I would like to share with your readers how God has bless
our parish through Alpha and other video resources recommended
in Goodnews.
We have just finished our 15t and 16th (day and evening courses)
Alphas. We do three evening courses a year and two day time ones
for mothers of children at the school. When one is finished,
those who have completed the Alpha course can go onto Post Alpha,
which is really RCIA. We have this on the same evening as Alpha.We
all have supper together and prayer. Then the Alpha people go
to watch their video, while the Post Alpha people go to their
own RCIA programme. It works beautifully and easily. They are
not big courses and we have about 7 guests and 5 team members
for the day time ones and about 25 people in the evening including
the team and those doing Post Alpha
Last year because people enjoyed and benefited so much from
being together and sharing their faith we did a BETA course as
well on the same evening as Alpha and Post Alpha. The BETA people
(new Catholics and several regular Catholics) went to watch a
Marcellino D'Ambrosio tape and some of Fr Raniero Cantalamessa's
tapes. These went very well and in the New Year we are going
to start Guilt Free Parenting by David Wells and some of Fr
Mark Coleridge's on the bible and the teaching authority of the
Church.
It really works very well. We all have coffee together and
have some great discussions and sharing. This is good because
it means the people doing Alpha can see the follow up. They see
those who have done Alpha and who are now Catholics, eager to
learn and share more. So many deep and valuable friendships have
resulted.
In the past 12 months we have had 8 adult baptisms and 8 adult
receptions into full communion with the Catholic Church. The
year before it was 10 baptisms and 8 adult receptions. We have
also in the same time had 8 marriages convalidated and our Mass
attendance has gone up due to the number of young families who
are now practising. This meant last year we had the biggest number
of First Holy Communicants for years.
Apart from new people becoming Christians running Alpha has
also involved a lot of new people in helping and taking responsibility
in the parish and our parish is even helping supply an Alpha
team for a near bye parish in Addlestone, who are running their
first Alpha.
Five years ago we did Life in the Spirit seminars in the parish.
At first I felt disappointed as not much seemed to happen. But
now I see the seminars launched us into our centenary year and
the Alpha course and we have seen so many fruits. Thank God.
Thank you for all the inspiration and encouragement we get
through Goodnews.
God bless you all ,
Fr Eric Darwell SDB
