Page 18 - LOTN Spring Issue 49 2022

FAITH IN ACTION

With running Alpha, we have to have multiple RCIA courses. Fr Keith: It isn’t catechesis, it’s initial proclamation. So we’re
So we’ve had three courses running at the same time be- introducing them to Jesus Christ, to His death and resurrec-
cause after every Alpha we start an RCIA. And so there’ll be tion, inviting them to step into that and to respond to what
three or four - this next group I think is eight people. There’s a Jesus has done for them.
constant flow of people coming into the Church as a result of It’s the beginning, it’s Alpha, it’s not the end, it’s the start of
having done Alpha. the journey so Alpha is never sufficient on its own, it might
do something good for somebody but we have to take them
on to the next step. So if they’re not a Catholic, we take them
to RCIA. Always we’re trying to take them into a group like a
Slowly it’s happening where connect group, where they can be part of a community so
people invite their friends, what they’ve experienced in Alpha can continue on a regular
invite those family members basis, so they can grow. It’s always the beginning, not the end.
- invite whoever - to come
and see what it’s all about

It’s no longer the tick box of
people just going to Church
What difficulties have you experienced trying to grow
Alpha? on Sunday, this opens up
a whole new way of being
Catherine: This culture of invitation is something that we’re Catholic and belonging to
continuously working on - it’s hard to change the culture but the Church
Slowly it’s happening where people invite their friends, invite
those family members - invite whoever - to come and see
what it’s all about.
How do you think Alpha has helped the already prac-
Fr Keith: Whatever parish I’ve been in, I’ve always started it tising Catholics that go to the Cathedral?
small. At the moment fifty or so might come to an Alpha, but
when starting off try not to be worried about numbers. Get Catherine: It reignites their pilot light, brings them into
a couple of people together, get a small team and that’s ba- a sense of community in the parish, brings them on team,
sically what I’ve done. I’ve tended to go from small and tried develops them as leaders and just engages them. A lot of the
to build something solid from small and allow it gradually to time they don’t have a personal relationship with Jesus so it
transform parishes. really opens up a lot of areas.

What do you say to people who think that Alpha is not It’s no longer the tick box of people just going to Church on
Catholic? Sunday, this opens up a whole new way of being Catholic
and belonging to the Church. Not just coming to Church on
Sunday - there’s so much more involved than just doing your
Sunday obligation. It just creates that joy - you can see that
joy of people who have done Alpha - you just see it extending
We extend the invitation and on to others in such an amazing way.
the rest is in God’s hands

Catherine: We’re not teaching Catholicism. We’re not cate-
chising people. This is about that front door - we’re opening
the front door. We’re just there to teach them the basic mes-
sage of Christianity and that’s it.
First, they need to develop and know who Jesus is and fall in
love with that and that sense of community and belonging.
Then you can bring them on into other things within the
Catholic Church. We extend the invitation and the rest is in
God’s hands. We’re always extending that invitation and
what people do with it is up to them.

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