St. Al’s Parish Garage Sale – April 23 & 24

The 2nd Annual St. Al’s Parish Garage Sale will be held on April 23 and 24 in the Parsh Center Gym.  Please see the flyer for more information on purchasing a table or donating items. All proceeds will go to St. Alphonsus Parish.

Garage Sale Flyer

St. Al’s Cancer Support Group – April 13

St. Alphonsus Catholic support group is a ministry of faith support through prayer and inspiration for adults who have cancer, are cancer survivors, or who are caregivers of a loved one who has cancer.  All are welcome.

Meetings are held the second Tuesday of each month from 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm in the Carrier Crest Building, 205 Carrier St. NE.  The next meeting is April 13 and the topic will be “Forgiveness vs. Anger through Cancer.” Contact Br. Andy Patin, C.Ss.R. at 616-913-4413.

In Memoriam

Our thoughts and prayers are extended to the family of Sister Mary Margaret Miller, O.Ss.R. who died March 19, 2010 at the age of 102 at Liguori, Missouri. She is the sister of deceased Redemptorist Fathers Donald, Raymond, Louis and Ernest Miller and are all originally from St. Alphonsus Parish. May her soul and the souls of all the faithfully departed rest in peace.

Easter Duty

Every year as Easter draws near, I am approached by any number of people asking me the same question: “Father, what exactly is my “Easter duty”? The answer to this question is actually quite simple and straightforward. Your “Easter duty” is one of the five Precepts of the Church that all Catholics are bound to fulfill. Specifically, the third precept states,“You shall receive the sacrament of the Eucharist at least during the Easter season.” This precept guarantees as a minimum the reception of the Lord’s Body and Blood in connection with the Paschal feasts, the origin and center of the Christian Liturgy.

For the sake of completeness, the other four Precepts of the Church are as follows:
1.) “You shall attend Mass on Sundays and on holy days of obligation and rest from servile labor.”
2.) You shall confess your sins at least once a year.”
3.) “Easter duty”
4.) You shall observe the days of fasting and abstinence established by the Church.”
5.) You shall help to provide for the needs of the Church, each according to his/her own ability.

The obligatory character of the positive laws (precepts) decreed by the pastoral authorities is meant to guarantee to the faithful the very necessary minimum in the spirit of prayer and moral effort, in the growth of love of God and neighbor.
(Catechism of the Catholic Church: #’s 2041-2043)

Fr. Bernie Carlin, C.Ss.R.

Thank You

Thank you parishioners for making the Parish Mission a true success. As we walked along with Christ on our Lenten journey, we reflected on the meaning of Christian service, acknowledged some of the crosses we bear, confessed our dependency on Christ and allowed Him to heal us. We supported each other in prayer and fellowship while all laughing at some good (?) jokes. The mission was a success because of all of you. We had many volunteers who worked during, before and after the mission. We had all the lectors and ministers helping and the choirs keeping us all in tune. It was truly a good parish endeavor and one in which everyone will benefit. The Redemptorist express their sincere heartfelt thanks for the generous offering of $3,010.00 made at the end of the mission. As we continue our journey of faith together may God bless and guide all of us.

Thank you, Redemptorist Community

Holy Week

Dear St. Alphonsus family,

Next week is Holy Week!  It came up quickly, didn’t it?  Our parish has had plenty of public opportunities to prepare spiritually during the season of Lent. There was Ash Wednesday and all the Sunday and weekday liturgies of Lent. On Friday afternoons we’ve prayed the Stations of the Cross, followed by Mass.  March 7-11 marked our well attended and celebrated Parish Mission, treating the topics of service, redemption, reconciliation, Eucharist and healing, with the sacrament of anointing of the sick.  The mission in itself was a great time of grace. On March 15 we celebrated a communal penance service and rite of reconciliation.  Faith formation classes have treated Lenten topics with the children, youth and adults.

Next week we will gather for Holy Week, also called Passion Week.  It begins with Palm Sunday, (also called Passion Sunday), continues through Holy Thursday Eucharist, Good Friday Liturgy and Stations, Saturday Easter Vigil and Sunday Easter Masses.  (see the bulletin for times). We are blessed with a large group of men and women candidates and catechumens, called the Elect, who will be fully initiated into the Catholic community at the Vigil. Our blessings continue in the many parish musicians and choirs, who greatly enhance our liturgical moments.

Passion means heartfelt love.  Love from the heart.  Unconditional love from God.  As Christians we are called by Christ Himself to be like Him in all ways possible.  May you always love from the heart, as Jesus loves.

Blessings, Fr. Ed Vella, C.Ss.R.

2nd Annual Easter Egg Hunt

All children of the Parish under the age of 12 are welcome to participate in the St. Alphonsus Easter Egg Hunt. It will be on Easter morning after the 11:00 am Mass on the parish lawn in front of the rectory. Bring a bag or a basket to collect your candy filled colorful eggs.

Co-Redemptorist Weekend

Because of the Co-Redemptorist Association, the Redemptorists have never had to refuse a student for economic reasons. A Co-Redemptorist is a person who actively sponsors a young man, through prayer and financial support, in his spiritual journey to becoming a Redemptorist priest or brother.

The Co-Redemptorist Association has been in existence for over fifty years. A Catholic layman, Mr. William Davidson of St. Louis, inspired the program as an apostolic activity for friends of the Redemptorists. He determined the portion of the daily educational cost of a seminarian that the Redemptorists could not cover with their own resources.

And he then invited people to cover that deficit for one seminarian, one day a month, or two days a month, etc. as they wished. In this way, by daily prayer and a sacrificial offering, our Co-Redemptorists share their concern for and interest in the formation and education of future Redemptorist priests and brothers.

The Co-Redemptorist program has not changed substantially in fifty years, and nor have the benefits which each Co-Redemptorist enjoys: receiving a monthly spiritual letter, being included in five novenas a year as well as the prayers said by each and every Redemptorist community. And since the advent of the Internet, the Redemptorists have also been quick to assure their Co-Redemptorist members that their names will never be shared or sold to other organizations.

I can say to you personally that my own parents could not afford the tuition when I entered the seminary. If it were not for the Co-Redemptorists, I would not have been able to become a Redemptorist. We Redemptorists, past, present, and future, can never sufficiently put into words our thanks to our Co-Redemptorists.

Fr. Bob Fenili, C.Ss.R., of Seelos Theology House in Chicago, is with us this weekend to speak at the Masses, inviting us to begin or renew our activity as Co-Redemptorists. Fr. Bob is well known to us: Fathers Bernie, Andy and I were taught by him in college, in Wisconsin, and Fr. Denis lived with him in Chicago. Please give him a warm welcome.

Fr. Ed Vella, C.Ss.R.

St. Al’s Fish Fry – March 26

Serving from 4:30 pm to 7:00 pm in the gym/cafeteria – Entrance on Carrier Street. LAST FISH FRY OF THE SEASON.

Cost: $8.00 adults, $7.00 seniors, $4.00 children under 12, under 3 are free.

Come and enjoy all you can eat baked or fried Walleye, baked potato or French Fries, cole slaw, mac and cheese, sour dough rolls and delicious desserts. Grilled cheese is also available for non fish eaters. See you there!

This week’s dessert features your favorite dessert. Please help us out by bringing your favorite dessert to the Parish Center (use the service door off Leonard Street) anytime Friday or when you come to the fish fry.

St. Al’s Cooking Class – March 15

The next St. Al’s Cooking Class is Monday, March 15th at 6:00 pm in the St. Al’s kitchen.  Contact Dayna Bearss at gdriders@att.net or 365-1988 to reserve your seat. The $10 fee will be collected at the door.

Next Page »