Saint Alphonsus Parish, Maple Glen, Pennsylvania was founded on June 4, 1963 by the Most Reverend John J. Krol, Archbishop of Philadelphia. The founding pastor was Father Daniel Lenahan, who had great devotion to Saint Alphonsus and was assigned the task of building a new parish. Father Lenahan stressed the importance of family unity and dedicated his new parish to the Holy Family. The Holy Family Grotto and its position at the center of the property facing the church was to reflect the guardianship of the Holy Family over our parish.
A temporary site for Mass and meetings was established in the Knights of Columbus Hall, at Norristown Road and Limekiln Pike, which serviced the 350 parishioners. The first Mass was celebrated on July 7, 1963, even before the Knights of Columbus Hall was a completed building. For 23 months, four Sunday Masses were said at the Knights of Columbus Hall and daily Mass was said in the den of the rectory.
On October 31, 1965, the Feast of Christ the King, the first Mass was celebrated in the church proper. On August 10, 1964, the Sisters of Mercy came to our parish and moved into a house next to the church property. They remained there until the following May when they moved into the convent, which today swerves as the rectory and parish office. Saint Alphonsus School opened its doors on September 8, 1964 with four Sisters of Mercy and four lay teachers. The original student body consisted of 221 children.
Some of the original Parish Organizations are still active today - support for Saint John's Hospice and Caring for Friends, Share the Word, Bible Study, Choir and CYO. Most of the organizations were formed by interested parishioners and today our parish offers a diverse selection of church organizations.
Saint Alphonsus Parish is grateful for the dedicated parishioners of the past and look forward to the continued growth spiritually, intellectually and socially with the 2,000 current parish families.