September 27, 2018
Alpha, a series of evenings of catechesis begins Oct. 3 and continues through Dec 9 at St. Anne of the Sunset Church, 850 Judah St. at Funston in San Francisco. This is the second year for the course at St. Anne.
“We did it last year and six people ended up being received into the church, with three other Catholics who grew to learn more about their faith and one more who will be baptized later this year,” Father Dan Nascimento, pastor, told Catholic San Francisco. The parish also introduced the youth extension of the program with similar success, Father Nascimento said.
“This is a great evangelization tool that introduces people to Jesus,” said Social Service Sister Celeste Arbuckle, director, Office of Faith Formation for the archdiocese who introduced Alpha at a meeting attended by about a dozen parishes about two years ago.
Father Nascimento calls Alpha “a modern way to evangelize.” The Alpha course consists of dinner, a 20-30 minute video presentation on topics of the faith, ultimately 15, with discussion over dessert.
According to the Alpha program’s website: Alpha is very effective as a means of bringing people to a “starting point of faith,” an encounter with the risen Lord Jesus.