Diocese to host Alpha training session Aug. 10 in Cheektowaga

Jesus Christ reveals himself in Revelation to be “the Alpha and the Omega.” They are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet, respectively, and Alpha in the context of Christ and God signifies the beginning. 

Alpha is also the name of a faith exploration course which invites people to have honest, intimate discussions about Jesus, faith and why things are as they are in the world. The Diocese of Buffalo is currently seeking people interested in hosting Alpha courses in their home parishes, and will host a training session Saturday, Aug. 10, from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. at St. Philip the Apostle Parish in Cheektowaga.

“Alpha is an 11-week process that centers around the core of our faith,” said Sister Louise Alff, OSF, who coordinates Alpha for the diocese. “The purpose of it is to bring people into an encounter with Christ through the faith community that will then enable them, after Alpha is over, to delve deeper into their faith, into the more basic things that would be pertinent to Christian Catholicism.”

During a given session, attendees are fed, watch a video, and then engage in candid discussion. Topics, one each week, raise questions such as who is Jesus, why we pray, why does evil exist in the world, and does Jesus heal. 

Some parishes have already hosted Alpha, including St. Stanislaus Bishop & Martyr Church in Buffalo. Robert Coutch provided audio-visual support at the St. Stan’s program, but he first discovered Alpha while living and worshipping in Pennsylvania.

“I liked it a lot,” he said. “If anybody asked me why, or what’s the most significant reason to like the program, it’s we’re called to share the Good News, spread the Gospel, make disciples. We’re not all wired and just jump out on the street, Bible in hand, trying to call people into the church. So Alpha is kind of the easy way to be evangelical, you know, without those extra special social skills, you need to be a street corner preacher.”

Alpha was created in 1977 at Holy Trinity Brompton Church in London. In 1990, the program was redeveloped to reach out to people outside the Christian congregation. Although Alpha is not of Catholic Church origin, those who have coordinated the program locally say it’s not anti-Catholic, as some critics have claimed. Rather, it’s a program that discusses faith at its most basic foundations, a “Christianity for beginners.” 

But even people already in the faith may learn something. 

“It’s also good for people that have been going to church for years, but they really don’t know why they’re there. Maybe they’re not feeling that connection. They’re having doubts. (Alpha’s) a great starting place for that,” Coutch said. 

Sister Louise says the hope is for parishes to be ready to roll out Alpha courses as early as Sept. 15. 

“There are two tracks, too. We would hope that parishes would consider not just doing Alpha for all adults, but also to do Alpha Youth, for kids who are as far as high school seniors.”

For more information, including how to sign up for the training session, call 716-847-5585.