Celebrate Sunday Mass at St. Alphonsus!

Hello St. Alphonsus,

Please continue to pray for an end to the Israeli/Palestinian conflict! Pope Francis again renewed an appeal for peace and announced Friday October 27 as a day of prayer and fasting for all faithful.

In this Sunday's Gospel, the Pharisees sent their disciples to test Jesus with a question about taxes. Jesus' response suggests the ethic that Christians ought to adopt. It reminds us of the importance of keeping things in their proper perspective. Do we attach ourselves to worldly things at the expense of the love and honor that we owe to God?

Daily prayer keeps you in good relationship with the LORD, and yourself.

Invite your friends/loved ones to Mass! 

Mass Readings for Twenty Ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time



October 22 Parish Bulletin

A quick reminder that St. Alphonsus is now offering Saturday morning Mass at 8:30 AM.

Holy Hour this Friday October 20 at 7:30 PM.

The month of October in the Catholic Church is dedicated to the Virgin Mary. In light of this, we want to join with the wider Church in venerating the Blessed Mother which is why our Holy Hour this Friday, October 20th, will have a Marian theme to it. While our Lord will still be present in the Blessed Sacrament on the Altar and the sacrament of Confession be available, our music will be focused towards Mary and the evening will conclude with praying the Litany of Loreto and benediction.

As usual, we'll spend the first 15 minutes in silent adoration, and then our musicians will lead worship in song. All are invited to gather for fellowship at Olive Black after!

Please note the Oakdale parking lot will be closed on Friday October 27 starting at 3 PM for our AACA Mother’s Club Trunk or Treat event.

Volunteer at St. Alphonsus!

Our Cleaning Angels Ministry serves next Saturday October 28 from 9-10:30 AM. All are welcome to join as we help to clean and beautify our St. Alphonsus campus! It is our duty as good Catholics to be of service to our faith community and local parish! The focus area will be on the rectory instead of the church this month.

There will be an American Red Cross Blood Drive at St. Alphonsus on Sunday November 5 in the Festival Hall. Thank you for considering donating life-giving blood! Please make an appointment online at their website and use the sponsor code StAlphonsusChurch

This Sunday, Father Bauer will preach on Stewardship and the importance of supporting our parish through sharing our time, talents, and treasure. Here are some stewardship articles that were published in our parish bulletins in 2022. There will be a limited amount of sets available in the narthex this weekend.

"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 gift!

Pumpkin Carving This Sunday!

All families are invited to fun Pumpkin decorating and carving event this Sunday October 22 after the 11 AM and 12:30 PM Masses, outside in the Oakdale parking lot. All are invited!! Pumpkins, supplies and treats will be provided. The event will relocate to Festival Hall in the case of bad weather. Hosted by our parish’s Knights of Columbus council.

Come help out and volunteer! A great event for AACA students to make their volunteer hours! Contact Grand Knight and parishioner Ray San Agustin for more details. 

All Saints & All Souls Day

All Saints Day, Wednesday November 1 is a Holy Day of Obligation. Mass will be at 8:30 AM and our regular Wed evening 6 PM. The morning Mass will be a school Mass w/ our AACA students.

All Souls Day, November 2nd is a special day in the life of the Church as we take time to pray for our deceased family members and friends who have died and gone before us marked with the sign of faith. St. Alphonsus Parish will be holding a special Requiem Mass on Thursday, November 2nd at 7 PM, to pray for the repose of the souls of those who have died. Through the Sacred Liturgy, the Church invokes the forgiving love and abundant mercy of God, that He may receive all those we remember into His kingdom so they can come to know the fullness of life and peace of Heaven. All those who complete the form and make a suggested offering of $15 or more for a name will receive their designated unlit candle before Mass begins. After the homily, while the choir sings, the person will come forward in a line with their candle, light it from the Paschal Candle, and place it on the Communion rail.

Additionally, our music director Brian Bloye is arranging a special program with a men's schola singing chant in Latin and English from the traditional Requiem Mass of the Church. If you would like to honor a loved one who has died, please fill out the form here. You can also write the names of your loved ones in the Book of the Names of the Dead, which will be available in the Church during November.

Trivia Night This Saturday!

Tickets end Friday Oct 20 at Noon!

Are you the friend whose schtick is sharing random factoids? Or maybe the one with the most fun party conversations? Well, calling all you trivia fans and friends alike to come join us in St. Alphonsus' Festival Hall (basement), on Saturday, October 21st from 5pm-8pm because St. Al’s YAM Trivia is back!

Sign up at the link here!

The cost of tickets is $25 per person (it is a fundraiser!). Teams of 5-6 people can register individually or together. For anyone registering as a team, simply list the names of everyone in the "Comments" section of the GiveCentral link during your purchase. Light refreshments, beer, and wine are included in the event cost. We will have prizes for 3rd, 2nd, and 1st place winning teams.

Don't know anyone or don't have 6 people on your team? Fear not! You may also register individually or in a smaller group (2-4 people). We will assign you to a team. All are welcome!

***Please note: pre-registration with payment through the GiveCentral link is required to attend. No walk-ups will be allowed since we have teams.

For bonus points to your team’s final score, bring 2 unopened, unexpired, non-perishable food items! All items will be donated to Nourishing Hope- the Lakeview food pantry! They especially need pastas, jams and jellies, canned beans, rice, and canned goods with pop-tops!



For any questions or concerns, please reach out to the YAM social team

Faith Formation News

Are you looking for a deeply meaningful way to serve your community? Do you want to be inspired and challenged to grow in your faith? Do you want to make a lasting, positive impact on the lives of the youth? We’d love to have you join our team!

Catechists are needed each Tuesday from 6:00-7:30 PM now through early May to share our Catholic faith with the young people of St. Alphonsus parish in our Religious Education program. 

If you know any adults interested - please have them contact Oksana Kuzma.

Are You Ready To Become Catholic?

Registration is open for The Rite of Catholic Initiation for Adults (R.C.I.A.) Each year we are blessed with several individuals who desire to enter and learn more about the Catholic faith. The RCIA program is the study of the Catholic Faith and the process of introduction into the faith community. If you or someone you know is interested in taking the class, please contact our pastoral associate, Brooks Robinson.

Remain in Me: A Parish Resource for Eucharistic Revival

For the first time, the full season of the hit Christian series “The Chosen” will be shown exclusively in theaters before its release on streaming services.

Walking With Purpose

Come as you are. You are welcome here!

Make authentic connections with other women; refuel and refresh; Learn more about God

The Touching the Divine bible study focuses on qualities of Jesus revealed through the Gospel of John. This study draws us into a deeper, loving relationship with Jesus as we reflect on His life and personality.

St. Alphonsus Women's Bible Study is on Tuesdays w/ two sessions, one at 9:30 AM and the other at 6:30 PM. Questions? Contact Susan Combes

FemCatholic

Are you a woman seeking honest, insightful conversations about sex within the context of your faith? Join other women like you at FemCatholic Sex Ed, a video and online discussion series! For too long, sex education has been male-focused, too vague, or entirely nonexistent - FemCatholic aims to fix that. Women are invited to “FemCatholic Sex Ed: Honest Conversations for Women, from Women”, a video library containing modules from trusted experts on many issues and questions surrounding female sexuality and reproductive health. Checkout the FemCatholic website for more information on the program and how to sign up.

Men's Group

St. Alphonsus Men’s group meets Thursday nights to pray the liturgy of the hours, have fellowship, and to propose challenging topics to discuss. 

We meet every Thursday night at 7 PM in the rectory. Food and drinks provided. All men are welcome, with most men being in their 20s and 30s. Access can be gained at the west facing rectory door in the parking lot. For questions or more information, contact us here!

Men's Group Holy Hour on Friday November 3 at 7:30 PM

Young Adult Ministry

Tuesday October 31 at 6:30 PM in Festival Hall

We’re excited to introduce a brand new speaker at St. Alphonsus! On Tuesday, October 31, we will be joined by Sister Margaret Lekan, OP for a talk on the various stresses in our lives and God’s working through them. Sister Margaret comes to us with a tremendous wealth of experience having organized numerous retreats and workshops for the laity, clergy, and religious on various aspects of human psychology, mental health, and God’s connection to them in the workings of our daily lives.

Afterwards, you’re invited to participate in pumpkin carving organized by our Social Committee! Everyone is welcome to attend and refreshments will be provided. While we will provide carving tools, we ask that anyone interested in participating please bring your own pumpkin. This is a great way to get to know some new people in our community while getting into the fall spirit! Hope to see you all there!

Other Young Adult News and Events

Join fellow Catholic young adults on Saturday, December 9th at old St. Patrick's, 700 W. Adams, 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.

Four Quartets by T.S Eliot

"In my beginning is my end." - T. S. Eliot, "Four Quartets"

Join us on an epic journey into the very heart of light as we explore what it means to be human.

"Four Quartets", the solo-staged rendering of T. S. Eliot's timeless poem is a blazing journey into the heart of creation. Now playing through October 29; special Mid-Week show next Wednesday Oct 25 just added!

Living the Gospel of Life!

In October, the Catholic Church in the United States celebrates Respect Life Month. We consider more deeply why every human life is valuable and reflect on how to build a culture that protects life from conception to natural death.

Support The Baby Bottle Project!

This October, our parish will be participating in The Baby Bottle Project benefiting Aid for Women. Aid for Women was founded over 42 years ago on the faith and teachings of the Catholic Church. Aid for Women operates four pregnancy resource centers throughout the Chicago metropolitan area. Services include pregnancy tests, ultrasound exams and confidential counseling. Aid for Women’s residential programs, Heather’s House and Monica’s House, help women whose decision to choose life is further complicated by lack of adequate housing.

Please take a Baby Bottle home with you this weekend. Fill it with your spare change and return it to church in October. The bottles may be found at the exits as you leave Mass. Thank you! 

All are invited to celebrate life at St. Theresa Dolan Center Gymnasium (455 N. Benton, Palatine) on Saturday, Oct. 21, 2023 starting at 12:30 PM. Click here for more information and do spread the word!

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 

en Español

Alphonsus Academy & Center for the Arts

Thank You to all our students, families, and Cubs Charities for amazing support in our annual Rocket Run fundraiser last week!

At AACA, our focus on academic excellence, enriched by an arts-integrated

curriculum and a strong Catholic foundation, creates a welcoming community full of creativity and opportunity for all. Join us at our next Open House on Thursday November 9 at 9 AM to discover what our community has to offer you and your child. This is a wonderful chance for you to become familiar with our school and to ask questions you may have about AACA. Register online

Archdiocese of Chicago Catholic students thrive, CPS struggles

List of all Archdiocese Catholic College Prep/High Schools

Community News

Lincoln/Roscoe Beer Stroll this Saturday October 21 3-6 PM

Buy your tickets NOW to taste Chicago's craft beer scene as businesses along Lincoln Avenue and Roscoe Street transform into tasting destinations! This Halloween-themed ticketed event includes beer samples from local breweries at popular shops along Lincoln Ave. and Roscoe St.! This event features three routes, with over 20 local businesses participating and different types of craft beer to try at every stop on each route.