We launched Alpha for Men to meet their unique needs, and it’s already paying off

At Holy Cross Parish in Burnaby, a unique endeavour has unfolded, one that has not only met its goals but exceeded expectations. The first-ever Alpha for Men program in the Archdiocese of Vancouver recently wrapped up, with remarkable outcomes.

Last summer, our pastor Father Chris Pastuszka suggested at a parish council meeting that the parish host an Alpha course. He saw that “many of our parishioners were catechized, but not evangelized.” 

Wesley Narciso, a parish council member and father of school-aged children, suggested having an Alpha course specifically for men between the ages of 30 and 55.

Why only men? And why the age range of 30 to 55?

He insisted that this demographic needed the Alpha course the most.

The council recognized that men in this demographic usually have young children or teens and often feel pulled in different directions by work, kids, family events, church, etc. Even if they attend Mass every week, they may not have time or opportunities to deepen their faith or share their questions and struggles. They may be lifelong Catholics who come to Mass every Sunday, but do they have time or opportunities to deepen their relationship with Christ? Do they have friends to talk about their faith with or a space to discuss and ask questions freely?

The council also recognized that the core of a family is the father. If a father has a strong relationship with Christ and seeks faith as his priority, the family will stay together even in times of crisis.

Research has shown that if a mother attends church regularly, a child has a 15 per cent chance of becoming a regular churchgoer in adulthood. If a father also attends church, this number increases to an impressive 72 per cent (a study by Promise Keepers).

Wesley noted, “If we aren’t actively trying to keep our kids on the righteous path to heaven, then what are we doing? Why are we here? The only thing that we can bring to heaven are souls, and if we’re not actively pursuing this, then we’re wasting our time.”

With much preparation, we launched Alpha for Men in January. It ran for 11 Fridays. Many who signed up had never heard about Alpha before, but they came and saw for themselves. We had an average of 56 men attending each week and I am so amazed by God’s goodness among them.

I am a huge fan of Alpha and have taken several courses in Vancouver. I promised Wesley that I would take care of all the behind-the-scenes management. My heart rejoiced every week when I saw men walking into the door, eager to see their new friends, share their struggles and questions, and leaving with big smiles, saying, “See you next week!” Some of their comments included:

• “It’s so nice to take my ‘dad hat’ off and be myself once again.”
• “I didn’t know what I had signed up for, but this is so great. The videos are so great, and the conversations are so awesome!”
• “I told my wife about the video and what I learned. She was very interested, and we talked about our faith when I got home.”
• “I am over 50 years old, and I have never had this kind of deep conversation in my entire life.”

They feel this is a safe place to ask questions and discuss challenging topics relevant in our society, like transgender issues, abortion, euthanasia, and many more. Men seem more comfortable sharing and going into deeper conversations when women are not around.

We ran Alpha for Men on Fridays from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. We usually started with dinner around 6:35 p.m., followed by the video around 7:15 p.m. I strongly encourage and recommend other parishes to try this Alpha for Men format. My words cannot adequately describe the transformation happening within them. One participant told me, “You have no idea how much impact this Alpha has made on me and my family. My wife is so happy that I come here every week, and she is so excited about me learning and sharing.”

In early 2023, Holy Cross had a successful nine-week Alpha for Youth program, marking our second Alpha initiative since the pandemic. Holy Cross was one of the first Catholic churches to offer Alpha over 20 years ago, and we ran it for 12 consecutive courses.

Now that we’ve successfully completed Alpha for Men, the fruits of this first-time program in the Archdiocese of Vancouver have exceeded our expectations.

At the end of the program, each group created a communication platform and will meet monthly on their own.

According to Father Chris, “One of the positive results is the interest among other parishioners to participate in Alpha. We are planning to organize another Alpha in the beginning of 2025. This time, it will be open to all adults. We are also planning a post-men’s Alpha event in June.”

The June 22 men’s event is called “Sons Of The Father: Christianity And Authentic Manhood.” It will feature guest speakers on spiritual leadership for men in the home, as well as food and fellowship. It’s open to all men, even those outside the Holy Cross/North Burnaby community.

Interested men can register at bccatholic/alphaformen.

Makiko Morelli is a parishioner at Holy Cross in Burnaby. 

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