Father Alphonse Twizerimana, a Rwandan-born priest, has come to visit our parish. He will be staying with us for the next three years while studying educational leadership at Depaul University. Arriving in Chicago in January of this year, the snow and frigid temperatures posed an adventure to Father Alphonse!

Unlike the weather, Father Alphonse received a warm welcome from our church’s parishioners as he got to

know many of them. Ordained in July of 2004, Father Alphonse has been a priest for the past 16, almost 17 years. He is the middle child of three siblings, with one older brother and one younger sister. As a child, he enjoyed playing soccer, volleyball, and altar serving. He also had a passion for education which continued into his adult life.

Father Alphonse has traveled a lot throughout his life. He has visited Uganda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Zambia, Lansing in Michigan, and now Chicago. Due to his travels, he has learned about many different peoples and their cultures. He feels it is essential to

learn from other cultures and understand their customs.

From a young age, Father Alphonse has felt a calling to become a priest. He was inspired to take on this vocation by the priests who visited his village. The priests helped his community prosper and organized many community events for children, including young Father Alphonse. He found the priest’s work to be noble and wanted to do the same for others. As a priest, he loves praying with others, community work, and celebrating mass. However, he finds it especially important to empower the growing generation by educating the youth.

When asked the most important message he would like to share with the parish, he had an incredible response. “I would want them to know that education is beautiful. There is a lot of beauty in education. There are a lot of opportunities with education. To use every moment, every second, every minute to learn. It doesn’t stop after school. To open themselves to learning and developing. The more you learn, the greater you become.”

____________

His email is twalph1972@gmail.com and he's very responsive!

Priests' Health and Retirement

Priests have dedicated their lives to ministry, serving our needs as Catholics from the moment we are baptized until we receive last rites before entering eternal life. Priests’ Health and Retirement/PRMAA provides for the health and well-being of 469 active and 246 retired archdiocesan priests. To make a donation, please text PRIESTS to 312-625-5666 or Click Here

Reservations are no longer required! Seating is open (but please maintain distance between your fellow parishioners). Everyone is invited to wear a mask but those who are fully vaccinated are not required to. See our website for details!

We are looking to hire an Associate Director of Evangelization, Hospitality & Outreach. If you (or someone you know) loves sharing their faith, raising up leaders and welcoming people to Jesus, check out our parish website for a full job description.

Interested in joining our Radical Hospitality team? All are welcome! Email grace@stjosaphatparish.org