Today in the Archdiocese of Toronto, a number of parishes have taken up the time-honoured tradition and turned it into a high point of the community鱿鱼视频app Lenten and Easter season.
St. Fidelis parish has been putting on its own Passion Play for about 30 years now. This year, there are about 80 people involved in the production. Vince Tarantino has been co-ordinating the production since 1992 and said the cast and crew are mostly made up of the parish鱿鱼视频app young people.
鈥淲e鈥檙e trying to teach our kids about what Jesus did for us,鈥� said Tarantino. 鈥淔or some of them, instead of coming to church every three or four months, they鈥檙e coming on a more regular basis... and at the end they really develop that family feel among them.鈥�
Tarantino said cast and crew have been rehearsing twice a week since December, rehearsals becoming more frequent as the performance approaches.
The parish rotates through 10 scripts written by Tarantino and other St. Fidelis parishioners. Each year, the script focuses on the perspective of a different character 鈥� from the eyes of Mary to a Roman centurion, even through the eyes of children. This year, St. Matthew鱿鱼视频app Passion is seen through the contemporary eyes of a young man struggling with addiction.
The Passion Play is a big undertaking for any parish, but the spiritual rewards make it worthwhile. St. Peter鱿鱼视频app parish in Woodbridge has a cast and crew of about 120 children, youth and young adults. Fr. Michael Corcione said it鱿鱼视频app a lot of work, but well worth it.
鈥淚 always say as long as the kids want to do it, we do it,鈥� said Corcione. 鈥淓very year, we get 120, 130 and sometimes 150 students coming out to participate in the play.鈥�
St. Peter鱿鱼视频app Passion Play has been running for 14 years. Corcione brought the tradition from his formation days as a seminarian in New Jersey.
Since the parish first put on the play in 2002, Corcione said the script has evolved. Every year, a new group of young people bring different talents and skills to the play which helps them internalize the story.
Corcione said one of the most rewarding parts is the discussions with the young people during rehearsal.
鈥淚 get (questions) all the time and they would say, 鈥榃hy don鈥檛 we do it this way? Why don鈥檛 we do it that way?鈥� It gets them to understand that the play is strictly based upon the Scriptures... I give them guidance, but I don鈥檛 tell them how to play it,鈥� said Corcione.
St. Joseph the Worker parish in Thornhill has seen the same thing in its young people. St. Joseph鱿鱼视频app Passion Play has been running since 2011, following youth minister Vlad Mamaradlo from a previous parish.
鈥淢ost kids who are, for whatever reason, have turned off from the Church or have stopped coming... if you invite them to something like Mass or even Steubenville where you have to pay, the likelihood they鈥檒l say yes is very minimal,鈥� said Mamaradlo. 鈥淏ut when you use their gifts and their talents... there鱿鱼视频app a greater likelihood of young people getting involved.鈥�
The Passion Play is a highlight for parish life at St. Joseph鱿鱼视频app. Mamaradlo said it allows parishioners to see the benefits of having a vibrant youth ministry that uses the different talents of more than 250 of its young people.
However, the play is just the beginning because long after the last performance on Good Friday, the cast and crew come together for a reunion dinner to celebrate their success. Mamaradlo said it鱿鱼视频app important the parish continues to build that relationship with the youth because it will lead to deeper spiritual fruits in future events.
鈥淲e鈥檙e planning to bring 250 kids to Steubenville Toronto this year,鈥� he said. 鈥淣ow you鈥檝e got a sense of what it feels like to be involved in the Church, let鱿鱼视频app take it a little bit deeper.鈥�
Preparations begin as early as September when a new script is written for the year. Mamaradlo said it鱿鱼视频app important to have a new script each year to allow for reflection on the year together.
鈥淥n one hand the redeeming work of Christ and who He is doesn鈥檛 change, but we change,鈥� he said. 鈥淎nd because we change, we always need to look at the cross from a new angle and a new perspective.鈥�