Thanks to adopting the Alpha program as a primary evangelization tool and embracing Divine Renovation principles of missionary discipleship, St. Ignatius of Loyola Parish in Montreal has emerged over the past decade as a shining exemplar of both renewal programs.

Fr. Mike Leclerc’s six-month internship at St. Benedict Parish in Nova Scotia in 2016 was the catalyst. He witnessed firsthand how this parish sincerely embodies all the defining principles of Alpha, an 11-week program that teaches the basics of the Christian faith, centred around educational videos, lively and welcoming discussions and a sit-down meal to foster fellowship.

“They practised what Alpha calls their four Rs — real, relatable, radical hospitality and reliance on the Holy Spirit,” said Leclerc. “I saw that at work at St. Benedict’s Parish and learned that if you leaned into those things, it could be a game-changer for your parish. The idea is to bring the culture that is developed in Alpha and make it part of the Church DNA.”

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Leclerc launched Alpha in his parish in March 2017, and in the nine successive years, it has come to host three programs per annum — 33 weeks out of 52. The approach has been tweaked throughout time to keep things fresh, sometimes opting for live talks over videos, a light meal instead of a heavy one, etc.

While other demographic groups have had their turn as the focal point of certain parish Alpha programs, predominantly, it is unchurched young adults who have emerged as the primary target audience. Key to the effective recruitment strategy is ensuring meetings avoid being steeped in artificiality. Organic moments are paramount to Leclerc.

“What you’re ultimately trying to get is small group dynamics where people actually trust each other to become able to share openly and honestly,” he said.

And this openness creates the space for encounters with the Holy Spirit.

“Having some sort of experience of the Holy Spirit coming helps these unchurched people to realize that God is real and He actually cares about them as a person, not like some judge in the sky,” LeClerc said.

While suggesting that Alpha for existing parishioners is a welcome option, the goal is “to get them to invite their unchurched friends and relatives to come to Alpha. It’s an evangelizing tool, not a discipling tool for your parish.”

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It’s about embracing the Divine Renovation principle of being a parish in missionary mode rather than being mired in a place of stagnation where only the existing congregation is being served, and the culture is focused on preservation rather than flourishing.

And Leclerc, like many champions of Alpha, views this program in its ideal incarnation as a launchpad for learning about the faith and a bridge to more solemnized formation through the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) program.

Many blessings have been cultivated at St. Ignatius of Loyola Parish since 2017. For one, it has become significantly more youthful. The average age of each parishioner is just over 40 years old, said Leclerc.

But there is one metric that most showcases the revitalization.

“The number of volunteers is the biggest factor that’s changed,” said Leclerc. “We went from a parish that had 30 core volunteers doing the bulk of the work and engagement to now having upwards of 150 to 200 people. For years, we used the Gallup ME25 survey that measures engagement. When we started, we were an unhealthy parish according to those metrics, and now we’re well above average.”

Revenue and parish giving are also enjoying an upward trajectory.

Because of the strong growth on all counts, St. Ignatius of Loyola is in a position to contemplate an extra Mass each weekend starting in the autumn. At the principal Easter Sunday Mass, there were 1,000 people in a church that is packed at 600.

St. Ignatius’ success has earned it hub parish status from Alpha Canada for over five years. Representatives from nearby parishes, the Montreal archdiocese and neighbouring parishes have come to observe the Alpha program and Leclerc and his team are keen to provide whatever coaching support possible.

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Along with helping develop Alpha leaders for other churches, Leclerc said his parish strives to avoid internal complacency by ensuring different congregants are stepping up to shepherd Alpha.

“You try to create leadership pipelines where you’re bringing up leaders through the program and releasing them into the rest of your parish afterwards,” said Leclerc. “You eventually have to kick volunteers out of that program into other ministries to create space for new people.”