Message from Fr. Christopher

Dear Parishioners,

Change has been such a large part of the parish during the past nine months, that I deemed it best to make that the topic of my bulletin article last week. Well, I’m not going to change the topic now.

Let’s consider another angle on change — how change can be good. I don’t feel the need to go into dozens of examples. Instead, I ask you to think of something in your life that you would like to change. What about something in your family? Or something you want to see changed in any other area of your life, perhaps personally?

You see, we seek change when we know something is wrong or not working. My hope is that we can identify things of this nature in and around our parish community — not just immediately, but in an ongoing way, becoming people of discernment.

After all, some changes are good changes. We must be honest when we consider change — honesty with self and honesty in offering feedback. I want you to know that I am open to listening to parishioners’ feedback (but I don’t take anonymous feedback).

My hope is that the growing pains already experienced for St. Alphonsus will prove fruitful as we move into the next phase for our parish. As such, let me name a change on many minds — the reality that the number of daily and weekend Masses offered has been reduced significantly. This happened due to diocesan guidelines as well as being reduced to one parish priest. However, changes were made without consideration of “best” or ideal Mass times. It was a matter of simple elimination.

So now is a good time to look at the bigger picture with our Mass schedule. During these summer months, we can now take the time to look at bigger picture with our weekend and weekday Mass schedule. Our plan is to review the Mass schedule more intently during the summer months, then implement the best Mass schedule possible this fall.

Please know I am open to dialogue and feedback to best meet the needs of our parishioners. However, we must keep in mind that there is no perfect Mass schedule, so compromise is necessary. Let’s take the next two months to gain feedback, pray, discern, and prepare for a new Mass schedule.

Please join me in using this time to pray about the Lord’s vision for our parish — and to ask God for strength, endurance, and understanding. Let us also continue to pray for each other as well as for the Redemptorists in this time of change.

God Bless, Fr. Christopher Epplett