Alpha should be run under the authority of the parish priest, however the course is distinctive in that it mobilises the lay people of the parish to spread the Gospel. Alpha is most effective when the parish priest supports the course and encourages the team, but he need not attend every night of the course.

The priest has a two-fold role:

• Spiritual direction of the leadership team
• Welcoming newcomers to the church

Here some priests talk about their experience of being involved with the Alpha course in their parishes . . .



‘Over the years I have tried many strategies to help my parishes to grow. Nothing seemed to touch the majority of people until I tried the Alpha course. When members of the first parish group told others of their experiences, they wanted to take part in the next course. This is a fundamental characteristic of Alpha – people invite others to ‘come and see’.

These others may first of all be members of the parish, but they may also be friends, family, people from work, who may have some or no connection with church.

Alpha is a process of evangelisation that the parish can adopt and run in successive years. If the parish adheres to the principles, which have been tried and tested, then fruit will appear.

Alpha encourages people towards others. It encourages involvement in the parish and interest in ministry to and service of others.

In my opinion, in enabling the parish to move from maintenance, to mission, Alpha gives the parish a sense of purpose, confidence and hope totally contrary to the prevailing gloom which descends when people speak about the future of the church.’

Father Chris Brannan, Glasgow, Scotland

‘We ran our first Alpha course in January 2000. We had an average of 120 guests each week. I did all the talks. About 70 per cent of the Alpha guests started coming to church after that course. Some joined the Alpha team and some joined other groups.

Some of the guests were already Christians – in the sense that they would attend mass, but they didn’t have an ‘alive’ faith, they had never given their life to Christ in a conscious way. They were traditional Catholics who had been baptized as infants and had learnt the catechism in childhood, but nothing more.

In my parishes we now run Alpha three times a year. Around 600 people have now done Alpha in Febres. Alpha has transformed us into a missionary parish – because it involves so many people working together, whether in the kitchen or through praying or helping in the groups. In the parish there were many people who didn’t know that they could help or that they would enjoy helping so much.’

Father Jorge Silva Santos, Parish Priest, Febres, Portugal

‘I first heard about Alpha in summer 2001, when some of our people asked if they could run the course. We looked at the Alpha books, tapes and videos and we wanted to go with it right away. A group then went to an Alpha conference to learn how to put on the program. The first course was by invitation only. About 65 took part in the Fall of 2001. Before the second Alpha course I invited three people during mass to say what it had done for them. That was an unusual thing to do at mass.

I made reference to Alpha in my homilies – praising what it was doing and using it as an example of how to accomplish the goals of a renewed faith life and deeper spirituality. On our second course we had about 120 adults. We then had our third and fourth course. We have now had about 500 people come through Alpha.

Alpha has provided us with new men to help with the Eucharistic ministries and with the confirmation program.

For me I think it is the total program with Alpha that makes it successful. People are having a spiritual renewal experience on Alpha. It is helping them reclaim the basic message about salvation, the Lord’s love for them and trusting in the Spirit and so forth. They also become more planted in the life of the church. Other pastors have called to find out whether they should have this in their church. I’ve talked to them and encouraged them about it.’

Msgr Ronald Groth, Our Lady Queen of Heaven, Lake Charles, Louisiana, USA



‘During my 18 years as a Catholic priest, I have been privileged to help many people on their Christian journey. It’s been a particular joy to welcome people into the household of faith through baptism. Although our Archdiocese has experienced a significant increase in adult converts in recent years, it was not until I became involved with Alpha that I could say I had personally helped an individual move from no religious faith to full membership in the family of Christ. The numbers of those whom I have personally brought to the Lord are few but what is significant is that they all flowed from the Alpha course in the parish where I lived. Alpha was an ideal way to introduce seekers to the fundamentals of the Christian faith, leading them to seek a deeper connection to the Lord in the Church.’

Msgr Gregory Smith, Vancouver, Canada



‘I decided to start an Alpha course in the parish in January of 2004. Those of us who participated in the course felt united, we felt that Jesus Christ had come into our hearts; that he poured out his Spirit on us.

Some of those doing the course had little knowledge of the Christian faith and only went to church for christenings, first communions, weddings or funerals, but without getting involved in any way; others enjoyed a stable and normal religious life, but were weighed down by the formality of structures and customs. We finished the course in May with a graduation party. God willing we will start another course in September. We still have many aspects to improve and work on, but we are progressing.’

Fr Joaquín Meseguer García, Sant Quirze & Santa Julita Parish, Spain

‘The Alpha course has been a great blessing for me. We have held the course 18 times at Yukinoshita Catholic Church and welcomed over 500 participants. Most attend at the invitation of a friend who has already participated in the course. For about one third of the participants, attending the Alpha course is their first visit to a church. These first-time visitors are able to meet Christ on the Alpha course. Many are brought to faith in a short time, and many are baptized. The Alpha course is wonderful. It is the beginning, however. From there starts the holy life.’

Fr. Jean-Raymond Girard, Yukinoshita Catholic Church, Kamakura, Japan