Bro. Al spent five years of inner-city ministry in downtown Detroit,
serving the homeless at St. Al’s Canticle Café.

Bro. Al founded and established the Canticle Café Bicycle Cart Ministry,
which continues to serve the neediest of Detroit’s urban poor

Now, Brother Al has received a new “obedience” to ministry.
That’s Franciscan lingo for a new assignment!

Happily this new obedience allows him to remain in the metro Detroit region,
but it means he can focus more time and energy on some of his other passions in life:

• Spreading Franciscan joy and spirituality as an itinerant friar minstrel

• Continuing to help grow and develop the Song and Spirit Institute for Peace, which he co-founded with Maggid Steve Klaper and artist Mary Gilhuly in Berkley, MI. This award-winning ecumenical and interreligious project provides southeast Michigan (and beyond) with the means and opportunity to promote peace and reconciliation at the very grassroots level through the arts, music, study, organic gardening and community service.

And it means presenting the one-of-a-kind

Francis brought religious life out of the monasteries and into the marketplaces, and today we do the same. This enables us to serve and be present to a greater number of God’s people.

By donating here you are directly supporting Bro. Al’s ability to sustain and advance his new obedience to ministry. Come back to this website often for further news and developments. Bro. Al has promised his colleague Steve Klaper that he will be much more faithful about writing such things as blogs! All contributions are tax deductible.  Pace e Bene.

Check out the new timely hit…