Your Parish Mission

Meet Father Leo.

Like every year, a creatively clever theme awaits families as we welcome another fascinating speaker and engage in presentations, discussions, and fellowship over the course of three days. Why? As a parish community, the mission helps us come together in order to deepen our Lenten journey and increase faith life for our families.

So what's the scoop on this year's theme? Well, we hope you're craving a great mission, because no one will go hungry as we welcome Father Leo Patalinghug, a priest in the Archdiocese of Baltimore and talented chef whose ministry is to help families increase their relationship through the simple act of coming together for a meal.

This growing movement of relationship building around food, is titled "Grace Before Meals," and has been picking up popularity as an online show series founded by its very host - Father Leo.

So please join other parishioners and families as we come together for good food and conversations during the 2013 Parish Lenten Mission.

All talks will occur in the church and food will be shared in Parish Hall.

Sunday, February 17
6:30 p.m. - Evening Topic: Wholly Holy, a discussion on holiness
7:30 p.m. - Food & Fellowship: Cookies and drinks hosted by Women In God's Service (WINGS) ministry

Monday, February 18
9 a.m. - Mass with Father Leo in the Day Chapel with breakfast following in Parish Hall
6:30 p.m. - Evening Topic: Fullness of God, a discussion on family and meals
7:30 p.m. - Food & Fellowship: Hot Dip Night hosted by members of the parish

Tuesday, February 19
6:30 p.m. - Our Meal: Parish Pitch-In Dinner for families

Guests A - F: a salad
Guests G - L: a side dish
Guests M - R: a main dish
Guests R - Z: a dessert

7:30 p.m. - Special spiritual activity (to be revealed at dinner event)

Children's Mission: As in years past, St. Alphonsus has always been known to offer a special children's mission for young kids to participate in activities as parents and older siblings attended the evening talks. This year, the parish is still seeking some helping hands to put together and offer a child's activity for Sunday and Monday evening. If you are interested in helping offer a children's mission for our parish this year, please email Faith Formation Director Kimberly Overmyer at [email protected] or call the office at 873.2885.

Take part in the mission: There's a lot that goes into a Parish Mission evening, and each volunteer makes a huge difference. If you are interested in helping set up, cook, welcome, or clean up during our mission days, please email Faith Formation Director Kimberly Overmyer at [email protected] or call the office at 873.2885.

Whether you make it out to one, or all evenings, we look forward to you joining your parish family in a community effort of making Lent even more meaningful.

About our speaker: Along with his work as a parish priest at Our Lady of the Fields in Millersville MD, Fr. Leo is also the host and founder of Grace Before Meals, an apostolate to strengthen families and communities around the dinner table. He is an internationally renowned conference speaker, author, TV host, radio contributor on a variety of relevant topics - especially in the area of the new evangelization and new media. His unique background as a former martial arts championship title holder and choreographer for an award winning break-dancing group has provided him unique experiences and insights that has caught the attention and acclamation of diverse audiences, including PBS, ABC, CBS and even the Food Network, in which Fr. Leo defeated a world famous chef in the surprise cooking competition show, "Throw Down! with Bobby Flay." Fr. Leo contributes a monthly food column in Baltimore’s The Catholic Review called “Catholic Culinary Confessions”, hosts a weekly cooking show on EWTN called "Savoring Our Faith", and shares his message across the country and the world through his website, videos, live presentations, retreats, & parish missions bringing people closer together - one meal at a time - with the hopes of one day drawing many to the Lord's Banquet in heaven! (from gracebeforemeals.com)