Message from Deacon Christopher

When I found out I was being assigned to St. Alphonsus, I experienced a great sense of excitement and peace. The peace was accentuated by a feeling of God's providence. I had worked at two of the Northeast Side parishes part-time as a college student and collaborated with all four parishes in youth ministry during that time, so it seems fitting to begin my priesthood where I first worked in ministry.

The Lord sends us into the mission territory he chosen for us, and I believe God has led me to St. Alphonsus at this time. I also know God has a vision and plan for our parish which we will discover and participate in as we move forward.

Until I begin in July, I wanted to share a little about myself. As I look forward to getting to know you, I hope this is helpful to start to getting to know me.

I am the youngest of 10 children and grew up on the lakeshore where I was a member of St. Mary Parish in Spring Lake and attended grade school. I graduated from Grand Haven High School, before earning my theology degree from Aquinas College. I have just completed my studies at Mundelein Seminary, where I received a Masters of Divinity.

Aside from education, most of my time prior to seminary was spent working in parish pastoral ministry. I had various youth ministry roles for 11 years, working mainly with middle school and high school youth, including Immaculate Heart of Mary in Grand Rapids, St. Patrick-St. Anthony in Grand Haven, and Our Lady of Good Counsel in Plymouth. Prior to this I spent a little more than a year working in journalism for The Grand Rapids Press and Grand Haven Tribune, later using my writing skills to write lesson plans and resources for Life Teen International (while serving as a Life Teen Area Contact for Michigan and Indiana).

My experience in parish ministry was not limited to youth ministry, but that was my primary focus. The final two years serving at OLGC, I worked as a Media Manager and as the College Outreach Director. I've also been involved in the Church on a more national level through Life Teen, various conferences/events, consultation, and as a member of the Archdiocese of Detroit's Synod 16. Though I've been involved at various levels, my heart is in parish ministry, which is why I look forward to being back at the parish after my years of seminary formation.

A couple of my hobbies include running and rooting for the Detroit Lions, which also means I know how to endure suffering at least a little bit. I enjoy 90s movies, comedies, and mostly non-fiction books. I love the city of Grand Rapids, but also love being on the Big Lake and hiking trails. Again, I look forward to being at St. Alphonsus and soon meeting all of you. I am grateful for the opportunity to serve as shepherd and spiritual father for this parish community.

Deacon Christopher