Thanksgiving- To Whom We Give Our Thanks

Hello St. Alphonsus,

An amusing tidbit of American historical folklore is that Benjamin Franklin thought that the turkey should be the national bird. If it had become so, I wonder if it would have changed the menu that so many of us will enjoy tomorrow... maybe we'd be eating more venison, which was also served at the original Thanksgiving feast with the pilgrims. Probably better that than eating a bird of prey.

So as we gather with families and friends around big tables to eat the traditional bird, let us pray. Thanksgiving is an opportunity to be intentional about expressing our gratitude to God: for things we have, for what He does for us – and simply for who He is, because that is God does what He does. Christ reveals to us that God is our loving Father, and it is in Him we live, and move, and have our being. And when we are connected to Jesus, when we are connected in prayer, we are connected in joyful gratitude. And as a large family of faith, that gratitude brings us to God in an appropriate context of prayer.

And so we invite St. Alphonsus parishioners, families, and friends to join us for our Thanksgiving Day Mass at 9 AM. The collection that will be taken up at Mass is for the St. Vincent dePaul Society, which provides assistance to needy families in our area.

Rev. Steven Bauer

Pastor

Celebrate Sunday Mass at St. Alphonsus!

This weekend is the first Sunday of Advent, which is also the first Sunday of a new liturgical year for the Church. The Advent season includes the four Sundays that precede Christmas. It is a time of preparation for the coming of the Lord. In this season, we recall two central elements of our faith: the final coming of the Lord in glory and the incarnation of the Lord in the birth of Jesus. Key themes of the Advent season are watchful waiting, preparation, and justice.

In this Sunday's Gospel, Jesus tells his disciples that the coming of the Son of Man will catch many people unprepared. Jesus tells his disciples that they are to always be ready for the day of the Lord.

St. Alphonsus parishioners are encouraged to take a free Advent reflection book and a 2023 religious art calendar this Sunday!

Our 2021-2022 Annual Report has been released. There will be copies on the tables in the narthex. You can view via a link on our parish website.

Invite your friends/loved ones to worship at Mass! Daily prayer keeps you in good relationship with the LORD, and yourself.

Mass Readings for First Sunday of Advent

First Sunday of Advent Reflection

Nov. 20 Parish Bulletin

The rectory office is closed this Thursday and Friday for the holiday.

The CCHD collection will take place this Sunday, Nov. 27.

Christmas Mass Schedule:

Christmas Eve Saturday, Dec. 24 4:00 PM, 6:00 PM, and 11:00 PM 

Christmas Day, the Nativity of the Lord Sunday, Dec. 25 9:00 AM and 11:00 AM, 12:30 PM (Spanish) NO 5 PM this evening

New Year's Mass Schedule:

No Vigil New Year's Eve Mass on Saturday, Dec. 31

New Year's Day, Sunday, Jan. 1 Regular Sunday Schedule

The Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary is Thursday December 8. This is a Holy Day of Obligation. Mass will be at 8:30 AM and 7:00 PM.

Monday, December 12th, the Church will honor Mary in the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, remembering the day when an image of her appeared on the cloak of St. Juan Diego, a humble Aztec farmer, in 1531. The miracle sparked a massive conversion of the indigenous peoples to the Catholic faith and ended the Aztec rituals of human sacrifice. She is honored as the patroness of Mexico, of the Americas, and venerated as the Patroness of the Unborn. Our parish will celebrate by holding Mass on the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe at 7:00 PM which will be followed by a Fiesta in the Festival Hall afterwards. All are invited! Please support our fund to offset costs of flowers to decorate the Mary altar. Thank You!!

Celebration of Giving

Our Giving Tree is up in the narthex of the church! St. Alphonsus takes part in the annual Celebration of Giving from now to Dec 4. Grab any number of tags and return your gift(s) to church next Sunday or you may drop off at the rectory office during business hours. This wonderful service project annually 'makes Christmas' for hundreds of those less fortunate. Our Giving Tree will be in support of recipients of Catholic Charities and the Women's Center.

Thank you for your generosity; these gifts are possibly the only ones they will receive this upcoming Christmas!

The rectory office will be open Saturday, Dec. 3 from 9 AM to Noon for those wishing to drop off their gifts.

Contact Office Manager Mario Serrano for any questions.

Giving Tuesday is November 29

St. Alphonsus' mission statement: Guided by our faith and our sense of mission, we are called to love and serve the Lord, Jesus Christ, and our neighbor through our worship, by proclaiming the Gospel through our lives of service, and by providing a spiritual and educational foundation for growth in personal holiness. We do this for those formally associated with our parish, and for our greater community. We hold before us the goal of being a vibrant and welcoming community that provides for and participates in a variety of ministries, services and events that support discipleship and promote God’s power and presence in our daily lives.

This year, we invite parishioners to show their thankfulness to the Lord for His blessings through making a donation to St. Alphonsus Parish. Every gift is appreciated, and any amount is appropriate. There are many wonderful blessings here, the blessings of Giving Tuesday helps us keep our ministries running and the blessings flowing.

Make your contribution today here or TEXT Tuesday to (773) 570-7600.

Knights of Columbus

Wednesday Nov. 23, 8:15PM, Vespers in rectory chapel - all men - Knights, YAM, Men's, Parish, AACA Dads & Friends- all are welcome!

Next Saturday and Sunday Dec. 3 & 4, Parish Food Drive to help Mission of Our Lady of the Angels - Welcome any non-perishable items on Saturday the 3rd in the parking lot from 11AM-2PM and after every Mass at the back of church on Dec. 4. Your support is greatly appreciated! 

Sunday Jan. 8, 2023, St. Alphonsus Parish Blood Drive - Make a difference! Somebody will REALLY appreciate it! Thank you. Sign up here!

Faith Formation News

Rev. Steven Bauer and our parish staff are always open to the faithful in assisting with your spiritual journey. May God bless us with patience and peace as we seek to live in harmony with one another and all creation!

The Archdiocese Office of Lifelong Formation have provided virtual Advent retreat programs. You can view these retreats and other great resources here.

Are you ready to become Catholic? Registration is still actively open for Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA). If you or someone who know is interested, contact our pastoral associate Brooks Robinson.  

Walking With Purpose- Women’s Group at St. Alphonsus— Tuesday mornings and evenings 9:30-11 AM or 6:30-8 PM. 

Beholding His Glory, a nine-lesson Bible study, reminds us how all Scripture points us to our Redeemer, Jesus Christ. We will learn to recognize and appreciate God’s plan for our own lives, His aweinspiring majesty, and His desire for personal intimacy with each one of us. Questions? Contact Susan Combes

Men’s Group Presents:

For the entire parish - Eucharistic adoration and benediction the first Friday of every month 7:30-8:30 PM. Starts Dec. 2

“Come to me all you are labored and burdened and I will give you rest” Matthew 11:28

All Catholic men wanting to grow in their faith are invited to an Exodus 90 Chicago Meet and Greet event- Saturday Dec. 3 10 AM at St. John Cantius, 825 N. Carpenter

Retreats for Men and Women

Bellarmine Jesuit Retreat House is located on 80 acres of gently rolling meadows and wooded countryside just 40 miles northwest of Chicago.

Bellarmine offers a variety of retreats for men and women. Click here for the Retreat Schedule. Former Associate Pastor at St. Alphonsus, Rev. Andrew Wawrzyn is leading the Men's retreat on Dec. 2-4.

All Catholic men are invited to a free virtual event, Identity of the Catholic Man, on December 10.

Young Adult Ministry

Visit our Linktree

Praise and Adoration- Friday Dec. 9 at 7:30 PM

St. Alphonsus YAM Ugly Christmas Sweater Party- Saturday Dec. 10

Join us on Saturday December 10th from 7 PM-10 PM at the Athenaeum Center For Thought & Culture’s Paradiso Event Space for an elf-tastic night of food, drink, games and fun. Beer, wine, and alcohol will be available for purchase at the bar at the event space but we will provide food.

Fab-Yule-ous ugly sweaters and Christmas spirits are encouraged! Because we'll really be sleighin' it in our snowtorious Christmas sweaters this wintery night. We will have an Best Ugly Sweater Contest and we will have Christmas music and fun Christmas games as well.

Hope to see you all on December 10! Merry Christmas from St Alphonsus YAM! And remember "The best way to spread Christmas cheer is for singing loud for all to hear" - and Fleece Navidad!!!

Other Young Adult Events Around the Archdiocese

Join Young Catholic Professionals on Saturday, December 3rd for the annual St. Joseph Saturday Retreat! This retreat is a FREE half-day retreat (open to all young adults in their 20s and 30s), where young adults are encouraged to “look upon work with the eyes of faith” and see God’s presence in their vocations and professional lives. The retreat will include talks, group discussion, and prayer, and it will be a time to reflect on the life of YCP's patron saint, St. Joseph the Worker.

**This retreat is being sponsored by YCP Chicago, St. Mary of the Angels Young Adult Ministry, St. Alphonsus Young Adult Ministry, and the St. Clement Young Adult Community.

Check-In begins at 8:30am, but there will be an optional daily Mass at 8:00am (confession available starting at 7:30am). The retreat will end at 1pm, and free parking is available in the St. Mary of the Angels parking lot.

SCHEDULE:

7:30am - *optional* confession

8:00am - *optional* Daily Mass

8:30am - Check-In and Continental Breakfast

9:00am to 1:00pm - Retreat

1:00pm - *optional* Lunch at nearby restaurants

Catholic Sports League- Bowling League

Kick off 2023 with a CSL favorite, our annual bowling league! It’s a perfect way to spend your Monday nights in January when the weather gets cold. Sign up individually or with a friend. Register before early bird pricing closes!

Stewardship at St. Alphonsus

"Honor the Lord with your substance and with the first fruits of all your produce; then your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will be bursting with wine." (Proverbs 3: 9-10)

What Does It Mean To Give First Fruits?

If you would like to learn more about living a stewardship way of life, please visit our section on giving on our website, or contact a member of our parish stewardship team by calling the rectory at 773-525-0709 or by emailing parish Director of Operations Daniel Szymanski.

Thank you and God bless you!

• Text sunday to 773-570-7600
• Click on the link you receive via text
• Fill in the information and click "Submit Form" to make your giftt!

To carry out our mission that God has graciously invited us to participate in, we must be stewards of the temporal goods. By giving up our time, talent, and treasure, we are able to respond to the call of our why in our “whats” and “hows.” This means, we baptize, we see others face-to-face, we draw in, we invite in, we create spaces of deep hospitality that we are able to accompany others as they seek to discover how God has been already present to them. In other words, as Henri J.M. Nouwen reminds us in, A Spirituality of Fundraising, stewardship, fundraising, and generosity are all concrete ways we help the Kingdom of God come about. I invite you to join me in responding to the vocational call of our shared baptism. Please click on the QR code here and consider the ways in which you may be generous with your time, talent, and treasure for the sake of the Kingdom of God and the mission with St. Alphonsus.

Safe Families for Children

Compassionate Families Needed!

Safe Families for Children is a national, Christian nonprofit which connects local families in crisis with "safe families" who volunteer to watch their children while parent(s) get back on their feet. This is a great opportunity to show Christ's love and compassion for local families, often young single moms with no support system, in a tangible and meaningful way.

Interested in learning more? Reach out to safefamiliesstals@gmail.com