On Monday, May 14, Sheree Ann Bharat, the Alpha Advisor and representative of the Evangelization Commission of the Archdiocese of Port of Spain, introduced the Roman Catholic community of Tobago to the Alpha Course.

Fifteen persons attended the Alpha Introduction Session held at St Dominic’s RC Church in Goodwood. Representation came from both parish communities of St Joseph, Scarborough and Sacred Heart, Delaford.

Mrs Bharat gave the gathering a brief history and background of Alpha, as well as Alpha’s growth in Trinidad and the world. She stated that the Alpha Course has been running here in Trinidad since 2003 and is currently being administrated from the Evangelization Commission since Synod 2005, when a resolution was passed to use this course in the Archdiocese of Port of Spain as a tool for evangelising.

She stressed that Alpha is an introduction to the Christian faith and has been extremely successful in stimulating the faith among non-churchgoers, inactive and new Christians and in rebuilding and strengthening the faith of those who already have a relationship with Jesus.  

The Alpha course features ten weekly meetings consisting of a meal, simple talk and small group sharing. 

It is user-friendly and can be run by the laity since it is supported by a comprehensive course, including talks via videotapes and study manuals.

It includes a one or two-day retreat, during which participants experience the person and work of the Holy Spirit.

At the end of the course friends and family of the participants are invited to a celebration meal where they are introduced to Alpha with the intention that they too will join the next course.

Local testimonies from Michael Bedasie and Sherry Motilal who recently completed the Morning Alpha Course at the Evangelization Commission were read. These testimonies demonstrated how these people’s lives were transformed through the course.

A 15-minute short story video from Northshore Christian Ministries was viewed by the guests who had the opportunity to see and hear priests and religious speak about how Alpha has changed their parishes and the lives of their parishioners, (both young and old).

Mrs Bharat stated that because Alpha is the first step to evangelisation or re-evangelisation, it must be followed up in the Catholic Church by some form of Catholic Teaching.

 A promotional video presentation by Marcellion D’Ambrosio, PhD who is the presenter and author of a follow-up series called “Touching Jesus through the Church” was introduced to the guests. She stated that the follow-up series might be used as the first step in sharing specific Catholic teaching.

The Introduction to Alpha Evening was well received by all present! A leadership seminar is expected to take place during the week of June 11-15, in Tobago, when people will be given the opportunity to understand the principles and practicalities of how to run an Alpha Course. 

Many thanks to Msgr Kenneth Spence, parish priest of Tobago, for giving his blessings to the Evangelisation Commission to introduce Alpha to his parishioners.

Thanks to Mr and Mrs Ken Phillips for their hospitality and hard work and last but by no means least all those parishioners who came out to Goodwood to support and learn more about the course. May God bless Fr Urban Hudlin OP, Episcopal Vicar for Evangelization and Sheree Ann Bharat, Alpha Advisor.

May God continue to bless his people in their work of evangelisation in Trinidad and Tobago.