Saints of Asia: 1500 to the Present
Vincent J. O'Malley,C.M.
After ordination on June 29, 1957, Father Al was assigned to Pusan, South Korea, where he arrived on December 8. Evidence of post-war poverty abounded, especially among orphaned or abandoned street children. These children lacked the necessities of life. For these innocent victims, Fr. Al conceived and oversaw the construction of a Childrens Village to provide the poorest youth with basic necessities. To assist him in this mission, he founded two religious congregations: in 1964, the Sisters of Mary; and seventeen years later, the Brothers of Christ.
In 1985 and 1990, he extended his ministry to the Philippines and Mexico respectively. His foucus remained
the poor, and especially children. He founded Children's Villages in South Korea at Pusan(1964) and Seoul (1975); in the Phillipines at Manila (1985), Talisay (1990) and Silang (1991); and in Mexico at Chalco (1990).
In November 1989, this servant of the poorest of the poor was diagnosed with ALS, known popularly as Lou Gehrig's disease, and medically as Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. As his muscles gradually weakened, his mobility lessened, and he became increasingly dependent on the use of a walker, and the wheelchair. As his voice weakened, he no longer preached to large crowds, but to small groups, and eventually, his spoken word gave way to written messages. He, nonetheless, continued his ministry. As his activities diminished, his prayers increased; he spent hours praying in front of the Blessed Sacrament, also saying the rosary, and hearing confessions. He writes in an autobiography:
"Pain is pain and suffering is suffering no matter how deep the faith, how bright the hope and how pure the love. At the same time, in the depths of the pain there is this oneness of spirits, and in the heart of the suffering there is this union of souls. And from this oneness and this union there rises a very pure, spiritual peace- this peace of God which surpasses all human understanding."
In recognition of his extraordinary contribution to society, he was nominated twice for the Nobel Peace Prize-- in 1984 and 1992.
On March 16, 1992 he died at Manila. The funeral procession took several hours to wind its very way through Silang as the poor poured out of their hovels to line the streets in demonstration of their affection for their advocate. Dignataries followed the cortege in grateful recognition of all that this priest had done for the church and the community. His remains were buried at the Children's Village at Silang, in Cavite Province, Philippines.
that is my Hero too, thanks God, that he give us this kind of Hero, truly hero of the poor children.
ReplyDeleteFr. Al, our hero! Thanks to God and to the Virgin of the Poor....
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