Fr. Christopher Epplett | Parish administrator
Father Christopher Epplett is the shepherd of St. Alphonsus Parish with a heart for evangelization. He has spent many years working in pastoral ministry in several parishes throughout the Grand Rapids diocese and Michigan. As he begins his tenure at St. Alphonsus in 2023, Fr. Christopher hopes to instill a vision for a vibrant parish where we welcome our current members and invite new ones on the adventure of knowing Jesus Christ.
Parish Staff
Michelle Hatfield
Social Concerns Ministry
616-451-3043 Ext. 415
mhatfield@stalphonsusgr.org
Mary Sutarik
Communications and Parish Engagement
616-451-3043 Ext. 405
msutarik@stalphonsusgr.org
Mike Boelens
Maintenance
Carol Fedewa
Director of Music and Liturgy
616-451-3043 Ext. 408
cfedewa@stalphonsusgr.org
Catherine McKenzie and Kim Kayser
Administrative Assistant
616-451-3043 Ext. 420
office@stalphonsusgr.org
Maureen Cromwell
Office of Faith Formation
616-451-3043 Ext. 444
mcromwell@stalphonsusgr.org
Scott Schumaker
Maintenance Supervisor
616-451-3043 Ext. 417
sschumaker@stalphonsusgr.org
St. Alphonsus Parish Education Endowment Fund
The St. Alphonsus Parish Education Endowment was established in 1994 to provide for costs associated with the education of children at St. Alphonsus School not covered by the regular parish budget. The Grand Rapids Dominican Sisters and St. Alphonsus parishioners originally funded the Endowment through generous donations. The charter and scope of the Endowment was changed to include all educational endeavors in our parish when All Saints Academy was founded in 2008.
St. Alphonsus Parish Foundation
The St. Alphonsus Parish Foundation was established in 1984 to provide for expenses related to the capital needs of the Parish as well as assisting with the education of future priests.
Foundation Board
Mary Command, Vice President
Molly Nawrocki, Secretary
William Simon, Treasurer
Patrick Newcombe, Director
Robert Phillips, Director
Paul Jensen, Director
The Art Windows of St. Alphonsus Church
In 1919, St. Al’s Pastor Mathias Meyer, CSSR, placed an order for stained glass windows for the church. The original order included eight nave windows, twenty-one sanctuary and transept windows, and one “rear” window. Later, ten smaller additional windows were ordered. The smaller windows included three in the baptistery, two in the sanctuary, two in the vestibule, two transoms in transept, and one in the stairwell.
Our windows were designed and produced by the studios of F. X. Zettler, of Munich, Germany. Together, these thirty major windows and ten smaller ones throughout the church, make up an area of nearly three thousand square feet. The stained glass windows were installed in 1920, replacing the clear glass windows that were in place since 1909.
Stained glass is really not "stained". It's glass that's colored by adding different chemicals to glass in its molten state. Metallic oxides make the color: copper for ruby, manganese for purple, iron for green, etc. Flat sheets of glass of different colors are then cut into whatever shapes are needed for the design of the window. Strips of lead, the softest and heaviest common metal, hold the pieces together. It also resists the attacks of air, water, and pollution.
Details in the windows, such as faces, folds in clothes, and words of text, are painted on the glass with enamel made from ground glass and rust powder mixed with glue. This mixture is then fired in a kiln to bond the enamel to the glass before it's leaded.
Stained glass windows do wonderful things with light. Unlike a painting or a mosaic, which reflect the light, stained glass lets light pass through the artwork. The light is colored, refracted, and spread throughout each piece of glass. Stained glass changes with the light, reflecting not only the weather, but also the mood and feeling of the day.
All images copyright Ruth Parbel Photography
Diocese of Grand Rapids
The Diocese of Grand Rapids was established on May 19, 1882. The diocese comprises 11 counties of Western Michigan: Ionia, Kent, Lake, Mason, Mecosta, Montcalm, Muskegon, Newaygo, Oceana, Osceola, and Ottawa. The diocese serves 175,114 Catholics, and has 80 parishes and 31 schools.