How Alpha is transforming a student parish in Toulouse, France
In the heart of Toulouse, France, sits a unique parish whose sole focus is serving students – a ministry that is growing with every passing week as more and more young people search for God.
“We have hundreds of students constantly arriving, asking questions or, for us Catholics, asking to receive one of the sacraments,” shares Father Antoine Laviale, priest of the Paroisse Étudiante de Toulouse (Student Parish of Toulouse.) “We’ve been receiving dozens of requests for baptism every single week. So it’s incredibly exciting and at the same time a huge challenge.”
For Father Antoine, Alpha offers exactly what these students are longing for:
“Alpha is a tool where they discover real friendships, where they can be vulnerable, say things they’ve never said before, without fear of being judged or condemned – and also a place where they can find some measure of comfort.”
Through small-group conversations, prayer and especially the Holy Spirit weekend, many students are “experiencing a living encounter with Christ,” he adds. And Alpha is also reshaping the culture of the parish.
“If we put Alpha at the heart of the parish,” he explains, “then welcome is at the heart of the parish, and evangelisation is at the heart of the parish.”
Naturally start serving
That’s exactly what’s been happening. Students who have done Alpha often “naturally start serving,” welcoming newcomers, building community and becoming leaders. “Alpha is allowing dozens of leaders to emerge every month,” says Father Antoine. “It’s an amazing tool to equip laypeople and send them out to live their mission and through that, to transform the world.”
One young student began attending Alpha on Sunday evenings, even though he lived 100km away. He would take the train to Toulouse, attend Mass and Alpha, find somewhere to stay the night, and travel home again on Monday morning.
“He was someone who was quite damaged, with a very complicated personal story,” shares Father Antoine. “This young man will be baptised in a few months. He’s radiant, very involved in the parish and has many friends. Last Sunday I saw him with a whole group of friends who he brought to Mass for the first time. And that’s just one story among many others.”
Alpha shaped his vision
Before becoming a priest, Father Antoine himself experienced Alpha as a guest. “It helped me reclaim my faith and understand what community really means,” he reflects. The non-judgemental welcome he encountered at Alpha shaped his vision of what a church community should aspire to be.
Today, as he helps to guide his community through a time of great spiritual hunger in France, Alpha remains one of his most essential tools.
“In France we are witnessing an exceptional phenomenon of return to faith. We’ve hoped for this, prayed for this for decades. And now it’s happening. Alpha gives us a ready-made tool to welcome them… to help them stay, form friendships, and above all, encounter the Lord.”
You can watch Father Antoine sharing about Alpha in the video below. (To watch it with subtitles in your own language, click ‘Watch on YouTube’, then click the settings cog, subtitles/CC, French (auto-generated), Auto-translate, and then select your language.)
