Joyfully living out the mission – Growing leaders and making disciples at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception
Our Cathedral is deeply committed to renewal—both spiritual and structural—and to forming leaders who can carry the mission forward. This commitment is reflected in bold initiatives, from major restoration projects to intentional investment in discipleship. A key part of this journey has been Alpha, an evangelization tool designed to create space for honest conversations about life, faith, and meaning. More than a program, Alpha has become a catalyst for leadership development and missionary momentum within our community.
Alpha bears remarkable fruit, but its true strength lies in being part of a broader vision for renewal—one that prioritizes the shift from maintenance to mission. Without this missionary focus, Alpha risks becoming an end in itself, as some critics have noted, rather than a catalyst for deeper evangelization. Its success depends on keeping the ultimate goal clear: forming disciples who live the mission of the Church.
Here is some of the fruit we are seeing at the Cathedral:
Over the past year, our team has launched three Alpha courses—each with approximately sixty participants—with more than half of this year’s team composed of Alpha alumni responding to the missionary call. This momentum has created a multiplication effect:
New ministries and leadership structures have emerged directly from Alpha small groups, including a finance committee (half alumni), a hospitality committee populated largely by Alpha alumi, and a monthly Healing Mass at which prayer ministry is led by Alpha alumni.
Giving has increased, correlating directly with the stronger sense of community, discipleship, and belonging fostered through Alpha and our pastoral renewal efforts.
We have launched a fundraising campaign for a new Cathedral sound system, rooted in the belief that transformed people become radically generous.
Simultaneously, the parish is undertaking a $12-million, 10-year restoration campaign to renew the building as we renew the People of God.
We are currently organizing a leadership pilgrimage to St. Benedict Parish, the origin of Divine Renovation books and Ministries, believing that exposure to living models of missionary renewal expands imagination and raises expectations for what the Holy Spirit can do.
These initiatives have not been accidental. They have emerged from intentional cultivation of leaders, consistent reinforcement of vision, and the building of structures that support discipleship and mission. At the foundation of it all was the decision to give God permission and spend the entire year focused on missional prayer. This prayer invites the Holy Spirit to be the guide and source of renewal, not just our good ideas, focuses outward on the mission of the Church in the world and is the soul of our apostolic labouring, the 'Soul of the Apostolate' in the words of Dom Chautard: "Unless the LORD builds the house, the builders labor in vain." (psalm 127:1).
Renewal is not something we manufacture—it is something we receive and steward. We strongly believe that the fruit of our work thus far is mainly due to the fact that we are trying to be docile and faithful to what the Lord is doing among us. Every plan, every program, and every initiative must flow from prayerful openness to the Holy Spirit. By staying rooted in prayer and focused on mission, we believe the Lord will continue to build His house among us, transforming hearts and communities for His glory.
We entrust this work to the intercession of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception and pray that people will continue to encounter Jesus in a powerful way at the Cathedral for many years to come.
