|
St. Alphonsus: Mission in the midst of the city |
|
|
|
By The Catholic Spirit
|
|
Wednesday, 07 October 2009 |
 Father Patrick Grile, CSSR
Redemptorist Father Patrick Grile, 64, was raised in Grand Rapids, Mich., where he attended St. Alphonsus parish and grade school. After completing studies at Mount St. Alphonsus Seminary in New York, he was ordained June 24, 1971. He served parishes throughout the Midwest, including St. Alphonsus in Brooklyn Center, where he has been pastor since September 1999.
Why did you choose to become a “missionary” Redemptorist priest?
I was influenced by the priests and brothers who served in [St.
Alphonsus]. One of my cousins was a Redemptorist missionary in Brazil.
During summer months, various missionaries would return home to Grand
Rapids and I served their Masses as an altar boy. Their stories
impressed me and I wanted to follow them and become a Redemptorist, too.
Do you consider yourself a missionary in the archdiocese at St. Alphonsus?
I do consider myself a missionary here at St. Al’s because I live in a
community that is imbued with the spirit of St. Alphonsus, who started
the Redemptorists to work with the most abandoned and the poor back in
Naples, Italy, in 1732. Our community includes men who have spent many
years in Brazil and Thailand as missionaries. We have a Vietnamese
priest on our staff as well. One man taught for 18 years in Rome. . . .
With our experiences in so many different parts of the country and
world, we quite naturally bring this into our preaching and thus give
people an understanding of the universal nature of the church. . . .
Parishioners from many cultures recently celebrated the 50th anniversary of St. Alphonus Church in Brooklyn Center, served by the Redemptorist Fathers.
What does it mean to be a missionary in the archdiocese, with the changing demographics? What is your greatest challenge?
St. Al’s has parishioners from about 30 countries in the world,
representing Africa, South and Central America, Europe and Asia. Of the
18 or so African countries, the largest majority come from Liberia;
from the Americas, the greatest number come from Mexico; and from Asia,
the largest group is Vietnamese. We now have Mass in Spanish every
Sunday at 12:30 p.m. We average between 700 to 1,000 in attendance at
this Mass. The number of Latino baptisms is over 200 for this past
year. Quinceaneras are increasing as well. St. Al’s has experienced a
swift change in its demographics over the past seven years with the
rapid influx of Latinos. The Latino ministry is our most challenging
and fastest growing ministry in the parish. Our parish school reflects
this diversity and looks like a United Nations school with the many
cultures represented by our 235 students.
What is the state of the church in your parish with a variety of people from different countries?
St. Alphonsus parish is unique in the archdiocese, I believe, because
of this tremendous mix of cultures. We have around 2,600 registered
families and reflect all viewpoints associated with the different ways
of life, languages, educations, ages and ethnic backgrounds. It is a
wonderful blessing to see all these people praying and worshipping
together, ministering to one another and sharing their gifts and
talents. . . .
Do we always mesh together? No, we are a work in progress. But I
believe we are doing it and that the Spirit is leading and guiding us
ever so gently and firmly. We are reaching out to the economically poor
and immigrants in our area as well as ministering to the needs of
long-standing parishioners. It is quite a mix. It is messy at times.
But it is the church, the body of Christ, alive and struggling and
growing with the grace of the Lord. The Catholic Community of St.
Alphonsus is truly a Redemptorist missionary parish.
 |
Sign up for our eNewsletter and get
Show/hide comment form