When I was growing up, the priests, as I knew them, conformed to what I always expected of the religious. They said Mass, heard Confession, officiated during weddings, baptisms, and wakes. They were retreat masters, theology teachers, frequent lecturers (with me falling asleep half of the time). You know what I mean…
Lately, a new breed of priests capture the attention of ordinary folks like us and bring us closer to the Lord in a different and personal way primarily because they do things we ordinarily do and share the Word of God in the ordinary-ness of life. They are bloggers and gym rats, composers of songs, lyricists, creative writers, artists. And on my last visit to Dumaguete over the holidays, I met a group of priests who did something else which Filipinos love to do a lot — SING!
Fr. Ray Victor Pascual used to be the chaplain at SM Megamall and some of you may have attended his Masses there. He was also concurrently the Orientation Year and Vocation Director at the San Lorenzo Mission Institute. Several years ago, he was assigned as parish priest of Mary Immaculate Parish in Dumaguete after its parish priest passed away. Since then, that parish has flourished and grown into a dynamic one with an active and vibrant choir and involved parishioners. Fr. Ray also happens to be a relative of my hubby (their ancestors came from the same small Chinese village).
What many probably did not know was that while still in Manila, Fr. Ray was part of a group of singing priests. He had a good singing voice and was just as good with the guitar. Their concerts were always packed. So when he assumed his new post in Dumaguete, it was no longer a surprise that eventually, he and 3 other priests (Fr. Ramonito “Ram” Maata, Fr. Carmelito “Junjun” Limbaga, and Fr. Felino “Linlin” Jumawan) would find each other and put up their own singing group, known as the “Priests in Music”.
The Priests in Music have performed in several concerts and private functions in metro Dumaguete. At my in-laws’ Diamond Anniversary celebration last December, they performed to the delight of the crowd.
When priests like these are able to break into the circle of the youth, they show the young that the priesthood is a vocation which need not be boring, staid or outdated. They are able to share God’s Word without “lecturing” — a big turn-off many times for kids who are used to fast-paced multimedia. The blogger priests I know communicate in the medium best known by the youth. They are able to REACH OUT, then REACH IN.
Who knows….maybe down the road we will see a priest who can breakdance and hiphop alongside the kids. Now that I am looking forward to!
Here is a YouTube video showing the Priests in Music in one of their Dumaguete concerts (Fr. Ray is the one in the opening video, in a purple shirt):
….and “BARKADA” sung in a Visayan upbeat way…