Abc of the faith

It might be called “the ABC of the faith” for those who want to join the Catholic Church for the first time or return to it after an absence: it’s the “Alpha Course”, an idea conceived in Great Britain (cf. SIR 23/2005), which has now spread throughout the world, especially in France, and now in Portugal too, where it is involving scores of parishes in the south of the country. It is in fact the means of evangelization of greatest success of the Catholic Church of England and Wales, but it actually originated in a Protestant church, the church of Holy Trinity Brompton in London, where it was thought up twenty years ago. It was the Protestant pastor Nicky Gumbel, in 1993, who saw in the course a “powerful means of evangelization”, even for those outside the Church. The first conference dedicated to the Alpha course was held in 1993. Alpha courses were then begun in the churches of the UK and abroad. Today the Alpha course has been adopted by over 23,000 parishes in over 130 countries of the world, with the involvement of over 70,000 priests and laity. Since 1994 over two million people have completed an Alpha course, many of them in Catholic churches. We present the Portuguese experience. HOW DOES AN ALPHA GROUP WORK? The launch of an Alpha course in a Catholic parish requires a precise programme of preparation. You need first of all to have participated in an Alpha conference, contact the parish priest and the parish council, select and train a group that is able to conduct the programme and the meetings. All this in agreement with the bishop, given that “Alpha is not a movement, a community or a structure that is superimposed over the local community, but an experience aimed at inspiring the participants with the desire to form part of that community”, explain the promoters. The secret of success consists in the simplicity of the Alpha course, which responds to the questions that ordinary people pose everyday. Alpha is a free programme composed of three cycles during the year, in which the fundamental questions of Christianity are tackled: who is Jesus, why does death exist, how and when should I read the Bible? The course begins with a reflection presented by a speaker of the team, then there’s a discussion on the main questions in small groups. The first cycle is formed of two weekly meetings plus a weekend spent together in friendship, entertainment and prayer. When the first cycle ends, the next begins; it permits the participants to bring along friends or family. The course is supported by books, course material, and audio-visuals. The meetings are mainly held in parishes, but the French example (where there are some 200 Christian communities with Alpha courses) demonstrates that it’s possible also to use cafés, restaurants or university residences as venues. Many courses also have an ecumenical dimension, with participants of different Christian confessions. WHO ARE THE PARTICIPANTS? The majority are people between the ages of20 and 40, young professionals, recently married couples, parents of children being taught about the sacraments in catechesis. “The first courses – explain the leaders of Alpha Portugal – generally involve people closer to the parish. The following courses begin to draw in those with no immediate relation with the parish. They include many people interested in Buddhism or esotericism or people linked to sectarian movements who are enabled through participation in Alpha to recreate a link with the Church”. On average the groups are composed of from 12 to 70 persons, in some case as many as 150. “But the number is not important – they explain -. What matters is the ability of the local community to welcome them”. THE FACE OF A WELCOMING CHURCH. What most of the participants especially appreciate, in these courses, is the face of a “welcoming Church that is willing to listen to various points of view, and that does not judge”. “I was very glad to discover an ecumenical dimension new to me”, comments Ana, one of the participants. “It’s an approach very respectful of the freedom of the participants”, says Beatriz, while Manuela Costa from Alcochete, who took a course in 2002, says “it was very important for my life, an opportunity to clarify doubts and, in dialogue with others, deepen my knowledge and understanding of Jesus Christ”. Father Dionisio, parish priest of Lamas, at Cadaval, in the diocese of Lisbon, has already completed the second cycle of Alpha which involved seven parishes, two priests and some thirty laypeople: “we discovered an excellent means of being closer to people, as well as motivating ourselves in and committing ourselves to the great mission of the new evangelization”. In recent days, a national course of Alpha educators was held at Fatima, with the participation of some fifty parish priests. “It is vital that we propose the faith in a new way – says Father JORGE SANTOS , in charge of Alpha courses in Portugal, in an interview with the Catholic press agency Ecclesia -; we need to adopt different methods, geared to the present-day situation”. Info: www.alphaportugal.com and websites in the individual countries (including www.alphausa.com)