Celebrate Sunday Mass at
St. Alphonsus!
Greetings!
In this Sunday's Gospel, Jesus fasts in the desert for forty days and is tempted by the devil. These temptations offers insight into both God and the human condition. Jesus was submissive to God’s will, not his own. Jesus’ rejection of the temptations shows that he did not put God to the test. Grounding himself on the word and authority of Scripture, Jesus rebukes the devil, confident in God’s protection and faithfulness. Jesus’ resistance to temptation is placed before us today as an example for us to strengthen our own resistance to temptation. He would have us move beyond a superficial pursuit of the pleasures of this world to discover what satisfies our spiritual hungers. He shows us how to trust in God’s tender providence rather than merely test God’s almighty power. He challenges us to worship God rather than power, possessions, or societal status.
As we start our journey through Lent, our Sunday readings call us to adopt the same confidence that Jesus had in the face of temptation: God’s word alone will suffice; God’s promise of protection can be trusted; God alone is God.
Daily prayer keeps you in good relationship with the LORD, and yourself.
The Stations of the Cross will be prayed every Friday during Lent at 7 PM, (except for March 24, which is Confirmation)
All parishioners in the Archdiocese of Chicago are invited to take part in the Disciple Maker Index survey. Your participation will help provide our pastor and parish ministerial leaders with a better understanding of where to focus efforts and energies to help you grow in your faith and achieve our parish’s mission. The DMI survey will be open for responses now until March 31.
Spend time with our Lord in praise and adoration in the church. We'll spend the first 15 minutes in silent adoration, and then our musicians will lead worship in song. Confessions will also be available! The hour will conclude with benediction, and fellowship at Lincoln Tap afterwards.
**Please note there will be no Young Adult Ministry Adoration event in March**.
Men's Evening prayers group (Vespers) continue on Wednesdays from 8:15 to 9 PM in the chapel.
This Sunday, there will be a special collection to support the Church in Central and Eastern Europe. Your donation helps restore the Church and build the future in more than 25 countries still struggling to recover from former communist rule. Funds from this collection support reconstruction, education, formation, and poverty outreach. Please be generous this Sunday. For more information.
Friends Through Faith- Monthly Social
Do you know the names of the familiar faces you see each week at Mass? Do you feel you're missing a sense of community after leaving Church?
The newly formed Friends Through Faith Adult Social Group hopes to foster these essential faith-filled connections and build our St. Alphonsus community through fellowship and fun starting with a gathering --continental breakfast, cocktails, coffee, and tea--this Sunday, February 26th following the 11 AM Mass. Connecting with other parishioners can lead to lasting friendships, fruitful ministries, or even just a friendly wave and smile the next time you attend Mass. We hope to create small service groups, outings and friendships out of this community.
Our Catholic tradition teaches that human beings grow and achieve fulfillment in community. Pope Francis says, "No one saves oneself. The community is essential."
This Sunday Feb 26th from 1 to 4 PM, there will be a Youth Free Throw Shooting Contest, sponsored by our parish Knights of Columbus, 3rd grade thru 8th grade, girls & boys; come for the fun! Families are welcome to register their children, at no cost, at this link here
Knights of Columbus Basketballs for each division's winner! Supply-chain issues resolved for this year! Regional Tourney on March 4 at St. Josaphat. Volunteers Needed (Knights, Adults, Teens), please sign-up here!
This Tuesday Feb 28 from 7 AM to 6 PM, the Festival Hall will be utilized as a Polling place for those who have yet to vote in the election for mayor, alderpeople and police district council members
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2023 Lent
Lenten Video Reflections and Resources
To assist all in our community in your Lenten preparation and practices, a few multimedia resources: YouTube, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter as well as at the following:
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As we start our season of Lent, we are aware of the traditional practices of fasting, almsgiving and prayer. Sister Kathy Brazda, CSJ, shares her perspective on these traditional practices.
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Scout Thank You!
The BSA Scouting community from Troop 889 and Pack 3889 are grateful for the support of the St. Alphonsus parish. We had fun helping out at “Scout Sunday” on February 12, and look forward to another 100 years! For more information about Boy Scouts, please contact Tom Brusstar.
The AACA 2nd grade Girl Scouts Troop 26059 will be selling Girl Scout Cookies after the 11 AM Mass on Sunday March 5th. Cookies will be available for purchase for $5 per box. The troop goal is to earn a fun badge, lower yearly troop costs, and help kids in the hospital. The Girl Scout troop earns $0.90 for every box of cookies sold to use for troop activities and service projects.
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Safe Families for Children Ministry
Please join us for New Volunteer Training on Saturday March 11th, here at St. Alphonsus! FREE light breakfast and lunch included! RSVP here!
Volunteer roles covered in training:
- "Host Family" - host local children in your home for short periods of time
- "Family Friend" - provide volunteer babysitting or transportation for host families and local families in crisis situations
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.
We are in need of:
- Baby/toddler clothes sizes: 9mo, 18mo, 4T/4, 5/6
- All genders/sizes shoes & boots
- New or slightly-used small/medium stuffed animals
If you can help provide any of these items (or equivalent gift card), please either leave the items in the narthex/parish office Safe Families donation bins, or reach out to safefamiliesstals@gmail.com to coordinate a drop-off time. Thank you for your generosity!
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Knights of Columbus
St. Alphonsus Parish Lenten Fish Fry,
March 31, 6:00-9:00PM
in the Festival Hall
Menu: Breaded Cod, Coleslaw, Peas, Carrots, Chips, Hawaiian Bread, Mini-Cupcakes
Admission: Adults: $15, ages 5-12 $7, Under 5 are Free
Children tickets purchased at the door.
BYOB for Alcoholic beverages only; non-alcohol drinks and desserts will be available. Entertainment includes two performances from the Trinity Irish Dancers, Cornhole/Bags, and children games! Fish, Families, Fun & more!
Our parish needs many volunteers to make this event a success!!
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Alphonsus Academy & Center for the Arts
Art & Soul Fundraiser— Friday March 10
Tickets are now on sale for our parish school’s biggest fundraiser, Art & Soul, which will take place Friday March 10 at Rockwell on the River, 3057 N. Rockwell. The gala includes a silent and live auction, dinner, dancing, and a paddle raise for a specific project benefiting all our students. “Plant the Seed for Tomorrow” is the theme this year! Volunteers needed!
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Faith Formation
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!
Walking With Purpose- Women’s Group at St. Alphonsus— Tuesday mornings and evenings 9:30-11 AM or 6:30-8 PM.
Come as you are. You are welcome here. Make authentic connections with other women! Refuel and Refresh! Learn more about God!
We live in a self-centered culture that all too often leaves us feeling empty and dissatisfied. A fuller view of God and His glory is the perfect antidote— find this during our journey through the Beholding Your King Bible study.
We’ll study King David, select psalms, the temple, and many Old Testament prophets and see the ways in which they all point to the coming King of Kings, Jesus Christ. This Nine-Lesson Bible study is the second part of a two-part series and is ideally completed after Beholding His Glory.
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Young Adult Ministry
St. Alphonsus has a vibrant young adult community! Be sure to check out our Facebook page for service opportunities and other future events!
Join the St. Alphonsus Young Adult Ministry group and volunteer at EZRA Multi-Service Center’s Uptown Cafe on Tuesday March 7 from 5:30-7:30 PM!
The JUF Uptown Cafe is a restaurant-style meals program dedicated to fighting hunger, reducing isolation, and creating community. Four times a week, volunteer waitpersons serve healthy kosher meals in a dignified setting.
As volunteers, we will take orders, grab drinks and condiments, and get a chance to also sit and chat with the clients we are serving.
As we begin Lent, remember, all penances are meant to be offered up as prayers. Fasting without prayer is simply dieting, and penance without prayer is probably just masochism.
Be on your guard when you begin to mortify your body by abstinence and fasting, lest you imagine yourself to be perfect and a saint; for perfection does not consist in this virtue. It is only a help; a disposition; a means though a fitting one, for the attainment of true perfection.
St. Jerome
More Young Adult News
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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?
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 gift!
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Annual Catholic Appeal.
The theme, Walking On The Road With Jesus, is inspired by Pope Francis' call to the entire Church to become "synodal", that is, to journey together with the Lord prompted by the Holy Spirit. In addition to providing for ministries and services throughout the archdiocese, the Appeal also funds services that are of great help here at St. Alphonsus. For example, Appeal funds help support various expenses such as Facilities, Maintenance, Administrative, and Legal and Canonical support. As we contemplate God’s many gifts to us, we should also reflect on our gratitude. Your financial support for the work of our parish, our archdiocese, and the Church throughout the world is one way to express this gratitude. Please give what you can to the 2023 Annual Catholic Appeal. Be sure to designate St. Alphonsus-Chicago when making an online gift.
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At the Athenaeum Theater
Popular Celtic Rock band, Scythian, will be coming to Chicago! The show will be on Sunday, March 5 at 6 PM at the Athenaeum Center for Thought and Culture and will feature Chicago's own The Great Whiskey Project as well as the Trinity School of Irish Dance.
Scythian is a dynamic and talented musical group that has been entertaining audiences all over the world with their unique blend of traditional Celtic, Balkan, and American roots music. Their high-energy shows are a feast for the ears, and we are confident that you will enjoy every moment of the concert.
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Around the Archdiocese
"One year ago, the absurd war against Ukraine began. Let us remain close to the tormented Ukrainian people, who continue to suffer, and let us ask ourselves: has everything possible been done to stop the war? Peace built on rubble will never be a true victory." (Pope Francis)
This Friday evening 2/24 at 7:30 PM, Cardinal Cupich will join in the memorial prayer service at St. Nicholas Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral, 835 N. Oakley.
Evenings with Venerable Fr. Augustus Tolton, March 8 – May 10
Join Bishop Joseph N. Perry at the Tolton Heritage Center in Chicago to learn about Venerable Fr. Augustus Tolton, who is on the road to canonization and the first recognized African American Roman Catholic priest. Each event in this five-part series will include a short video, a presentation by Bishop Perry and plenty of time for conversation. Events are free. Please visit here to register. The series begins on March 8.
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When we plan our weekly giving, and set this money aside first, we demonstrate the great importance that God and the support of the Gospel have in our lives.
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Our weekly bulletin features many of the ways you can contribute to the vibrancy of St. Alphonsus parish.
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