Dear Parishioners,
 
Summertime, baseball, hotdogs, weddings, ice cream, graduations, beer and wine. The list can go on and on, depending on your style/preference or likes and dislikes. All of those things listed above help us to describe or think about celebration. And, who doesn’t like to celebrate? We all like a good party. We all like to be around happy and joyful people. We all like to commemorate those important dates and occassions in our lives. And, why not?
 
This Sunday we celebrate priesthood. We commemorate 50 years of priestly committment by Rev. Bill Wright, C.Ss.R. and rejoice with him, his family and God in his service to the Church. You might not know him but I bet you know someone like him. Our parish has had so many young men leave from its pews and dedicate their lives to Christ by serving Him here in this diocese or around the world. We come together this day to celebrate God’s gracious love and His generosity in giving to us those men who serve. We thank God for his calling them and sustaining them.
 
In writing the above paragraph, I would be so deeply remiss and shortsighted if I didn’t mention also the many young women and men who have left these same pews to serve God in Religious life. Our parish has so generously given of its youth and future to the Church and we thank God and their families for their willingness to serve as well. God has truly blessed this parish of St. Alphonsus and I dare say, God will continue to bless us.
 
Hopefully, our celebration of this committment to serving God and his Church, will inspire to and encourage others to follow in his footsteps. Hopefully, as we commemorate this and other anniversaries during the summer, we as a parish rededicate ourselves to following Christ in his service no matter where and how that call leads us.
 
Thank you, Fr. Bill! Thank you, God!
 
Fr. Andy

My dear Father died on October 25, 1987.  I was stationed in St. Louis at the time with our students who were considering Redemptorist Religious Life as a Priest or Brother.  My sister called me in the middle of the night so I immediately began making arrangements to go to Omaha to be with my Mother and family.  Since I left home to go to the seminary when I was just 14 years old, I did not feel the immediacy of my Dad’s death in the same personal way that the other members of my family did who related to him every day. The reality that he was gone really struck me when I returned home for Christmas that same year.  I remember expecting to hear my Dad walk down the hallway and come into the kitchen.  It took me a little while to adjust to this painful void, the rest of my family had a bit of a head start!

I was only nine years ordained when my Dad died.  While very proud of all of his sons and daughters, he was in a certain way particularly proud to be able to say that he had a son who was a Priest.  One of the many gifts he has given to me is a deep and abiding love for our faith and the Church.  My Mother and Father always had a strong devotion to Our Mother of Perpetual Help and they have passed this on to their family.  From my youngest years I can remember my Dad leaving the house at all hours of the (Saturday) night to keep his assigned hour as a Member of the Nocturnal Adoration Society at the Cathedral.   He was a member of the Serra club and worked and prayed daily for vocations.  Suffice it to say that my parents were very supportive when I said I wanted to go to the seminary.  But, they also assured me, that if I ever decided that this was not the life the Lord was calling me to that the door was always open and I could return home anytime.

Like all of us, my dad had his faults, but he was truly a gentle man with strong conviction.  I really don’t know if he had any enemies, I’m sure there were some people he disliked for various reasons, but I am sure that he had many, many friends.  I was somewhat blown away and humbled by the attendance at his funeral, at which I was the celebrant and homilist.  The church was packed and there were, by the police escort count, 85 cars in the procession to the cemetery.  My dad had the gift of being able to make friends with everybody and if you were fortunate enough to be considered one of his “close” friends, he would be very devoted to you.  Of course there was only one person who could claim the title of “closest” and “dearest” friend and that is Margaret Rose, his wife of 47 years and my mother.  Husband and wife, yes, but truly best friends as well.  They loved being together, doing things together, looking for opportunities to help each other.  It was not unusual to see my dad in the kitchen fixing a meal or doing household chores like vacuuming and dusting, moving the laundry along, whatever needed to be done, he would do. 

Dad has been gone for 23 years now but I miss him as much now as I ever did.  On this Father’s day 2010, I thank the Lord for the gift of my Dad and for the years that we did have together.  I hope I learned well all the life lessons that he so patiently taught me, not so much in words, but in his actions and the way he lived his life.

HAPPY FATHER’S DAY, DAD AND GOD BLESS ALL OF OUR FATHERS!

Fr. Bernie Carlin, CSsR

Dear St. Alphonsus family,

As most of you know, soon I will be moving to Trenton, MI to take up pastoral duties as associate pastor in St. Timothy and St. Joseph parishes. I hope to be able to help out in the care that involves the many things that are part of my mom and dad’s lives.  I knew many months ago, that, although I didn’t think it was very possible, if I did not at least ask for permission to help my parents, I would regret it for the rest of my life.  Well God must have thought it was a good idea because all the permissions came through!  I am grateful to the Redemptorist leadership of our Province and the Archdiocese of Detroit for working out a plan of ministry for me as a missionary.

During my 18 months in Grand Rapids, I have learned much and grown in the faith.  I am grateful to all of you as well, for your witness of the faith which is so precious and important for us.  I ask your prayers for the three of us Redemptorists, all members of the St. Alphonsus community, who are ministering in the Detroit area.  Pray for Fr. Rich Luberti who is associate pastor at St. Joseph’s in Maybee, MI and ministers to the deaf community in Atlanta, GA and elsewhere.  On July 3rd, Deacon Fawaz Kako will be ordained to the Catholic Chaldean priesthood, an eastern rite of our Catholic Church. He will be associate pastor of Our Mother of Perpetual Help parish in Warren, MI, which is part of the Chaldean Eparchy of St. Thomas the Apostle. Fr. Fawaz is biritual and will be celebrating Mass in the Chaldean as well as our Roman rite.  Pray for him. Lastly, I ask for your kind prayers for me in my ministry in Trenton, as well as prayers for my parents.

God bless you and keep you in His Love, Fr. Ed Vella, C.Ss.R.

Dear Parishioners,

This past Sunday after saying Mass, I got in my car and headed out for West Branch to visit a sick friend, one you all know and love.

Before Sunday, there is much of Michigan that I have not seen, but this trip to West Branch certainly took care of that.  I drove through so many nooks and crannies that there were times that I questioned whether I was still in Michigan.  What was supposed to be a two hour trip turned into a three hour journey.  After traveling on what seemed like a lot of back roads, I was able to see some beautiful countryside. The trees were full and the lakes that I got a glimpse of were so wonderful. 

Finally, when I arrived at the hospital in West Branch, I was ready to go in visit our friend.  Sister Bert was sitting up in a chair and was so happy to see me.  Sister Bernadette and Sister Jean were also with her and also welcomed my familiar face.

After her surgery, Bert is doing well.  It was too soon after the surgery to figure out, but they are waiting for tests results to come back after the holiday weekend.  After speaking with her for awhile I said I was going outside to let the others come in to visit with Sister.  Bert grabbed me by the wrist and said: “You better not leave without giving me a blessing, or a hug, (a pause), and a kiss.”  That is when I knew she is going to be ok because of this wonderful twinkle in her eye and a devilish smile on her face.

Please keep our wonderful friend in your prayers for a promising diagnosis and a quick return to good health.

Congratulations to all of our graduates who will be moving on to a new journey this fall.  We here at St. Al’s are proud of you all and pray for much success in your endeavors whatever they might be.

On another hand, I will be leaving for New Orleans on June 6^th to give a nine day Novena in honor of St. Jude.  I just didn’t want anyone thinking that I was back in the hospital.  My deepest thanks for all the prayers and well wishes I have received.

Blessings, Fr. Denis