By Matters India Reporter

Chennai, March 27, 2024: A sound and light program on Christ’s passion staged by a Fransalian media academy in collaboration with some parish youth has impressed many in the southern Indian city of Chennai.

“My eyes were filled with tears throughout the program,” said a woman parishioner of Church of Immaculate Conception in Chromepet, on the outskirts of Chennai after watching the program titled, “The Calvary.”

The program was put up by the De Sales International Film and Media Academy along 60 young people of the parish. “I felt as if I was witnessing the events in Jerusalem as it happened,” she added.

What impressed another parishioner was the power of youth the March 24 program displayed.

“When avenues are created, they exhibit their potential. These kinds of opportunities should be provided in other places too,” he added.

According to him, the Lent season is an opportunity to immerse in the life of Jesus intensely and get transformed. “This program touched my heart. I have made some decisions. I am a new person now,” he added.

Academy director Fransalian Father J. Stephen directed the program, assisted by Magimai Pragasam, the dean of studies, and Fransalian Father Naveen Nirmal, the academy coordinator.

Parish priest Father Backiya Regis organized the event, helped by his assistant Father Louis Britto.

An 80-feet stage was erected, leading experts in light and sound systems, cine costume and make-up professionals in the city were hired for the event that was witnessed by around 2,000 people.

“There is no dearth of skills among the youth. We need to tap them adeptly by motivating them and acknowledging their talents,” Father Stephen said.

“As the passion play involves many characters, and the youth have their own imagination, we asked them to choose the roles they like so that they could involve and commit themselves deeply in the play,” he added.

Father Nirmal said staging the program was challenging as the youth were free only in the evenings and all were not free on all days. “Hence, we spliced the audio track according to the characters and sent them to all the members through the WhatsApp group created for the event and that worked well for us,” he added.

The Last Supper
The parish priest prepared the youth, reminding them that they are not actors and it is not a drama. “This is re-creating the true events that happened during Jesus’s time in Jerusalem two thousand years ago. You need to perform with reverence and piety,” he told his youth.

He also advised them to fast or do some sacrifice as personal preparation for the program.

Father Stephen said the inspiration for the program came from Mel Gibson’s ‘The Passion of the Christ’ movie. “It motivated me to focus more on the agony that our Lord went through before His death. I added more music and sound effect that could touch the hearts of the people enabling them to meditate on the Lord’s sacrifice for us,” he explained.