From a rural area in the central part of France, Father Combe was born in a mountain village higher and smaller than Saint Sebastian de Garabandal and as poor as at the time of the apparitions. At 10 he was a young man, educated, and when he read a book on the Cure of Ars, he heard the Lord's call: "Do not you want to be My priest?" It was an inner voice, and yet he still remembers his tone and sweetness. So this boy left everything to follow Jesus.

On the long path of the priesthood, Father Combe received an arduous formation in both spheres of study and spirituality. Young Alfred spent 13 years in various seminars. This young man has since demonstrated to be a tireless worker, using his abundant energy as a student and as a sportsman. He was particularly gifted in Latin and Greek, Received the Pope's permission to be ordained a priest at the age of 23, the youngest of his class. His bishop immediately appointed him a seminary teacher. Some of his seminarians were his older friends.

Until retiring, he was in charge of a quiet parish in Beaujolais, Burgundy, a district famous for its wines. He was honored to have among his parishioners some of the direct disciples of St. John Mary Vianney, the Cure of Ars.

Committed to what he calls "the cause of Garabandal," he has common sense in quantifying problems, minimizing and solving them, and a gift..