Alpha en la Iglesia Católica - [Duplicated]

Alpha in the Catholic Church

Equipping your parish in its mission to help people encounter Jesus.

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Alpha in my parish

Alpha es una herramienta que las parroquias usan para evangelizar. Miles de iglesias católicas, en más de 65 países alrededor del mundo, están implementando Alpha actualmente de manera online y presencial.

En los ultimos 5 años…

Countries

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Nearly 30 countries in Latin America have run Alpha.

Parishes

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4,757 parishes ran Alpha.

Participants

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In 2024, 413,979 individuals heard about Jesus through Alpha programs worldwide.

What is Alpha?

Alpha includes 11 interactive sessions introducing the Christian faith. It was primarily designed for people who are new to the faith or who are distant from the church. However, Alpha can also be used as a 'review' course for both active Catholics and those who have drifted away from the faith.

Alpha is an initial and highly effective presentation of the core of the Gospel, which is the KerygmaAlpha teaches only what is agreed upon by the main Christian denominations, and while it does not cover specific Catholic teachings on faith and ecclesiology, its course content is compatible with them. Alpha is not a substitute for catechetical programs, and the course is most effective as part of a comprehensive evangelization program.

I can say that Alpha is a very necessary instrument for the Church's evangelizing task, mainly because it emphasizes the Kerygma. That's why I strongly recommend Alpha.

One of the advantages of Alpha is its focus on the kerygma. In the early Church, there was a clear distinction between the kerygma and the didache, or catechesis. The kerygma was the starting point of faith, and catechesis aimed to form that faith. However, faith itself flourishes only when hearing the kerygma.

Alpha plants fertile seeds of missionary renewal worldwide. As we journey towards a more synodal Church, called to foster communion, participation, and mission, Alpha's proposal is more vital than ever, bringing people together in a spirit of synodality and opening spaces for listening and dialogue, with God and among ourselves.

Alpha offers a very human, non-threatening entry point through which everyone can come in. Everyone eats, and when we eat, it's not just an exchange of meals. The table also becomes an exchange of stories. Alpha brings the experience of faith and even episodes from the Bible into ordinary meals, encounters, and conversations. And in their ordinariness, these moments are truly extraordinary. I encourage people to try this model of evangelization.

Alpha is one of the best things happening in the Church today. In many parishes, there isn't an event or program that we feel free to invite people to. This is where Alpha for Catholics provides us with the opportunity to be the missionary disciples that God has called us to be. If a parish is looking for an opportunity to be welcoming and attract more people, they should be offering Alpha in a Catholic context.

What comes after Alpha?

Once a guest has completed Alpha, whether online or in person, it is essential to have an intentional process of ongoing formation to help people continue growing as missionary disciples.

A long-term process

The most important thing a parish can do to facilitate the growth of people as missionary disciples is to shift from a program-based mission model to a process-based mission model. Whatever form this takes—whether through groups, praise and worship events, in-person or online—creating and normalizing a culture of evangelization and lifelong disciple formation is vital for ensuring that the post-Alpha journey is effective and enduring.

«Small groups are fundamental to St. Benedict's Parish. If we fail to keep those flames burning, the light will quickly fade, and we will lose most of our guests. After Alpha, we encourage people to join a small group (online or in person) to continue experiencing authentic Christian community and to be exposed to the beauty of our Catholic faith.»

Bill Scollard, Small Groups Coordinator at St. Benedict Parish, Canada.

Alpha stories

Find out what happened when Loli run Alpha in her parish

Loli Buteler tried Alpha 8 years ago and decided to show it to her parish in San Isidro, Buenos Aires, Argentina. Through Alpha, she was able to renew her community, creating friendships centered on Jesus, uniting them to establish a chapel for worship, and expanding their church to host even larger Alphas.

More testimonies...

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God loves questions; in a way, He prefers questions over answers. Why? Clearly, because answers are closed, whereas questions are open. A person who only lives by answers is someone use to being closed, closed, closed. A person who lives by questions is someone use to being open, open, open.

Pope Francis' speech to teenagers at the Alpha Youth Camp in Italy on August 5, 2022

Photography used with permission:© Vatican Media