Divine Renovation UK Conference Inspires SA

by Jael SC · Published March 14, 2019 · Updated March 12, 2019

Fr Godfrey Solomon of Cape Town meets a parishioner after Mass during his visit to England for a Divine Renovation conference.

Having returned from the Divine Renovation Conference 2019 in Birmingham, England, the head of regional development for Alpha Africa says the model of parish renewal proposed by Canadian priest Fr James Mallon is taking root in many countries, including South Africa.

Alpha Africa’s Tom Miles attended the conference with Fr Godfrey Solomon of Cape Town. It was based on Fr Mallon’s book Divine Renovation, which proposes a theology and model for how Catholic parishes can move from simply maintaining themselves to becoming missionary communities

Fr Mallon visited South Africa last year for a series of workshops on how to implement his model of parish renewal.

“What we experienced from diverse parts of the United Kingdom and parishes was illuminating,” Mr Miles said. “We were amazed and took great heart that Divine Renovation is taking root around the world.”

Mr Miles said it was no longer true that parish renewal applied only to the original Canadian experience in Nova Scotia and couldn’t work in South Africa.

“People and parishes in different parts of the country are being transformed,” he said. “They are concretely adopting the Divine Renovation model.”

Mr Miles added the fruits are already being seen in Durban, Cape Town and Johannesburg parishes which have taken on the move from maintenance to missionary parishes.

He said Divine Renovation is now spreading to Kenya: “We are about to embark on sharing the model with the Kenyan bishops’ conference.”

For more information on Divine Renovation, contact Tom Miles at tom.miles@alpha.org or 083 447-6170.