Ah Springtime! We usually associate this time of the year with new life, the annual Tulip Festival and finally more moderate temperatures that allow us to put away our winter coats and to throw open some windows in our homes and let in the beautiful fresh air. There is another side to Springtime, that we would all just as soon avoid. This darker side of Spring inevitably brings hours of backbreaking yard work, IRS taxes, road construction and the annual Diocesan Catholic Services Appeal (CSA).

The CSA is a poignant reminder to us as a parish that we belong to something much greater than just the outreach of our parish of St. Alphonsus. We belong to the family of Mankind of which the Diocese of Grand Rapids is a part. As an integral part of this family, we are called upon to share in its mission and ministry to the eleven counties making up the Catholic Church in Western Michigan. Perhaps you wonder at times how the funds collected for CSA are used. Here are some of the ways that the CSA funds are used: Your gift to the Catholic Services Appeal helps support the necessary financial needs of our schools, parishes and programs in the diocese. Your gift touches the lives of the unborn, the student, the educators, the infirmed, the elderly, the homeless and those suffering from injustice. Your gift underwrites ministries serving the People of God throughout eleven counties.

During these difficult financial times, we here at St. Al’s., are uncomfortable asking you to keep digging into pockets already stretched to their limit. So many of you have already been so extremely generous to our Capital Campaign and we thank you for this tremendous generosity. All the while, you continue your generous weekly Sunday donation. Again, a heartfelt “Thank You” is in order! If the CSA was not so vitally important to the Church in Western Michigan, of which we are a part, we probably would not push it. But it is that important for the future of the Kingdom in these parts, so we humbly ask you to do the best you can.

Keep in mind the experience of the Apostle Andrew in Jn 6: 8-9: Confronted with feeding a large crowd that had followed Jesus, Andrew said: “There is a boy who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what good are these for so many?” Any gift, no matter how large or small, when placed in the hands of Jesus and blessed has the potential of doing great things! After feeding 5,000 men there were twelve baskets of fragments left over. Praise the Lord!

Please be as generous as you can be, leave the rest up to Jesus!

The Pastoral Staff

Dear St. Alphonsus family,

According to today’s Gospel of John, seven of the disciples went fishing one evening after the Resurrection of Jesus, but caught nothing that night. Early the next morning, Jesus (whom they had not recognized) called out to them from the shore:

“Haven’t you any fish?” When they replied “No”, Jesus responds: “Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.” After doing so, “they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish.”

Realizing the identity of Jesus, John said to Peter, “It is the Lord!,” at which Peter jumped into the water to meet him, while the remaining disciples followed in the boat, towing the net, which proved to be full of large fish.  Jesus then cooked and ate some of the fish with the disciples.

What a story of hope! It teaches us that the Lord calls us, sends us forth, and gives us everything we need!  Since it is the Lord who invites us and we generously say “Yes” to Him, we must believe that He always has, always does, and always will give us everything we need to live our vocations as married persons, mothers, fathers, single persons, religious, priests, and deacons. We really need to listen to and follow His directives!

God bless you!  Fr. Ed

Dear Parishioners,

I would like to thank my fellow Redemptorists and the Staff at Saint Al’s for the wonderful job they have all done keeping the Parish running during my recent illness and recovery.  At the present time, I feel the best I have felt in a long, long time.  I can’t say that these three months have been much fun, but they bring me to a new place and a new excitement as I look out and see what lies ahead for the future of Saint Al’s.

What is it that Christ’s rising from the dead brings us?  It brings us renewal and newness.  If we truly celebrate the Easter Season, from Lent until Ascension Thursday, we should find ourselves renewed and refreshed in our relationship with the Risen Christ.

The Easter Vigil Mass is truly one of the greatest celebrations as it brings newness to all Catholics around the world. Easter brought with it a wonderful sense of growth as four new people were welcomed into our faith and an additional 13 were brought into full communion with us as well as into our Parish.  When I heard the bells ringing during the Gloria they called each and everyone of us to “wake up” and receive this new and glorified Christ into our lives.

We are only a short time away from our First Holy Communion children coming to Christ’s table to receive the precious gift of Christ’s Body and Blood for the first time.  Come! Come to a meal that will never leave you hungry or thirsty again.

All Saints Academy will graduate its second class and our children will experience a wonderful right of passage as they leave the confines of our school and go off to meet new friends and challenges as they go forth to new places of learning.

On a different front, Catherine’s Health Care Center is about to take its capital campaign public.  To date, they have raised over one million dollars.  What does this mean to Saint Al’s?  It will change the face of our Parish Center as Catherine’s new home will be in our former school building.  It also moves us into a new phase of our capital campaign.  We will join with Catherine’s in preparing the building for a facelift which will become a medical clinic serving many in great need.  Catherine’s is hoping to be in its new space prior to the next flu season.

Helping to get Catherine’s started, places our parish in a position of moving forward with our own endeavors.  These include; the installation of an elevator to make the parish centers handicap accessible; situating our Food and Clothing Pantry in close proximity to the clinic creating a synergy between Catherine’s and ourselves serving the whole human being; upgrades to our mechanical and electrical services; and potential upgrades for kitchen safety. All in all, there will be a lot going on in 2010.  As far as the Church is concerned, we will be inspecting the interior of the church throughout the year 2010 targeting April 2011 as a potential starting date.

Just writing this letter makes me feel stronger as we respond to Jesus’ call to serve.  Remember Christ took off his garments and girded himself in a towel, this symbol of servitude.  These are exciting times, and I am eager to answer this call.  There will be much to do and many hands will be needed as we answer this call.  Let Christ’s call open you to this newness.  COME!

Blessings, Fr. Denis

Dear Parishioners,

Alleluia, Alleluia, the Lord is risen!

Wow! What great news for all of us and for all people everywhere. We are so loved by God, that he gave us His only Son as friend and companion; as redeemer and savior. God invites us into his family and shares with us His eternal inheritance of love. Wow! What truly wonderful and welcome news!

Last night at the Easter Vigil, we welcomed 17 new members into the parish family. We thank them for following God’s loving plan for them and promise to encourage them, as well as ourselves, in remaining faithful to God’s call. As the Lord has risen into new life, they also have entered into a new beginning on their journey to eternal life. Welcome and God bless!

Today, after the 11:00am Mass, we invite all children of the parish to participate in the Easter Egg Hunt. You must be 12 years old or younger to join in the fun. The eggs will be scattered over the front lawn, in front of the rectory and next to the church and parish center. Looking forward to seeing you there; happy hunting and a great Easter for all.

Yes, the Lord has risen!

Fr. Andy

He’s alive! Christ has risen! Alleluia! Alleluia! May the risen Lord be with you every day of your lives!  Easter blessings from the Redemptorist and staff of St. Alphonsus Parish.