The Saints That Built Him

The Saints That Built Him

One of the treasures of having researched the life of Fr. Al for the biography I’ve been working on is the discovery of the many saints who’ve helped to engineer him. He drew from a wide and colorful palette of personalities, nationalities, and charisms. I found that...
The Spark

The Spark

So, how did this mission even start? Who or what was the catalyst? Venerable Aloysius Schwartz kept the secrets of his interior life very close – and he was too busy to wax nostalgic about his early motivations, inspirations and movements of the Spirit. “How, then,...
Who is the Virgin of the Poor?

Who is the Virgin of the Poor?

Today, 28 years after Fr. Al’s passing and four more countries later, World Villages for Children and the Sisters of Mary are rededicating its mission to the Virgin of the Poor and want to invite all those who would like to participate in a community of prayer to join...
All In

All In

It happened again. A minor catastrophe reared up in one fell swoop this past week – all the water dried up at Girlstown in Chalco, Mexico. The underground water pump, which had started showing small signs of disrepair, finally stopped functioning and began to spit out...
The Spark

Where Are Our Fr. Al’s

Catholic churches are being set on fire in various parts of the world, while statues of saints have been pulled down or undergone desecration. Some Masses have recently been interrupted by individuals who’ve walked onto the altar without restraint. Sacrilege has taken...
His Lingering Presence

His Lingering Presence

At the closing of his life, when his diseased body was days from surrendering its long fight with ALS, Fr. Al’s thoughts were on his Carmelite muse. With his eternal homeland in view, his thoughts on his withered body, wracked pain and fear of choking to death were...

Learn more about the children

The children at our schools come from the poorest of the poor. Each child has their own stories of what their life was before coming to our schools and how their lives are being transformed by the Sisters of Mary programs.  Read the moving stories of our children in their own words. 

Meet Our Graduates

There are 160,000+  graduates from the Sisters of Mary Schools. Many of our graduates went on to live prosperous lives, helping their families and local communities. Read the inspiring stories of our graduates in their own words. 

Life At Our Villages

Learn more about how we help children break free from a life of poverty.