A simple invitation can make a huge difference in someone’s life.

Tim Mullally is a parishioner at St. Raphael who can't remember exactly how many people he's invited to Alpha, but it's at least 11. They include family members, coworkers, people he's met through work and volunteering, and even someone he struck up a conversation within a checkout line! He made the simple invitation to Alpha’s offering of a meal, a video presentation, and open conversation about big questions of life and faith.

Not everyone Tim has invited has decided to try Alpha. But one man Tim invited, who was initially resistant to the idea, did eventually decide to give it a try. He said it was Tim's gentle persistence (and the promise of good food and good company!) that eventually convinced him. After attending the Alpha last spring at St. Raphael, he now says it's made a big difference in his life.

The next season of Alpha at St. Raphael begins September 24th. Our goal is to invite more people than ever before! Not everyone we invite will come. But some will - and it could be transformative for their lives too. If you’re a parishioner who’s not yet tried Alpha, I invite you right now to give it a try! You can find more info about Alpha at saintraphael.org/alpha.

I also want to ask you to invite others – especially people you know who don’t have a close relationship with God or who don’t have a church home. We might be nervous about inviting someone. Tim says that he was at first. But then he mustered the courage to make his very first invitation. “After taking this first step,” he says, “talking about Alpha has become easy. What I think I’m finding is the more I talk about Alpha, the easier it becomes.”

In the coming weeks, keep an eye out at St. Raphael for things to help you invite, like talking points for making the invitation, paper, and digital postcards to give people, social media posts, and more stories like Tim’s. Also, check out the page in this bulletin with testimonies from Catholic leaders about the fruits they’ve seen from Alpha as a tool for helping people encounter Jesus personally.

Who will you invite?

Inviting with you!
Fr. Phil Hurley, S.J.
Pastor