Thank you Fr. Al

A private village for boys and for girls present around the world that provides high quality secondary education for free provides everything from clothing, foods and even a home to stay with all for free. This is one of the greatest miracles of the Virgin of the Poor bestowed to Venerable Aloysius Schwartz who founded the Congregations of the Sisters of Mary and of the Brothers of Christ to serve the Lord with joy. Fr. Al was the tree the Sisters and the Brothers were the branches and we are considered the fruits of their dedication and love. The fruits may be ripe and be harvested but some falls on the ground and were rotten. I will consider myself as one of the rotten fruits of Fr. Al because I wasted the opportunity to finish my studies their but still I am very grateful to everyone especially for those who has been part of my Boystown journey at the miracle village of Fr. Al here we have four duties to study, to pray, to work and to play.

I will be sharing to you my journey as one of the spiritual children of Fr. Al. My story is a little bit boring but I assure you that I found the true reason why I chooses to study their away from home.

Even as a child I already funned of praying and organizing simple events in commemoration of a saint and of Mama Mary such as gathering my friends to pray or to make mini procession in our neighborhood. It is one of the reasons why I desired to study at the Sisters of Mary and to learn more about our faith and I could say I had fought a good fight and found the answers to my questions through Catechism and self studying through reading books , I even backs out so many books at the library just to read them at night during the study time even if it is not related on our lesson I keep them in my closet and under my pillow and then I would return them after I’ve read it, not just most but all of the books were related to our faith, from the theology section of our library I desired them if I could only have it as mine.

I’ve joined also different clubs and associations but I found my heart on the Fr. Al’s Club and on the Legion of Mary. Do you know that as years goes by the Fr. Al’s Club become inactive that’s why I’ve tried so many times writing so many letters to our local superior to revive the club and I even outlined some activities and tried to suggest some books to study especially the written books of Fr. Al but unfortunately we haven’t heard from them maybe because of some reason that’s why I focused on being a Legionary. One of the reason of re-joining the Legionary and forming new Presidium is that for me to have a chance to be part of the group in participating the Intramuros Grand Marian Procession but again I was not given a chance to participate to the said procession we were two presidents that was not included on that trip we really cry not because we weren’t given a chance but because there will be no next time. As a legionary I always prepare the flower arranged by yours truly

The sisters constantly reminded and encourages us to pay Jesus a visit in the Chapel, as we transferred at the Doty Building every morning we could hear the sisters from the ground floor praying and singing smoothly and solemnly, I was touch once again to do the same we were three who wakes up before five in the morning even without alarm clock we would really wake up that early and gather at the seventh floor chapel to pray adoration prayer. We found a small booklet in the library that contains adoration prayer and we use it to be our guide in praying. But we stop it after recognizing our mistakes specially in terms of disobeying the time schedule. I believed that obedience is also a way of adoration a very special sacrifice for the Lord by abiding the rules we give glory to God and the honors to Fr. Al.

I was also an enthusiast of the Congregation of the Sisters of Mary and of the Brothers of Christ I even keep with me a copy of the Customs of the Brothers of Christ that I found in the trash can. I even tried to study the Manual of the Sisters of Mary I found one copy kept from the archives of the library after reading it I also tried to look for the books and spirituality that the sisters are studying. I started from the book To Live is Christ, I was inspired by Fr. Al that’s why I tried writing also based from his spirituality, then I also read the book of Saint Therese’ The Story of  a Soul and the Imitation of Christ. I tried my very best to keep them in my heart and to put it into action. I even ask my parents to have me customized a habit same with the brothers I draw a sketch of it on one of my letters then on the visiting day of that year my mother gave it to me. I was very happy at that moment and I use it every time we have presentation and now I know that it was already at the costume room.

At the library as I’ve told you that I am also funned of reading books, one time my dorm mate found a book related to the relics of the saints as what I remember when we were still Grade Seven a relic tour visited the campus and we were given the chance to venerate the sacred relics of the Passion and of the Apostles of Jesus. After reading the said book I found interest to have relics in my possession then we are blessed that time that a brother from the Brothers of Christ visited Boystown and he promised us that on his next visit he would give us relics, by this time I was not disappointed for the brother fulfil his promise. Then because of radish our family saint had the chance to have outing at the Mall of Asia having 20 pesos as our pocket money most of our dorm mate proceeds at the National Bookstore to buy for ball pens or anything that they could purchase by those 20 pesos. But I prefer to look for the Saint Pauls Store to buy for a novena guide to my patron Saints. By that time the Tours of Sacred Relics are exhibiting the relics of the Saints at the Mall of Asia once I was blessed to venerate them. While gazing at the relics there were two guards that approach us because one of the guards were not believing on the saints that’s why the other guard decided to approaches us for us to explain and to share our knowledge on the lives of the Saints to the other guard I could say I’ve been an instrument of God to let them know the wonders of God and the gift of holiness to his people.

Catechism were my favorite subject one of my Sister-in- charge were very good in telling the stories of the saints that anyone who listen to her story will be totally immersed with the holiness of the Champions of God that will inspire you to do the same. I’ve read so many lives of the saints published by TAN Publishing such as the life of Saint Martin, Saint John Macias, Saint Rose of Lima, Saint Dominic de Guzman, Saint Catherine of Siena, Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque, Saint Francis Solano and many more. And for my favorite movie of the saints I love the most the story of Saint Josephine Bakhita. That’s why for those who are reading my article and those who want to share their blessings for an early Christmas gift I would like to have a book of the lives of the saint with the title “Modern Saints” because this book were containing their real pictures. When I was still a student at the Sisters of Mary I desired also to have a copy of the sermons of Fr. Al and even the small text book for our religion subject I tried also to search for a copy at the library but I found nothing, for me it is a good basis in teaching Catechism for our apostolate.

On my stay at Boystown I was graced and blessed with so many life time experiences such as witnessing the Thanks giving Mass for the Promulgation of the Heroic Virtues of Venerable Aloysius Schwartz, I received also the Sacrament of Confirmation on the Birthday of Fr. Al in the year 2014 and by simply joining a procession on the Feast of Saint John Paul II outside the campus.

When I face already the outside world I wanted to use my voice and my knowledge to promote holiness in my own little ways until we formed the apostolate of The Solidarity of All Saints to bring Jesus to His people and His people to Jesus through the exposition of the life works and sacred relics of the Saints and of Mama Mary. Because we can’t bring them to the Church let us bring the Church to them and “be an active presence in the community as living cells, and as living stones” said by Pope Francis. I desired to have also a statue of the Virgin of the Poor for our apostolate but unfortunately our request weren’t answered once again. That’s why for those who desire to help us have a statue of Mama Mary the Virgin of the Poor please contact us thank you.

Thank you very much for everything Fr. Al with our hearts widely smiling in gratitude for letting us be blessed and be one of the chosen to be one of your spiritual children and to experience the miracle village for the unprivileged. In gratitude we are willing to be one of your promoters promoting your cause for Beatification and Canonization.

DIOS MABALOS