How long have I been going to Saint Anthony’s? About thirty years! I’ve lived in Brussels since 1995 and for the major part of that time I’ve attended mass at Saint Anthony’s together with my wife Brigid. I’ve loved singing the hymns; I’ve appreciated the charitable work supported by the parishioners; I’ve made so many good friends and acquaintances; I’ve prayed; and I’ve been truly inspired by the wise words and the homilies of Fathers John, Vincent, Pat, Michael, and Brendan from the Franciscans, and more recently Fathers David, Joe, Wenifredo, and Zbigniew from the Dominicans. Throughout all of this time, I’d never been to communion and looking back I now realise that I experienced some parts of the mass more as an observer than a participant. Why? Because I wasn’t a Catholic.

2024 was a challenging year for me. Old age was rapidly catching up on my father in Manchester and looking after him was putting a strain on my sisters and myself; I was finding it hard to manage multiple unexpected issues at work; and I had some doubts about how I was going to cope with a not-too-distant retirement. With all this stuff going on in my head, it was around September 2024 when Fr. Zbigniew preached a homily that really spoke to me: “You must love your neighbour as yourself” which, as Fr. Zbigniew explained, is just as much about loving yourself as it is about loving your neighbour. I’d never thought about it that way. It was a wake-up call.

My father passed away peacefully in February 2025 and his funeral was held in a tiny congregational chapel in Affetside village, in the hills north of Manchester. The same chapel where I was baptised as a baby. A place where the rugged landscape and the huge sky embrace you. A place where I’ve always felt closer to God. It was really a time of personal reflection.

Saint Anthony’s enthuses its parishioners with some really nice social events. It was during one such event, a birthday party if I remember rightly, that I had the opportunity to sit at the table with Fr. Joe and talk about my feelings about becoming a Catholic, and how I would need some support to guide me through the process. I felt that Fr. Joe really understood what I was looking for. He was very reassuring and that’s how I learnt about the Step-In programme  that he was planning to set up, and which I started along with many others in September 2025.

Step-In  has been a revelation for me. It has comprised two main parts: a series of short videos exploring Christianity and the Catholic faith, and two-hour fortnightly sessions facilitated by Fr. Joe on Sunday evenings in the Parish Hall. I’ve loved watching and discussing the videos with Brigid. I’ve appreciated connecting with my fellow participants in the fortnightly sessions, we’ve had some valuable conversations about our experiences, our faith, our challenges. Step-In has helped me to better understand the Catholic faith, the Bible, the sacraments, the liturgy, and so much more, and on a more spiritual note it’s helped me to grow as a person and to nurture my faith. Remembering Fr. Zbigniew’s homily, it’s helped me to love myself a little more. It’s given me a stronger base from which I can help others.

From now on, Masses at Saint Anthony’s will never be the same for me. I’ve stepped in and I look forward to the rest of my journey of faith. I take this opportunity to thank Fr. Joe and everybody at Saint Anthony’s who has made Step-In such a success. And I will always be grateful to Fr. Pat and the Franciscans. They nurtured the seeds of faith that were planted at my baptism all those years ago.

We are blessed to have this church.

Pete Alty