Alpha in a Catholic Context
Alpha creates a space for all – the hopeful, the doubtful, the committed, and the questioning.
We help people discover and develop a relationship with Jesus and enter into the life and mission of the Church.
We know that each Alpha contributes to seeing this vision come to life. Watch Fr Michael LeClerc share the impact of running Alpha in Montreal, Canada.
The impact of Alpha in the Catholic Church
This past year, we have seen the remarkable fruit of Alpha in the Catholic Church. Over 6,300 parishes, schools, and communities invited over 327,000 people to explore faith and discover and develop a relationship with Jesus - some for the first time and others rekindling their faith.
Alpha continues to be a catalyst for renewal, creating spaces for all to find a place to explore the questions of life, faith and meaning. Since 2015, we have seen over 2.5 million people try Alpha in the Catholic Church around the world.
Alpha is a course where people can have an open and honest faith conversation, without the pressure of having all of the answers.
But, that’s just the beginning. After Alpha, people are invited into the life and mission of the Church, bringing the culture of Alpha into every aspect of the parish. Alpha is more than a resource; it is a tool to proclaim the good news of Jesus, a model of evangelisation and a catalyst for parish renewal.
Alpha helps parishes give expression to a vision of the Church as “a community of communities, a sanctuary where the thirsty come to drink in the midst of the journey, and a center of constant missionary outreach.” (Evangelii Gaudium, 28)
What is Alpha?
All over the world, Christians of every tradition and denomination run Alpha, united in their shared vision to explore the truth of the Good News in our time. Parishes, schools, and communities are creating the space to invite all to belong to the Church, believe in Christ and become a missionary disciple through Alpha.
Since 2015, more than 2.5 million people have explored questions of faith, life and meaning through Alpha in the Catholic Church. Here’s how it works:
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Connection
Whether gathering around a kitchen table, or talking online, opportunities to connect are essential. It’s no different at Alpha. Every session begins with time to build relationships, often over some good food.
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Content
Each session unpacks a different big question around the Christian faith. Shared in person or as a video episode, the Alpha talks are designed to communicate the core Gospel message in a relatable, engaging way.
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Conversation
The most important part of any Alpha – an open conversation in small groups about the week’s topic. Guests can freely share their thoughts, beliefs, and questions—or just see what others made of it.
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'Alpha is not a silver bullet; it’s a tool. When used as part of a larger pastoral strategy, it is the best tool that I’ve found for jump-starting and sustaining parish renewal.'
Fr. James Mallon
Founder, Divine Renovation and Priest, Our Lady of Guadalupe, Canada
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‘One of the advantages of Alpha is that it focuses on the kerygma. In the ancient Church there was a clear distinction between the kerygma and the Didaché, the catechesis. The kerygma was the starting point of faith, and the catechesis had to form the faith, but faith in itself blossoms only by hearing the kerygma.’
Cardinal Raniero Cantalamessa
Former Preacher to the Papal Household
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'Alpha is having an impact all over the world. The strength of Alpha is that it attracts people who are not yet close to the Church. There is something so friendly and winsome about it that people are drawn to. Alpha proclaims the core message of the gospel with a clarity and a sharpness that is really unique.The best tool I know to introduce people to a relationship with Jesus and to renew parish life.'
Dr Mary Healy
Professor of Scripture, Sacred Heart Major Seminary, USA
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‘One of the reasons that Alpha is phenomenal is because, as Catholics, there are not that many things you can invite a person to. You can invite them to events at church like bingo or theology on tap, but you don’t know if it will lead them to Jesus. But when you take them to Alpha, you know it will propose Christ, and it will be fun.’
Fr Michael Schmitz
Chaplain at University of Minnesota, USA and Presenter, The Bible in a Year Podcast
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'Alpha offers a very human, nonthreatening door for everyone to enter. Everyone eats and when we eat it is not just an exchange of food. The table becomes also an exchange of stories. Alpha is bringing the experience of the faith and even the episodes in the Bible in ordinary meals, ordinary conversations and ordinary encounters. And in their ordinariness, they are really extraordinary. I encourage people to try this model of evangelisation.'
Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle
Prefect, Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples
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‘Alpha plants fruitful seeds of missionary renewal around the world. As we journey towards a more synodal Church calling 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 with one another.’
Sr Nathalie Becquart
Undersecretary, Synod of Bishops
We know that each Alpha contributes to seeing this vision come to life. Watch Fr Michael LeClerc share the impact of running Alpha in Montreal, Canada.
The impact of Alpha in the Catholic Church
This past year, we have seen the remarkable fruit of Alpha in the Catholic Church. Over 6,300 parishes, schools, and communities invited over 327,000 people to explore faith and discover and develop a relationship with Jesus - some for the first time and others rekindling their faith.
Alpha continues to be a catalyst for renewal, creating spaces for all to find a place to explore the questions of life, faith and meaning. Since 2015, we have seen over 2.5 million people try Alpha in the Catholic Church around the world.
One invitation at a time
We want to play our part in the evangelisation of the nations, the revitalisation of the Church and the transformation of society. Alpha is a simple, scalable, and sustainable approach for parishes to move from maintenance to mission. This culture of renewal begins one invitation at a time…
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Archbishop Burgen
In America, a Catholic school invites their students to explore faith through Alpha Youth.
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Chilli and Elke's Story
In Australia, as Chilli explored Alpha Youth at school, her mum, Elke, felt drawn back to church.
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Jayson's Story
In the Philippines, a missionary shares the gospel, seeing communities transformed.
Alpha Youth
A new generation
Alpha has a heart to proclaim the Gospel in a way that is engaging, relevant, and accessible to the emerging generations. In 2024, 47% of all Alpha participants in the Catholic Church were young people. We are seeing a movement across a generation of young people today.
With a Catholic host, expert voices and stories woven throughout, the new Alpha Youth Series is designed to be run in Catholic schools, parishes, ministries, movements and communities: wherever the Church can create a space for young people to explore life, faith, and meaning, without the pressure of having all the answers.
Made for this generation, the new Alpha Youth Series creatively unpacks the real questions young people have. The series, consisting of 10 episodes run over 8 weeks, introduces and explores the kerygma - the fundamental proclamation of the Christian faith - and creates the space to accompany young people on their journey of faith.
FAQS
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Yes. All Alpha content is available for free. This is made possible by generous donors. If you would like to partner with us and give, click here.
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Alpha is used by every major tradition and denomination, with over 35 million people in 175 countries and in 112 languages having explored faith through Alpha.
At the heart of Alpha is the fundamental gospel message - the kerygma - professed by all Christians. Every effort is made to ensure that the content delivered in Alpha adheres to the Catholic Church’s teaching, while still ensuring applicability to other Christian traditions.
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Yes. Alpha is often used as a pre-catechumenal tool to accompany seekers before formal preparation for the sacraments. This particularly aligns to the Sacrament of Confirmation or the periods of enquiry and mystagogy in the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults.
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Absolutely. The Alpha Youth Series is specifically designed for young people and the Alpha Film Series has been used to support teacher formation and family engagement. Alpha can also be a great way to bridge parish and school contexts.
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No – Alpha can be run in schools, homes, universities, prisons, military bases, and wherever people gather. In saying that, Alpha has a value of being by the church, through the church and in the church, always desiring for people to connect in with the local communities to continue to discover and develop a relationship with Jesus.
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Alpha is a great way to start a leadership pipeline by empowering all people to lead out of their charisms. There are multiple roles to support Alpha, from hosts and helpers to hospitality, administration and catering. Many of the most successful Alphas are led by people who were formally guests. This is also a great ministry to empower the laity, not adding another responsibility on the clergy, but rather owned by the whole community.
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Alpha can be implemented across multiple parishes in a coordinated rollout and can be integrated into a diocesan strategy for evangelisation. Our regional and national teams can support strategic diocesan engagement and ensure that Alpha can be integrated in a sustainable and scalable way.
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Yes. All you need to host an Alpha is available online at MyAlpha. In addition, online and in-person training, including Catholic-specific offerings, are available through our national and regional teams.
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Start by creating an account at MyAlpha, where you’ll get access to training, planning tools, and all the Alpha resources. Everything you need to run Alpha is available for free! Get started now
So, what next?
Run Alpha
Create your course and get everything you need to run a course in your parish – including training and Alpha episodes.
Explore Events
Watch previous webinar events, run in collaboration with Divine Renovation – and discover new events hosted by Alpha.
Go Local
We have 68 offices around the world. Connect with your local Alpha team to find out more about Alpha in your area.