think that he isn’t from our own country. I however feel sorry that he thinks of illness as a gift from God, because along with death and old age, sickness is God’e enemy too. Anyway, I remember the institution of Sisters of Mary Boystowns and Girlstowns as they have one in our town. Hope to see more of such…thanks for sharing.
He accepted everything as God’s will, even if it were death and sickness. And even despite his sickness, he was there for the children interceding on their behalf every step of the way. Truly, it just shows that even though we’re limited by sickness, by a disability or anything of that sort, we can still help. Thanks for your input, Marie.
Hello Career Mom,
it’s my first visit to your blog. The information is really awesome.
In every corner of globe, Children are exploited so we should do work for them.
I want to start campaign to protect kids, they are future.
Thank You 🙂
Avinash, thank you for visiting my blog. You are right. Children are so helpless that adults must stand up to fight for and protect them. Good luck on your campaign. I hope it becomes a real success!
Really inspiring! Thanks for making me informed of who Father Al is and about Sisters of Mary and the Foundation. I hope we can all find time, money, resources, or at least try to be a light of the world, whatever we can be and do to help alleviate poverty.
Yes, very inspiring, Gemma. Thanks for dropping by!
Even an ordinary person like us can also take the challenge of doing great for the underprivileged. We only need to take the step and the rest will follow suit. Then it will be better for these children. The only question is when do we start the first step?
Good question, isn’t it? Just goes to show, action speaks louder than words.
this is a foundation built for a noble cause… very unselfish, considering the founder was thinking for the welfare of those not of his own country. we, filipinos must support foundation such as this as much as we could for its going concern. Yahweh bless.
You’re right about that, Ralph. Father Al looked beyond race and color. His only aim was to uplift the circumstances of the world’s poor.
Through missionaries and some LGU projects for the poor, they help the less fortunate to uplift their life and spirits in good nature trusting God in good faith that there is always hope.
Hey, Jem, thanks for visiting. You’re right. Through the help of these people, the poor know that God is still with them despite their circumstances.
yeah, i have noticed from the internet that many countries have poor people that need help, but are not getting actual help. they are rather being ignored or killed by governments and other zionists in order to reduce the world population. such countries include india, pakistan, palestine, africa, and other impoverished areas.
Wow, that’s not a good deed, is it? I hope something is done about these. People deserve to live and die with dignity.
I hope lots of people will be doing what he did to unfortunate people. I salute this man.
Yes, he was a good man, a man worth emulating. 🙂
I shared this information at Special Education Philippines. For any education-related news, please share it with us. The Special Education Philippines website hopes to bridge the gap between those who are in need and those who can provide resources. Check us out also at http://www.specialeducationphilippines.com 🙂
Thank you so much for sharing. You bet I’ll share anything I come across that’s education-related to your site. I just dropped by your site today as well. Great resource you got in there. Kudos! 😀