Father Al was born in his beloved Brooklyn, New York in 1963. His father Louis Henry was a veteran of World War Two and the Korean War, receiving a Purple Heart in 1950. His mother, Anna Palombo, was a dressmaker and seamstress as well as a good pianist. At the age of nine, Father Al began studying the violin, a pursuit that soon developed into a great passion. After graduating from Saint Francis Xavier High School in Cincinnati, Ohio, he studied music at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, receiving his Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Cincinnati and his Master of Music degree from Yale University.
Throughout his career as a professional musician, Father Al kept close ties with his local parishes, and before long the lure of being a diocesan priest became very strong. He entered Saint Vincent the Paul Regional Seminary in 1995, as a seminarian for the Diocese of Saint Augustine. He was ordained a priest in 2001 by Bishop John J. Snyder. Father Al’s first assignment as a parish priest was right here at Queen of Peace Catholic Community, beginning in June of 2001. Until this day, he considers Father Jeff McGowan a real inspiration and priestly mentor, especially in terms of living and preaching Stewardship as a Way of Life. After Queen of Peace, Father Al served as a Parochial Vicar at San Jose Parish in Jacksonville, Florida and as Pastor at Santa Maria del Mar in Flagler Beach.
He continues to have a very close bond with the Institute for Priestly Formation in Omaha, Nebraska, community of priests, religious and lay people who are dedicated to the spiritual formation of diocesan priests. The motto of the Institute, known as IPF, is “cultivating interiority for the sake of mission.” Father Al has a keen interest in incorporating the teaching of the great Christian mystics into the ordinary ups and down of everyday life.
In addition to his love for the mystical tradition of the Church, Father Al is an avid fan of the New York Yankees. He also enjoys visiting his family, both in the New York/New Jersey area and around the city of Naples, Italy.