Born Albert Scheibel on October 12, 1896 in Forrest, Illinois, his father that same year lost his job because of his affiliation with the unions. That led his father to seek work even as far as Albuquerque, New Mexico where he was a railroad fireman leaving Albert to care for his mother, Catherine Donovan. There was no resident priest in Forrest and when the itinerant priest came he often stayed as a guest at their home. After graduating from grammar school one of the priests took him to visit the Passionist Monastery, Chicago, Illinois. After one year there he decided to enter the Passionist novitiate at Louisville, Kentucky. He professed his vows on October 31, 1912 and spent six years of study at St. Paul, Kansas. He was ordained September 12, 1920. This was a year after his classmates as he had been too sick to be ordained with them. In 1929 he was afflicted with sickness and dysentery and was sent to the new foundation at Sierra Madre, California which was built from 1931 until 1932. He developed deep roots there; mission work in Albuquerque led to tuberculosis which led him to be sent to Mexico City, Mexico where he learned Spanish.
Birth Date:
October 12, 1896
Profession Date:
October 31, 1912
Ordination Date:
September 12, 1920
Death Date:
January 9, 1985