November 17, 2019

Exciting Opportunity for all members of the Catholic Community of Wexford
       Over one year ago, Bishop Zubik announced that Saint Alphonsus and Saint Alexis parishes were being grouped into the Catholic Community of Wexford. During that time, your clergy, parish staffs, advisory councils, and countless volunteers have been working on all the various items necessary for our two churches to join together as one parish. That merger will officially take place in July 2020.  Now is your turn to contribute to that process.
 
Our new parish needs a new name! 
     We are inviting ALL Parishioners to be involved in helping to select a new name for our combined Parish.
Our new parish name is vitally important because it will continuously reflect the parishes’ prayers of intercession to our patron for the success of our parish efforts to bring the Good News of Christ to all people of the Wexford area.
 
Criteria:
The diocese has set out a few criteria for naming new parishes. They are:
 
  1. Any proposed name should be taken from:
       a. the “Most Holy Trinity”
       b. Our “Lord Jesus Christ,” invoked under a mystery of               his life or under his name as used in the liturgy
           or Scripture
       c. the “Holy Spirit”
       d. the “Blessed Virgin Mary” under a given title already            found in the liturgy
       e. the “holy angels”
       f. “a saint” from the list found in the Church’s calendar              of memorials and feasts
       g. all names of those who are “beatified or named                       blessed”
 2. It is preferable not to choose one of the existing church           names or a name that is already used many times in the         diocese.

  3. Hyphenated names of current parishes are not permitted.

     In suggesting names, the diocese requests not only the new name but also a brief description of why that name has been chosen. Accordingly, we are providing forms for you to fill out at the back of the church, and on our parish
websites, to allow you to suggest up to three names, along with a one or two line reason for each name of why you have chosen it. 
 
     For example: If one were to suggest a Marian name or patronage, you might say: “that all three of the Catholic Churches in our sister village of Wexford Ireland have Marian names,” which is true. Or, if you were to suggest “Pope Saint John Paul the Great,” you might say: “he was Pope during much of the recent growth in the Church.” 
     Please go online to our website at saintalphonsuswexford.org or stalexis.org or place your written forms in the box at the front of each Church
     After all the suggestions have been collected, the staff and parish advisory councils will compile the results and select the ten best and most popular choices, consistent with the criteria above, and submit this information to Bishop Zubik for preliminary approval. Once the approved suggestions are returned to us, the parish at large will have the opportunity to rank the top three choices from which Bishop Zubik will select our new parish name.  He will give as much respect as possible to our rankings.
     We encourage everyone to participate in this process.  It is the official first effort of our new parish. Any questions may be directed to Deacon Jeff at [email protected].