Hello St. Alphonsus,

Dankeschön for Oktoberfest! 

Dankeschön is the German word for “thank you,” and it is hardly adequate for us to express our gratitude to all the volunteers and collaborators that helped make this year's Oktoberfest such a grand success. We are so grateful to all the parishioners, school parents, neighbors and friends helped as a volunteer or attended the Fest and lent their support during the weekend. The weather couldn’t have been better, and thousands of people came to experience that atmosphere of fun and celebration that the Germans call Gemütlichkeit. And again, that was only possible with the help of so many volunteers… many thanks to everyone! Volunteers should check their email for details about the upcoming volunteer party, and everyone should mark their calendars for Sept 22, 23 and 24 of 2023 for the next great installment of Oktoberfest... Prost! 

Celebrate Sunday Mass at St. Alphonsus!

In this Sunday's Gospel, Jesus teaches the apostles the importance of faith and service to God. No matter how deep our faith, even just a bit can go a long way in doing wondrous things!

Our thoughts and prayers go out to those affected by recent hurricanes in Puerto Rico and Florida.

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

Mass Readings for Twenty Seventh Sunday In Ordinary Time

27th Sunday In Ordinary Time Reflection

Oct. 2 Parish Bulletin

Praise and Adoration- Friday September 30

This Friday, September 30th at 7:30 PM, 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. The hour will conclude with benediction and fellowship afterward.

*Want to sing/play an instrument with us? Come to the lower church early (6:30 PM) to run the songs with the music team! Or contact Spiritual Chair Patrick Doherty.

Respect Life Mass – This Sunday October 2 at 5 PM

St. Alphonsus will kick off Respect Life Month with a Mass celebrated by Bishop Bartosic on Respect Life Sunday, October 2, at 5 PM.

Project Rachel is a diocese network of specially trained priests, religious, counselors, and laypersons who provide a team response of care for those suffering in the aftermath of abortion. 

Flyer in English and en Español

Walking with Moms in Need is a response to Pope Francis’ repeated challenge for Catholic parishes and communities "walk in the shoes" of local pregnant and parenting women in need.. To join this effort, please contact Dawn Fitzpatrick, Senior Coordinator Respect Life Ministries for more information. 

Support The Baby Bottle Project 

This October, our parish will be participating in The Baby Bottle Project benefiting The Women’s Centers of Greater Chicagoland. This non-profit organization directly assists mothers and families experiencing crisis pregnancies by offering emotional, financial, material, and spiritual support through counseling, clothing and monetary provisions, prayer, and other aid. Each year the center’s three locations together have over 5,000 appointments with expecting mothers. Please take a Baby Bottle home with you this weekend. Fill it with your spare change and return it to church by Sunday, October 16. The bottles may be found at the exits as you leave Mass. Thank you for your support!

St. Francis Blessing of Pets- Tuesday October 4 at 3:15 PM and 5:30 PM in our St. Alphonsus/AACA parking lot. You can click here for all known Blessings dates/times at parishes around the Archdiocese.

Pumpkin Carving Event Pumpkin decorating and carving, Sunday, October 23 after the 11 AM mass, outside of Festival Hall (near the St. Alphonsus parking lot). All are invited! Pumpkins, supplies and treats will be provided. To help with the pumpkin count, please RSVP here! The pumpkins are being harvested from Michigan. The event will relocate to Festival Hall in the case of bad weather. Hosted by our parish Knights of Columbus.

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!

Registration is open for St. Alphonsus 2022-2023 Religious Education program! Volunteer as a Catechist!  

Register your child(ren) here for the upcoming year.

Our RE program is for children grades 1st-8th on Tuesday evenings at 6:15 PM.

RE Schedule for 2022-2023

Each year, St. Alphonsus joyfully educates the children of our parish in their Catholic faith. If you would like to spend more time with children, strengthen the faith bonds in our families or enjoy serving in our parish— please consider volunteering as a catechist for our religious education program! We’d love to talk to you and no experience is necessary :) There are training

opportunities and support as you get started and throughout your time of service. Contact our RE Coordinator Erica Cook for more information.

Are you ready to become Catholic? Registration now 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

More Faith Formation News

FemCatholic Conference- Oct. 29 in Nashville, TN

Where feminism + Catholicism meet.

Women are the greatest untapped resource in the world, and in the Church. But who is going to take seriously the real issues women face, and explore where faith can empower women's real lives? At a time when women are leading like never before, FemCatholic is bringing together women from across the country for a day of education, connection, and activation.

Exodus 90 is a 90-day program that helps men break unhealthy attachments in order to gain true freedom in Christ, strengthen their spiritual lives and forge bonds of fraternity and prayer based on three pillars: prayer, asceticism, and fraternity. Join for food and fellowship with Exodus 90 men (after 12:30 PM mass) Sunday, October 9 from 2 – 5:30 PM at St. John Cantius, 825 N. Carpenter.  All are welcome to attend!

Anointed For Ministry: Exercising Your Baptismal Call, November 5 at St. Thomas the Apostle, 5467 S. Woodlawn

Free Book! inQUIZition; Q& A for the Curious Catholic and Catholic curious.

Alphonsus Academy & Center for the Arts

Next Thursday, October 6th and Friday, October 7th, our parish school is hosting their annual fun run fundraiser. On Thursday, October 6th, we will be blocking off the parking lot as our PK and K students will be participating. On Friday, October 7th, our 1st through 8th grade will be running around the school block.

Young Adult Ministry

Visit our Linktree and look for our upcoming October YAM Newsletter for more upcoming events!  

Saturday Nov 5, Save the Date for Trivia Night!  More info soon!

Deeper Dialogue: Theology of the Body

Mondays at 7:30 PM

Immerse yourself in a deeper form of conversation surrounding JPII's Theology of the Body. Led by Casey Karbowski and Marisa Michak, the group will examine excerpts from the book as well as other related materials to break up the content into more digestible and easily understandable elements for discussion. No need to have a hard copy of any Theology of the Body books as all materials and discussion points will be provided on a weekly basis.

St. Therese of Lisieux Feast Day Pilgrimage- This Saturday October 1

“When I die, I will send down a shower of roses from the heavens, I will spend my heaven by doing good on earth.” - St. Therese

Join us for a small pilgrimage to the National Shrine of this beloved saint on her Feast Day!

Cars will depart from St. Alphonsus by 9AM, arriving around 10AM. We will have time to roam the museum and the outdoor grounds before Mass at 11:30AM. Questions? Feel free to contact our YAM Board here! 

"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!

A charitable gift annuity to benefit Saint Alphonsus, our AACA school, or ministries — as designated by you — is a generous expression of your support for God’s work within our community and for future generations of Catholics. Learn more here!

Athenaeum Center for Thought and Culture

New York Times columnist Ross Douthat will join ACTC for a conversation with First Things editor R.R. Reno, to discuss how Christians can navigate the role that they, the church, and our core institutions play in shaping the future of our political order.

Join on Monday October 3rd, for a timely conversation on this and related topics.This event is co-sponsored with First Things magazine. Tickets are free, with a suggested donation of $35. Seats are almost gone, so if you’re interested, now’s the time to get your ticket!

We’d love to see you there!

Safe Families for Children

Taking Action to Love Mothers and Families During Respect Life Month

Compassionate Families Needed!

Safe Families for Children is a Christian nonprofit organization that creates extended family-like support for local families facing a crisis by facilitating temporary placements of children with compassionate, background-checked local families.

• Average placement is between 3 days - 3 months
• Average child age is 0-6 years old
• Material, emotional, and spiritual support from our ministry throughout the placement

Want to learn more? Reach out to us here!