Many years ago, our neophytes were meeting with the assistant priest. He had only been in the parish a short time but made an interesting observation about the way the RCIA process was being conducted. His major concern was that some of the neophytes had not really formed a strong relationship with Jesus and that they lacked a small community to continue to accompany them.
His solution was to recommend that they do the Alpha program. And, through that program these new Catholics, their sponsors and a few friends engaged more fully with the kerygma and formed strong friendships. I recall at the time that the priest thought the enquirers should have started with Alpha so that they would have had a good grounding in the essentials of Christianity, before entering into the RCIA process. I think he was right!
Many years later, our parish has just completed its first Alpha since that initial program. Naturally, the Alpha resources have been modernised and it has become very easy to tap into formation and to get guidance on how to run the program in Australia in a Catholic context. Yet, the three essential components of Alpha—the communal meal, the video on an essential aspect of Christianity and open discussion—remain.
The timing of the Alpha program, as it relates to the RCIA process is important. Our team chose to start just after Pentecost which meant our program finished by mid-August, just in time for any enquirers to be moved straight into the RCIA process. This means that the RCIA process, which should not be confined just to the rites of the liturgy, but rather allow for a broad range of experiences of what it is “to be Catholic,” is now available all year. With Alpha running in a parish, no enquirer would be expected to “wait” until the RCIA process begins before they could commence their journey.
In the introduction to the RCIA, paragraph one states, “The rite of Christian initiation presented here is designed for adults who, after hearing the mystery of Christ proclaimed, consciously and freely seek the living God and enter the way of faith and conversion as the Holy Spirit opens their hearts.” Alpha can be part of your parish’s offering for the precatechumenate, because it provides a most effective means for your enquirer to “hear the mystery of Christ proclaimed”. It also allows them to join a community of people who they can get to know and share their journey with.
If you have not used Alpha, then don’t worry, as there are plenty of people to support you and excellent resources for you to draw on. Here are some key contacts in Australia:
Victoria, Queensland, Northern Territory, Tasmania
Donna Brennan: donna.brennan@alpha.org.au
South Australia, Western Australia
Barb Conlon: barb.conlon@alpha.org.au
New South Wales
Tania Rimac: mailto:tania.rimac@alpha.org.au
