Saint Alphonsus Church
Saint Alphonsus Church is a 143-year-old Catholic parish in Chicago's Lakeview neighborhood, providing Mass, sacraments, faith formation, and community services to local families under the Archdiocese of Chicago, funded by parishioner stewardship and sacramental fees.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1882
- HeadquartersChicago, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Saint Alphonsus Church does
Saint Alphonsus Church (St. Alphonsus Parish) is a 143-year-old Catholic parish founded in 1882 by German immigrants in Chicago's Lakeview neighborhood, operating as a private nonprofit religious organization under the governance of the Archdiocese of Chicago. The parish delivers the full Catholic sacramental and liturgical life — daily and Sunday Mass (English and Spanish), all seven sacraments (Baptism, Reconciliation, Eucharist, Confirmation, Marriage, Anointing of the Sick), Eucharistic Adoration, and a music ministry led by Director of Music and Organist Brian Bloye — anchored in a Gothic-Revival church housing a nearly 6,000-pipe Casavant organ and an iconic steeple and veranda that serve as neighborhood landmarks.
The parish's core "products" extend beyond worship to faith formation (Tuesday evening religious education for grades 1-8, RCIA for adults, sacramental preparation), a Young Adult Ministry for the 21-39 cohort, and a parish school, Alphonsus Academy & Center for the Arts (preschool through 8th grade), sharing the campus at 1429 W Wellington Ave alongside the historic 1911 Athenaeum Theater. Operations are supported by a small staff of approximately 10-15, including a Director of Operations, Pastoral Associate, music director, Ed.D.-credentialed Coordinator of Religious Education, Sacrament Coordinator, and Office Manager/Communications. Technology is limited to standard parish SaaS: GiveCentral for online and recurring giving, FORMED for Catholic streaming content, Constant Contact for e-newsletters, and Google Calendar for facility scheduling — there is no proprietary platform, app, or AI/ML capability.
Revenue is generated entirely from parishioner contributions rather than commercial sales. Streams include Sunday offertory (voluntary, with suggested giving tied to household income), a five-year Generation to Generation capital campaign (2024, $1.12M parish goal with a $2.24M stretch), wedding packages ($1,750 with 50% non-refundable deposit), baptism donations (suggested $100), and mass intention offerings (~$15 free will). Distribution is in-person at the parish campus with growing digital access through online giving and streaming. The parish is currently led by Pastor Rev. Brett Williams following a recent pastoral transition.
Saint Alphonsus Church firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Saint Alphonsus Church
- Legal name
- St. Alphonsus Parish
- Website
- https://stalphonsuschicago.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1882
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Saint Alphonsus Church is a 143-year-old Catholic parish in Chicago's Lakeview neighborhood, providing Mass, sacraments, faith formation, and community services to local families under the Archdiocese of Chicago, funded by parishioner stewardship and sacramental fees.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Saint Alphonsus Church industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Catholic Parish Services
- NAICS
- Religious Organizations (8131), Civic and Social Organizations (8134)
- SIC
- Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Local Congregations & Worship Communities (Churches, Mosques, Temples, Synagogues) (BPAGAJAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Faith-Based Education & Formation (Seminaries, Religious Schools, Catechesis) (BPAGAJAD), Faith-Based Missions & Evangelism Organizations (Domestic & International) (BPAGAJAE)
Keywords
Where Saint Alphonsus Church is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Chicago
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Saint Alphonsus Church business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Infrastructure, Operations, Others, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Sunday Offertory / Tithes: Weekly offertory gifts from parishioners through online giving (GiveCentral), envelopes, or in-person collection during Mass. Parishioners are encouraged to give the 'first fruits' of income with suggested amounts based on household income.
- Capital Campaign Contributions: Generation to Generation campaign collecting pledges over five years with funds supporting veranda repair ($1.2M), organ restoration ($75K), rectory upgrades ($96K), courtyard development ($75K), and drinking fountains ($10K). Campaign goal is $1.12M with stretch goal of $2.24M.
- Wedding Fees: Wedding package fee of $1,750 with 50% non-refundable deposit required to secure date, balance due 60 days before wedding. Includes coordination, organist, cantor, and altar servers.
- Baptism Donations: Suggested donation of $100 for baptism sacrament, though any amount accepted to help maintain church and sustain ministries.
- Mass Intentions: Free will offerings, often $15, for honoring loved ones through specific Mass intentions for living or deceased individuals.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | Wedding Package - Full ceremony coordination and musical support |
| Donation/ grant-funded | Pay-as-you-go | Baptism Sacrament - Suggested donation |
| Donation/ grant-funded | Pay-as-you-go | Mass Intention Request |
| Subscription | Weekly | Weekly Offertory - Suggested giving based on income |
| Other | Other | RCIA/Adult Faith Formation |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels6 records
Saint Alphonsus Church product offering
Product offeringCore offering
St. Alphonsus Church is a Catholic parish that delivers weekly and daily Mass in English and Spanish, all seven sacraments (Baptism, Reconciliation, Eucharist/Communion, Confirmation, Marriage, Anointing of the Sick, plus Mass Intentions), parish-based religious education for grades 1-8, RCIA for adult initiation, the Alphonsus Academy & Center for the Arts parish school, Young Adult Ministry (Theology on Tap, retreats, small groups), parish-wide ministries organized into Advisory/Educational/Spiritual/Social/Service categories, charitable outreach via St. Vincent de Paul and Safe Families for Children, and event/facility rental at the parish campus. The parish is supported by weekly offertory giving, capital campaign pledges, sacramental fees, and donations.
Product overview
St. Alphonsus Church offers a comprehensive portfolio of Catholic parish services organized around five core pillars: worship (Mass, sacraments, liturgy, and music ministry), faith formation (religious education, RCIA, andConfirmation preparation), community engagement (young adult ministry, ministries across spiritual, educational, social, and service categories), facility usage (venue rentals and event planning), and charitable outreach (St. Vincent de Paul Society, Safe Families for Children). The parish operates Alphonsus Academy & Center for the Arts as its school, hosts Theology on Tap young adult events, and provides online giving through GiveCentral and Catholic streaming content via FORMED. Stewardship programs invite parishioners to contribute time, talent, and treasure to support parish mission.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Mass Services Regular Catholic worship services: Sunday Mass at 9 AM, 11 AM, and 5 PM (English) and 12:30 PM (Spanish); Daily Mass at 8:30 AM Mon/Tue/Thu/Fri/Sat and 6 PM Wed. First Sunday of month includes some prayers and a reading in German. Open to all parishioners and visitors.
- Reconciliation (Confession) Sacrament of healing and forgiveness available Saturdays from 11 AM-12 PM and Wednesdays at 6:30 PM, or by appointment, providing individual confession with a priest.
- Baptism Sacrament of initiation for children under age 7, celebrated at 2:00 PM on Sundays, with preparation classes required for first-time parents and godparents. Suggested donation of $100 (any amount accepted).
- Marriage Preparation and Weddings Comprehensive wedding preparation and ceremony including marriage file preparation, wedding coordinator, Catholic Couple Checkup pre-marriage inventory, altar servers, organist, and cantor. Wedding package fee is $1,750 with 50% non-refundable deposit at booking and balance due 60 days before the wedding.
- Parish Registration Formal membership process for joining the parish community via an online registration form; parish staff follow up to welcome and integrate new members into ministries.
- Mass Intentions Opportunity to honor loved ones during Mass celebrations for living or deceased individuals, anniversaries, birthdays, and special intentions; suggested donation of $15 free will offering.
- Facility Rental Parish facilities available for rental including Festival Hall, Common Room, conference room, dining room, and rooftop deck. Event requests submitted via online forms with 5-7 business days for review.
- Stewardship Programs Parish stewardship initiatives including Stewardship of Time (daily prayer, Mass attendance, Eucharistic Adoration), Stewardship of Talent (ministry participation), and Stewardship of Treasure (online giving via GiveCentral with first-fruits suggestion model).
- Religious Education Program Tuesday evening religious education classes (6:15 PM-7:30 PM, September through May) for Grades 1-8, with catechist training and support, preparing children for sacraments of First Communion and Confirmation.
- Theology on Tap Young adult faith discussion series featuring guest speakers exploring theological topics. Held Wednesday evenings in July, with fellowship, refreshments, and speaker presentations.
- RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults) Process of spiritual and educational formation preparing adults for full initiation into the Catholic Church through Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist. No fee is charged.
- Alphonsus Academy & Center for the Arts Parish school offering education from preschool through 8th grade, combining academic instruction with arts programming. Located at 1439 W Wellington Ave on the parish campus.
Quantifiable outcome
- Successful five-year capital campaign supporting historic preservation and campus improvements
Companies that use Saint Alphonsus Church
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles6 records
Saint Alphonsus Church technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration3 records
Feature2 records
Saint Alphonsus Church partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Archdiocese of ChicagocoreSt. Alphonsus is one of over 200 parishes in the Archdiocese of Chicago. Participates in the Generation to Generation campaign shared between parish and diocese with specific fund-sharing formula (50% up to goal, 80% to 200%, 100% above stretch goal). Parish receives pastoral support, sacramental guidelines, and archdiocesan resources.
- CCS FundraisingcoreCampaign consulting firm providing support for the Generation to Generation capital campaign. All administration and consulting costs are covered by separate archdiocese account so all funds raised apply directly to parish projects.
- Athenaeum Center (1439 W Wellington Ave)minorHistoric theater adjacent to church opened in 1911, built by the parish. Now offers cocktail hour and reception spaces for wedding celebrations, creating a complete campus experience for parish events.
- Knights of Columbus (St. Alphonsus Council)minorSt. Alphonsus Council of the Knights of Columbus is part of nearly 500 councils in Illinois and 75 in the Chicago Archdiocese. Supports parish events, food drives, and Catholic community activities.
- St. Josaphat Parish (2311 N Southport Ave)minorBaptism preparation sessions held at St. Josapat Parish on the second Monday of each month at 7 PM for parents and godparents preparing for baptism.
- Safe Families for ChildrenminorNational Christian nonprofit connecting local families in crisis with Safe Families volunteers who watch children while parents get back on their feet. Parish coordinates local volunteers to serve families facing homelessness, domestic violence, and other crises.
- St. Vincent de Paul SocietyminorSVdP ministry at St. Alphonsus serves poor and marginalized in Lakeview area through volunteers (Vincentians) providing assistance with utility bills, rent, food, transportation, and medical expenses.
- Alphonsus Academy & Center for the ArtscoreParish school (1439 W Wellington Ave) serving students and families. Parish and school share campus facilities, with courtyard development planned for joint use as outdoor classroom and gathering space.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Saint Alphonsus Church competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Holy Name Cathedral: Mother church of the Archdiocese of Chicago and seat of the Cardinal Archbishop. Operates as a larger, more central Catholic worship and event venue with comparable sacramental and ministry programming, drawing on the same archdiocesan structure as St. Alphonsus.
- Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Chicago: Largest Catholic social-services provider in the region, operating at archdiocesan scale. Overlaps with St. Alphonsus in social outreach (housing, food, crisis support) via the parish's St. Vincent de Paul and Safe Families ministries, but at materially larger scale.
Direct peers
- Our Lady of Mount Carmel: Chicago Catholic parish with comparable sacramental, educational, and community programming, operating under the same Archdiocese of Chicago governance and stewardship structure.
- St. Michael's Church (Old Town): Historic Chicago Catholic parish in a comparable near-downtown neighborhood, offering similar Mass schedule, religious education, and parish-school model.
- St. Mary of the Angels: Historic Chicago Catholic parish serving a similar urban neighborhood profile, with comparable worship, education, and social-outreach programming under the Archdiocese of Chicago.
- Basilica of St. Hyacinth: Chicago basilica-style Catholic parish with comparable sacramental programming, heritage architecture, school operations, and parish events serving an urban Catholic community.
- St. Josaphat Parish: Chicago Catholic parish mentioned as a co-host of baptism preparation classes with St. Alphonsus. Comparable neighborhood-scale parish within the Archdiocese of Chicago, with overlapping sacramental, educational, and community ministry offerings.
- Old St. Patrick's Church: Historic downtown Chicago Catholic parish with comparable heritage architecture, full sacramental offerings, music ministry, and parish events. Competes for the same urban Chicago Catholic demographic and donor pool.
- St. Paul the Apostle Church: Lincoln Park-area Chicago Catholic parish with comparable scale, school operations, and ministry breadth, serving a similar demographic of urban Catholic families.
- St. Clement Catholic Church: North-side Chicago Catholic parish in the Lincoln Park area with comparable Sunday Mass schedule, religious education program, school affiliation, and community ministry portfolio serving urban Catholic families.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Saint Alphonsus Church social profiles
Digital presenceSaint Alphonsus Church financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Saint Alphonsus Church leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles9 records
Saint Alphonsus Church subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Saint Alphonsus Church funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Saint Alphonsus Church M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Saint Alphonsus Church
What does Saint Alphonsus Church do?
St. Alphonsus Church is a Catholic parish that delivers weekly and daily Mass in English and Spanish, all seven sacraments (Baptism, Reconciliation, Eucharist/Communion, Confirmation, Marriage, Anointing of the Sick, plus Mass Intentions), parish-based religious education for grades 1-8, RCIA for adult initiation, the Alphonsus Academy & Center for the Arts parish school, Young Adult Ministry (Theology on Tap, retreats, small groups), parish-wide ministries organized into Advisory/Educational/Spiritual/Social/Service categories, charitable outreach via St. Vincent de Paul and Safe Families for Children, and event/facility rental at the parish campus. The parish is supported by weekly offertory giving, capital campaign pledges, sacramental fees, and donations.
Is Saint Alphonsus Church a public or private company?
Saint Alphonsus Church is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Saint Alphonsus Church founded?
Saint Alphonsus Church was founded in 1882. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Saint Alphonsus Church based?
Saint Alphonsus Church is headquartered in Chicago, United States, in the North America region.
How does Saint Alphonsus Church make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Sunday Offertory / Tithes are the primary driver. The others are capital Campaign Contributions, wedding Fees, baptism Donations and mass Intentions.
Who are Saint Alphonsus Church's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Holy Name Cathedral and Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Chicago. Direct peers are Our Lady of Mount Carmel, St. Michael's Church (Old Town), St. Mary of the Angels, Basilica of St. Hyacinth, St. Josaphat Parish, Old St. Patrick's Church, St. Paul the Apostle Church and St. Clement Catholic Church.
Does Saint Alphonsus Church have an API?
No public API is recorded for Saint Alphonsus Church.
What industry is Saint Alphonsus Church in?
Saint Alphonsus Church's product category is Catholic Parish Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAJAA, Local Congregations & Worship Communities (Churches, Mosques, Temples, Synagogues), with a secondary code of BPAGAJAD, Faith-Based Education & Formation (Seminaries, Religious Schools, Catechesis). Its NAICS code is 8131 and its SIC code is 8300.