Not only has the Clemenspoort in Gent, Belgium been host to regular Alpha Courses in person before the start of the pandemic, but also managed to continue the weekly group meetings, in which the christian faith can be explored and discussed, online via Zoom.
Setting up and running this digital alternative was a challenge initially, but it also offered new opportunities. Because the group members were no longer bound to the location of the Clemenspoort, they could now join the online gatherings from basically anywhere. Therefore, the international Alpha group was able to truly go international and host both English speaking participants from Gent and members who were actually joining from all over the world. A German RVM-volunteer working at the Clemenspoort invited other volunteers who are currently situated in Toronto and Cork. In that way, new links and bonds have been made between the people involved in those different redemptorist facilities in Belgium, Canada and Ireland.