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Ministry Fair

Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

St. Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 12:26: “if one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it; if one part is honored; all the parts share its joy.” He is reminding us that as the Body of Christ, the Church, we are individually and communally joined together as a community. We have a responsibility for and with one another. We are called to live and grow as stewards in all of the aspects of our lives. We have the duty quite honestly to be stewards of our Church, and specifically here in the Church of St. Alphonsus.

We will have a wonderful opportunity over the weekend of October 21-22 to celebrate and acknowledge our many gifts and talents as a parish. We are having a MINISTRY FAIR to highlight our many ministries here at St. Al’s. We want to acknowledge our fellow parishioners who are already involved in the various ministries of the parish. We want everybody to be aware that St. Al’s reaches out and shares its blessings not only within the parish itself but far beyond into the neighborhood and wider community. When good people give of their time and talents, God has a beautiful way of blessing these efforts and gracing us with even more joys and holiness.

We will invite parishioners to reflect upon their own gifts and talents and consider if they may want to join a particular ministry. Sometimes we need to stretch ourselves and involve ourselves in activities and concerns and grow in ways we never thought possible. I am sure that the Holy Spirit will challenge all of us to become more involved for the benefit of our parish and our Church. We want to move beyond mediocrity to be a great parish!

Over the coming weeks more information will be made available to us about our MINISTRY FAIR.

God bless you all and pray for one another.

Gratefully, Fr. Pat, C.Ss.R.

 

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September 23-24

Saturday, September 23
5:15pm Fr. Tuan Nguyen
 
Sunday, September 24
7:00am Fr. Bernie Carlin
9:00am Fr. Brian Johnson
11:00am Fr. Brian Johnson
5:15pm Fr. Bernie Carlin
 

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RCIA

The RCIA Program will begin on Sunday, October 8th. We will be publishing a list of names for all our inquirers closer to that time, so you can be praying for them as they discern God’s call. There is still time for others to sign up to be a part of our RCIA. If you know of someone who is interested, please have them call Fr. Brian at 913-4401. In addition, we are looking for people who are already a part of our Catholic Family who may feel a call to share their faith and assist our candidates. If you wish to be a part of our Sunday Catechetical team, again, please call Fr Brian. By helping our candidates, you too will come to a deeper faith!

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Thank You

To My Church Family,

Seven years ago I began my position as director of Social Concerns Ministry. I was fresh out of college, looking to change the world, and ready to serve the “least of these” what Jesus talks about in Mathew 25:40. Little did I know that I would be the one who would be changed and ministered to!

Throughout the years, this Parish has helped me to grow in ways I never dreamed possible. You embraced me as a newcomer, walked with me through tough times, and showed me what a church family is really all about. The lessons I have learned as a staff member here will always stay with me. You, St. Alphonsus Community, showed me the amazing things that people of faith can do when they come together. I have seen parishioners give their last dollar to help a stranger, physically work to exhaustion on mission trips, hug a food pantry client who was in the midst of personal chaos, and so much more. I am forever changed by your compassion and love.

It is with a heavy heart that I am leaving my position as Director of Social Concerns Ministry to become the Executive Director of the Community Food Club, a nonprofit organization dedicated to fighting food insecurity here in Grand Rapids. While this is a wonderful opportunity for me and my family, the decision did not come lightly. I love our parish and will greatly miss working alongside all of you on a daily basis. However, I am comforted by the fact that our family will still be here on Sundays as parishioners. You will still be seeing the Fossel Family around!

I wish to thank each and every one of you for your support of Social Concerns programs over the years. We have never had a lack of funds, volunteers, or prayers for anything we have done. I truly believe that St. Al’s is one of the best parishes. Please pray for guidance as the hiring committee begins the search for a new Social Concerns Director and pray for me as I begin a new journey. Thank you again for a wonderful seven years.

Sincerely yours in Christ, AJ

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Faith Formation Registration

Registration for 2017-18 Preschool through High School Faith Formation Classes is now available.

Registration fee is $45.00 per child for the year. If this is a hardship for your family, please contact Maggie Vugteveen regarding scholarships. If you have questions or concerns, please call the Office of Faith Formation. Classes begin on October 1, 2017, and the registration deadline is September 25, 2017.

Class descriptions, schedules and the registration form can be found at http://stalphonsusgr.org/faith-formation/k-12/

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Employment Opportunity

St. Alphonsus Parish is actively recruiting a Director of Social Concerns Ministry. The Director of Social Concerns Ministry is responsible for the education and promotion of Catholic Social Teaching principles within the parish community. This involves designing, promoting and overseeing the community outreach programs such as the food and clothing pantry, Thanksgiving meal, North(east) Pole Community Christmas Store, VITA Tax Program, mobile food pantries (food trucks), and mission trips. Social Concerns Ministry also attempts to educate the parish about relevant social justice issues, the Creston neighborhood, and other nonprofit organizations in an attempt to broaden the world view of the parish and increase awareness of the work being done outside the parish campus itself.

Additional information can be found on the Diocese of Grand Rapids Employment site.