Parish’s Alpha program branches out with meetings around town

By Bill Doyle | CFP Correspondent
St. Luke the Evangelist Parish in Westborough is holding Alpha programs for the fourth year, and this fall the parish is branching out by offering them at two restaurants in the town as well as the parish hall.
Alpha programs are held on Wednesdays from 10 a.m. until noon at Cafe Nine on Route 9 and from 6-8 p.m. at the Central House Tavern at 44 South St. and on Thursdays from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at the parish hall.
The sessions began on Sept. 16 and 17 and will end on Dec. 9 and 10.
Alpha offers free interactive sessions that explore the basics of the Christian faith. Each session consists of dining together, watching a short video with a Gospel message from alphausa.org and then breaking into discussion groups.
St. Luke subsidizes the cost of the meals, but attendees pay for their drinks.
Alpha programs began in 1977 at Holy Trinity Brompton Church in London and are offered at churches, universities, work places and prisons as well as online in several languages.
Terry Strouse, one of the facilitators of the Alpha program at St. Luke, recommended that the parish conduct sessions at Cafe Nine this fall because the cafe employs people with acquired brain injuries. They take orders, run the cash register, prepare food, wash dishes and maintain the cafe’s vegetable garden.
“They come in handicap accessible vans and a lot of them are in wheelchairs,” said Jim Bruce, coordinator of the Alpha program at St. Luke. “We just thought that would be such a great setting for Alpha since they employ people with disabilities.”
Mr. Bruce, 65, a retired police officer, and his wife, Natalie, live in Northborough and have been parishioners at St. Luke’s for 40 years.
Mr. Bruce said the Alpha leaders at the parish wonder if they’ve already spread their message to everyone in the pews so they’re considering holding sessions next year for the inmates at the Worcester County Jail and House of Correction in West Boylston or for patients at Spectrum Health Systems which offers addiction treatment and recovery services in Westborough.
“To reach those folks that are down and out and maybe searching for answers of why am I here,” Mr. Bruce said, “and maybe have lost their faith.”
During the first week, nine people attended the program at Cafe Nine, eight took part at the Central House Tavern and 16 met at the parish hall. Mr. Bruce oversaw the session at the parish hall.
“Everybody shared really personal stories,” Mr. Bruce said. “Some people were crying, sharing their stories. One lady shared a very deep personal story and really seemed lost and I said, ‘You’re in the right place,’ and she said, ‘Thank you.’”
Terry Strouse, the parish’s K-6 faith formation leader Melissa Baril-Lower, and pastoral associate Julie Basque lead the Cafe Nine session. 
Tia Mastrogianis, Kevin Hsu and Joe Considine run the Central House Tavern session. The program is being held in a back room at the tavern for the second year.
“Sometimes people from the bar wonder what’s going on,” Mr. Bruce said, “and I think they had a couple people join from the bar last year.”
Central House Tavern owner Dan Flood serves as the bar manager for the Knights of Columbus Council 85 in Westborough.
Mr. Bruce believes holding Alpha sessions outside the parish hall helped bring in new people who wouldn’t have signed up otherwise.
“The setting was more comfortable for them,” he said. “We even put that in our promotion, ‘Choose the setting that’s right for you.’”
When St. Luke’s began the Alpha program a few years ago, 60 people took part.
“There were people with really strong faith,” Mr. Bruce said, “and weren’t really questioning things. There was a mix of people that had questions about parts of their faith. There were people that were doubting their faith.”
One parishioner had been a lector at the church, but left to try other religions. She was invited to attend an Alpha session and she was so inspired she returned to St. Luke’s and she resumed being a lector. She even told her story from the pulpit at Mass to encourage others to try Alpha.
“The goal is to give a safe space, a confidential and safe space for people to ask questions without judgment,” Mr. Bruce said. “We try to tell people this isn’t a theology class, it’s not a bible study, we’re not here to indoctrinate you ...”
The sessions allow guests to discuss what they learned from the videos. The video one week was titled, “Who is Jesus?” Among the questions in the Alpha facilitator manual was, “If you had a chance to meet Jesus, how would you feel and what would you say to him and what would you want that encounter to be like?”
Another week, the question was, “If you could ask God one question, what would it be?”
Father Diego A. Buritica, St. Luke’s pastor, is a believer in Alpha.
“He’s supported us 100 percent,” Mr. Bruce said. 
Members of all three of St. Luke’s Alpha programs will meet for a retreat on Nov. 7, at St. Gabriel, the Archangel Parish in Upton. 
Mr. Bruce said Alpha has helped St. Luke’s parishioners to get to know each other better. Many people enjoy getting together for Alpha sessions so much, they also meet for Beta programs at the homes of parishioners to view and discuss “The Wild Goose,” a 14-part series on the Holy Spirit.
St. Luke’s Alpha programs are not limited to St. Luke parishioners, they’re open to everyone. If interested in attending a session, visit stlukes-parish.org/alpha or contact Mr. Bruce at [email protected]. Registration for the fall programs will close soon, but people can also sign up for next year’s sessions.