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The Diocese of Albany recently launched its “Remade for Mission” initiative which highlights spiritual renewal and parish revitalization. It will challenge Catholics to go outside of their churches and bring the message of Jesus Christ to the masses.

Even though the framework of Remade for Mission was just released, one group is already at work. Spa City Catholic, one of our regional young adult groups, in collaboration with the Diocese of Albany, is planning to launch the Alpha Program this summer at St. Peter’s Parish Center in Saratoga Springs.

The 11-week program, which runs June 21-Aug. 30, will meet every Saturday from 10-11:30 a.m. for open-minded discussion, prayer and fellowship, offering a space for Catholics and non-Catholics to ask questions and explore faith together. Alpha, which first came to the Diocese in 2023 for a program at Corpus Christi in Round Lake, can be for all ages, but this group is geared toward young adults 19-39 years old. (To register, scan the QR code). 

“Launching this Alpha program for this young adult demographic is a bold initiative which supports the diocesan Remade for Mission process,” said Thomas Cronin, diocesan director of Evangelization & Strategic Planning, who has supported Spa City Catholic in this venture. “When we think about that process, this is not meant to cater to the regularly practicing Catholics and registered parishioners. The purpose of Alpha is to go out and invite others into our faith.

“I am so proud of the Spa City Catholic young adult leadership in launching this because this is a bold move in sharing our faith and going outside of the four walls of our churches. We are commanded to go out and make disciples, and they are whole-heartedly embracing that command.”

Cronin specifically credited the leadership of Patrick Montuori, Brigid Beck and Rita Penny.

“I have been a part of the Spa City Catholic young adult group since it formed in 2023. This group and the other young adult groups throughout the Diocese connected me with a community of amazing young adult Catholics who were really passionate about their faith,” said Montuori. “The young adults who lead and participate in these groups have done an amazing job in making them what they are and Tom Cronin and the Diocese have been incredibly supportive in promoting these groups. It’s been an awesome experience and I’ve made a lot of friends. 

“Naturally I want to share my faith and this community with others, and show the broader community beyond our groups and parishes that there are young Catholics who are living the Gospel message and continuing the mission of Christ by serving those in need and spreading the Good News. This is our calling in Jesus’ great commission to the disciples in Matthew 28:19: ‘Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations,’ and that has been the motto of the Diocese’s young adult groups.”

Montuori added he took on more of a leadership role with Spa City Catholic this year “with the goal of making the group more outward facing by reaching out to the community through service and evangelization efforts. 

“Alpha is one of our initiatives to do that. It’s a series of talks responding to basic questions of the faith such as ‘Is there more to life than the day-to-day?’ ‘Who is Jesus and why did he have to die?’ ‘How do I pray?’ ‘How and why should I read the Bible?’ Each session shares the Christian perspective on these issues while inviting participants to share their own perspectives in an open discussion. All of this is done over a meal, giving people time to get to know each other and feel comfortable.”

The Alpha program originated in 1977 out of a parish in the Church of England in London. Years later and the format is still the same: organized as a series of sessions over 11 weeks, each session starts with a meal, followed by a talk and then discussion in small groups that aims to cover the basics of Christianity and questions on faith.

“The beauty of Alpha is that it is an entry point into the faith. Alpha is not for regularly practicing Christians or Catholics,” Cronin said. “It’s an opportunity for the faithful to invite their friends, relatives, non-believers into a safe place to learn about the faith, build community and have conversations about what our faith means to us and we hope and pray the people will find that appealing and see our love of Jesus and want that for themselves.”

Montuori agreed.

“The whole idea of Alpha is to reach out to people who you don’t typically see in church. Maybe they were raised Catholic and completed some or all of their sacraments or have even been confirmed, but they’ve stopped coming to church for various reasons. I have a lot of friends in that category,” he said. “They know I’m Catholic, they know I’m passionate about the faith, and they’re genuinely curious about it. I want to invite them to rediscover their faith or maybe truly discover it for the first time.”

For more information about ­Alpha, go to alphausa.org/catho­lic-context. For questions or more information about Spa City Catholic, email [email protected].

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