Grand Rapids
Registration for Religious Education Classes for grades Pre-K through 12 has started. Please see the following links for more information and registration forms.
2011-12 Religious Education Offerings
2011-12 Religious Education Calendar Sunday
2011-12 Religious Education Calendar Wednesday
Sr. Jean Milhaupt , O.P. is currently residing at the Marywood Health Center. Her new address is:
Marywood Health Center
111 Lakeside Dr., NE
Grand Rapids, MI 49503-3811
The Redemptorists of the Denver Province announce the following appointments effective August 1, 2011. These changes will take place during the month of August.
Appointed to St. Alphonsus, Grand Rapids
Fr. Patrick Grile, C.Ss.R. as Pastor
Fr. Lamar Partin, C.Ss.R. as Associate Pastor
Fr. Thomas Danielsen, C.Ss.R. In Residence
Reappointments to St. Alphonsus, Grand Rapids
Fr. Bernard Carlin, C.Ss.R. as Associate Pastor
Fr. Robert Balser, C.Ss.R. In Residence
Fr. William Wright, C.Ss.R. In Residence
Bro. Andrew Patin, C.Ss.R.
Transfers from St. Alphonsus, Grand Rapids to new locations:
Fr. Denis Ryan, C.Ss.R. as Associate Pastor at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish, Kansas City, Missouri.
Our Lady of Perpetual Help
333 Broadway
Kansas City, MO 64111
Fr. Andrew Thompson, C.Ss.R. as Associate Pastor at Holy Ghost Church, Houston, Texas.
Holy Ghost Church
6921 Chetwood Dr.
Houston, TX 77081
Fr. Edward Vella, C.Ss.R. as Retreat Director at the Redemptorist Retreat Center in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin.
Pagani House Residence
1810 N. Timber Trail Lane
Oconomowoc, WI 53066
Sr. Roberta Hefferan, OP, entered eternal life on Wednesday, May 18, 2011 at the age of 84 after 55 years of religious life.
Visitation
Friday, May 20, 2011, 2:00-4:00pm and 7:00-9:00pm
St. Alphonsus Church
Vigil and Rosary
Friday, May 20, 2011, 7:30pm
St. Alphonsus Church
Mass of Christian Burial
Saturday, May 21, 2011, 10:00am
St. Alphonsus Church
Sister Roberta is survived by her sisters Mary Jane Krajewski and Margaret Anderson of Grand Rapids and Rose Marie Hines of Rose City; brothers James Hefferan and Lawrence (Marilyn) Hefferan; sisters-in-law Gloria Hefferan and Mary Ellen Hefferan of Grand Rapids; and nieces, nephews, friends, Sisters in her Dominican Community and the St. Alphonsus Parish Community.
In recognition of her years of service to the College, Sister Jean Milhaupt, OP, Ph.D., ’45 was awarded an honorary doctorate of Humane Letters at the 2011 Aquinas College Commencement ceremony held on May 7th.
The following press release is courtesy of Aquinas College.
Sister Jean Milhaupt, OP, Ph.D., ‘45 Receives Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters
By: Lauren F. Carlson ‘12
Sister Jean Milhaupt, OP, Ph.D., ’45 has a long history with Aquinas College. Her memories of her alma mater begin before WWII and continue through the millennium, often including unique insights and humorous anecdotes about the development of the College and the many changes that have occurred over the years. Once a promising high school student at Mt. Mercy Academy in the late 1930’s, Sister Jean is now the resident archivist of the College, with a list of accomplishments including serving as a professor for over 40 years in the English department, developing the Sampler, teaching in the humanities program, founding of the Aquinas College Historical Commission, and diligently maintaining the Dominican tradition of the College.
During Sister Jean’s undergraduate education, “There were hardly any men left in the College,” she said. Though Aquinas had transitioned to a co-ed campus before her freshman year in 1941, the draft of WWII left the College virtually deserted of male students until the end of the war. In addition, the majority of the professors were Sisters from the Dominican order.
Although many changes have since taken place at Aquinas, the value of strong foundational education has remained. “We got a very good liberal arts education,” said Sister Jean. She also mentioned the positive impression Aquinas students made on their graduate school professors due to rigorous preparation for the next step in either an educational or professional capacity.
After graduation in 1945, Jean pursued her passion for religious study by joining the Dominican Order at Marywood. “They were the most attractive community I knew,” she said, due to their open and welcoming attitude and devotion to study. After three years, Sister Jean (then Sister Maris Stella) was sent to continue her education at the Catholic University of America in Washington D.C. There, she earned her master’s degree in medieval literature.
In 1949, Sister Jean began a two-year teaching position at Marywood Academy, as well as a part-time position at Aquinas, where she eventually was hired as a full-time faculty member in the fall of 1951. For the next 44 years, Sister Jean taught a variety of courses in the English literature department, while taking only a three year break to earn her doctorate in Renaissance Literature at the University of Michigan. During this time, she fostered much of the unique programming the College is proud to host today.
In 1985, Sister Jean began developing the Sampler, which included the work of talented students and writers. The publication replaced Visions and Revisions, a “simple, little homemade product,” which contained only literary works. With the assistance of the art department and later of English Professor Miriam Pederson, the Sampler has flourished and published unique poems, prose, and visual art.
Sister Jean also worked to foster the education of her students off campus. On multiple occasions, she accompanied her students to Shakespeare festivals in Stratford, Ontario, and particularly enjoyed assuming the student role in a course regarding all aspects of the 17th century during a summer study in Oxford. “That was a very enriching experience,” said Sister Jean.
In 1995, Sister Jean transitioned from a part-time teaching position to become the volunteer archivist for the College. She was also a founding member of the Aquinas College Historical Commission. The organization was charged with recording the history of Aquinas and keeping its Dominican heritage alive. At the suggestion of former president Norbert J. Hruby, Ph.D., the Commission produced “Historically Speaking,” a five volume oral history of Aquinas, based on interviews with former and present personnel. Through this and other events such as St. Thomas Aquinas Week activities, Sister Jean has worked to maintain the College’s rich heritage.
Now, as she continues her position as the College archivist, Sister Jean is proud to have dedicated her life’s work to an institution which provides consistent learning and fulfillment. “Aquinas College is a good place to give your life to,” she said. As a 1945 graduate accepting the 2011 Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters, Sister Jean continues to uphold the Aquinas tradition. “I accept it, not only in my name but for all the Dominicans who have worked so hard for this college from the very beginning,” she said.
The St. Al’s Men’s Golf League standings and schedule are located at the link below. Any questions please contact Bob Thiel at 913-4403 or bthiel@catholicweb.com.
Updated Elevator Drawings/Color Board - April 2011
(Click on photos to enlarge)
Completed Projects and Upcoming Schedule
Report to the Parish - February 2011
Dear Parishioners,
As we move ahead into a new year, I wanted to share with you some updates, plans and reflections. Our parish continues to be alive with growth and change. Most visible are important physical improvements. The exterior of our church has received needed attention and is now repaired and protected. Equally important, the church is now able to welcome all parishioners—including those in wheelchairs—via improved entryways. Related, our new circle drive and walkways (now “frozen in place” for completion in spring) [Read more of this letter]
Updated Site Drawings – October 2010
Report to the Parish: August 2010
On behalf of our many volunteers, I am happy to provide you with this update on our campaign status. As you know, we have seen several important improvements take place in recent years through this parish-wide effort.
We should all be very proud of the vital work that has been done to our church building. This includes a new roof, exterior window repairs, tuckpointing to seal the building exterior, new tower roofs, a new lightning protection system, and rebuilt wing walls framing our church entrance. While not all these repairs are visible, they are crucial to maintaining our beautiful spiritual home. In addition, we have received many positive remarks for installation of the much-needed audio amplification system that allows those with hearing impairment to fully participate in liturgies.
Plus, we have completed a few important improvements to the Parish Center—including the painting and refreshing of our cafeteria, and renovation of the restrooms serving the cafeteria.
You will soon be seeing a next round of improvements. We are pleased to announce that the following projects are funded and scheduled for initiation.
This fall we will begin significant work on our grounds and access ways. This will include development of the circle drive that will help unify our campus. This new drive is essential to our master plan to make barrier-free access to all parish facilities a reality. As part of this same project, we will repair our sidewalks and improve the ramps and steps surrounding the church. This work will give an appealing new look to our campus, while providing safer and more accessible entry to our church.
This fall we will also conduct important work on our Parish Center. This includes upgrading our outdated electrical service, as well as a range of needed maintenance and improvements to the Lafayette Street wing—involving installing roof drains, skylights, and new utility meters. This work has three benefits today. First, it provides needed support to protect and ensure the usability of an aging facility. Second, it prepares us to turn over the eastern part of this wing to a new long-term tenant, Catherine’s Health Center. Third, it completes initial improvements that are important to the next stage of our plan—for example, we need to redo the electrical system in this building now so that we can install and operate an elevator in the Parish Center in 2011; and the Lafayette wing improvements are needed to allow us to relocate the Food and Clothing Pantry in the future.
The new projects just described involve about 20 weeks from start to finish. Our goal is to get them initiated in September, so that work is completed early in the new year. This timing will generally coincide with the relocation of Catherine’s Health Center. As you know, the Catherine’s Health Center renovation and move is being funded through a separate, and successful, campaign headed by that organization.
By early next year, we will have a new look and greater vibrancy through work on the grounds and walks surrounding our church as well as through the rebirth of our Lafayette Street wing.
On a lesser but timely note, you will see some overdue tree trimming take place around our parish grounds in the first half of September.
We have more to announce. Through your generosity, we have raised enough money to support two additional projects that will begin in 2011.
One involves creating a new entrance on the west side of the Parish Center. This will be accessible from the circle drive, and will lead to a new elevator. This project also involves new restrooms in needed areas of the building, as well as kitchen improvements. We anticipate this project happening in spring.
The second 2011 project involves improvements to our church interior. As you know, we have made exterior repairs that keep water and wind from damaging our interior, and we need to proceed with repairing and refreshing our walls. This maintenance and painting will take place in the fall of next year.
The projects I have just identified have been made possible by the efforts of everyone in this parish community. We know that all are supporting this campaign with their prayers and encouragement, and that over 550 individuals and families have already given or pledged their support. Through these contributions, together with moneys from our Foundation and Endowment and from special fundraisers such as Auction, we have campaign resources totaling nearly two million dollars. This is a remarkable achievement—especially in a time of such economic distress.
As additional moneys are raised, we will schedule other projects in our master plan. First among these items is the relocation of the Food and Clothing Pantry to the remaining space in the Lafayette Street wing. We would love to be in position to conduct this project in 2011, although we are not yet able to make this commitment financially.
The information I am reading to you now is available on our parish website, along with additional content about the capital campaign. We appreciate your patience in listening to this update, and your understanding regarding the reality that identifying the best way to proceed with the next projects in our master plan has taken time and effort, and has involved altering the sequence of activities that we had projected last year.
Most of all, we appreciate your continued support for this campaign, and your confidence and participation in helping connect legacy to future at St. Alphonsus Parish.
Fr. Denis Ryan, C.Ss.R.
Rev. John (Jack) Francis Dowd, C.Ss.R., died sometime during the night between Sunday, March 20 and Monday, March 21, 2011. The exact time is not known. He was found collapsed on the floor in his room when he did not come to Monday morning prayer. Fr. Dowd was currently assigned to St. Michael’s community at Chicago, Illinois. He was first professed on August 2, 1956; final professed on September 2, 1959; and ordained on June 29, 1961.
It was Fr. Dowd’s wishes to be cremated.
Funeral Mass:
Monday, March 28, 2011 at 11:00 a.m.
St. Michael Church
1633 N. Cleveland Avenue
Chicago, IL 60614
Luncheon immediately following.
Fr. Dowd’s cremains will be transferred to Detroit where another service will be offered for his wider family of nieces and nephews. The date is yet unknown for the transfer.
A Memorial Mass is scheduled at St. Alphonsus, Grand Rapids on Thursday, March 31 at 7:00 pm.
Please pray for the repose of the soul of Fr. John (Jack) Dowd, C.Ss.R., his sister, two brothers, and the Redemptorist Community at St. Michael’s, Chicago. May he rest peacefully with our Redeemer for all eternity.
Lent begins on Ash Wednesday and ends before the Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Holy Thursday. Ash Wednesday is a day of fast and abstinence. All the Fridays of Lent are days of abstinence.
Fasting is observed on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday by everyone 18 years of age and older, who has not yet celebrated their 59th birthday. On a fast day, one full meal is allowed. Two other meals—enough to maintain strength—may be taken, according to each one’s needs. But together they should not equal another full meal. Eating between meals is not permitted, but consuming liquids, including milk and juices, is allowed.
Abstinence is observed on ALL Fridays of Lent by everyone 14 years of age and older. On days of abstinence no meat is allowed.
Note that when health or the ability to work would be seriously affected, the law does not oblige. If a person is unable to observe the above regulations due to ill health or other serious reasons, other suitable forms of self denial are encouraged.
St. Alphonsus Lent Calendar
| March 9 | Ash Wednesday, 7:00 am, 9:00 am and 6:00 pm Masses |
| March 11 | 5:00 pm Stations of the Cross, 5:30 pm Mass, Fish Fry 4:30 – 7:00 pm |
| March 14-16 | Lenten Mission after the 9:00am and 7:00 pm Masses |
| March 18 | 5:00 pm Stations of the Cross, 5:30 pm Mass, Fish Fry 4:30 – 7:00 pm |
| March 25 | 5:00 pm Stations of the Cross, 5:30 pm Mass, Fish Fry 4:30 – 7:00 pm |
| April 1 | 5:00 pm Stations of the Cross, 5:30 pm Mass, Fish Fry 4:30 – 7:00 pm |
| April 8 | 5:00 pm Stations of the Cross, 5:30 pm Mass, Fish Fry 4:30 – 7:00 pm |
| April 14 | 7:00 pm Parish Penance Service |
| April 15 | 5:00 pm Stations of the Cross, 5:30 pm Mass, Fish Fry 4:30 – 7:00 pm |
St. Alphonsus Holy Week Schedule
| April 21 | 7:00 pm Holy Thursday Mass (no morning Masses) |
| April 22 | 12:30 pm Stations, 7:00 pm Good Friday Service (no morning Masses) |
| April 23 | 8:00 pm Easter Vigil (no morning or 5:15 pm Masses) |
| April 24 | 7:00 am, 9:00 am and 11:00 am Easter Masses (no 5:15 pm Mass) |
A new handicap entrance to the church is located at the side door off the new circle drive. Please do not park in the circle drive so people who need that entrance can have access to it. Construction of the new ramp from the parking lot continues. Handicap parking spaces will be restored when the ramp construction is completed.
