Magnificat: The Musical Envagelization of Faith

Magnificat cast performing the last song of the play.

The ways of evangelization is evolving, and one college in Davao City dares to bring onstage the Gospel through music and dances.

Through the musical play billed as Magnificat: Joy of an Encounter, the Gabriel Taborin College of Davao (GTCD) in Barangay Lasang put onstage the ensemble of more than 60 students to be Gospel characters, choir members and dancers to a theatrical performance that revolves on the central theme of faith.

Bishop Emeritus Fernando R. Capalla express his admiration to the play.

“The Gospel has come to life.”

This was how Bishop Emeritus Fernando R. Capalla described the musical in his short message at the end of the play.

Capalla said the messages of love, forgiveness and faith were clearly delivered in every portrayal, which brought him to tears.

“The musical play was the contribution of GTCD in the closing activities of the Catholic Church’s universal celebration of the Year of Faith,” said Executive Director Bro. Davide del Barba, FSF.

Mary, sings Magnificat Anima Mea Domonum

The Catholic Church in the world celebrated the Year of Faith from October 11, 2012, to October 24, 2013. 

Inspired by Mary’s canticle (Luke 1:46-55), the musical was originally in Italian language borne from a summer workshop of the Brothers of the Holy Family in the early 1980s. In 2003 the first English version was staged in the Philippines through the efforts of Bro. Davide del Barba, who is also the musical director of the play.

After 10 years, the English version was revived, now aligned to the Year of Faith celebration and in time also for the 150th death anniversary of Bro. Gabriel Taborin, the founder of the Brothers of the Holy Family.

The play opened with the solemn rendition of “Credo Domini,” the Year of Faith’s official hymn as Cavanis Fr. Arman Bacalso led the renewal of vows of baptism.  The musical, which run for one-hour and 30 minutes, portrayed the characters in the Gospel who are the source of inspiration and examples that exemplify faith.

The Samaritan Woman

Among the characters were the Samaritan woman who gave Jesus water from the well and where Jesus opened her understanding that God is the water that “quenches the thirst” forever.

The teacher of the law Nicodemus came to see Jesus at night in secret so he could not be seen by the crowd talking to Jesus. In the meeting, Jesus has taught Nicodemus that he should be reborn in spirit and become a child to enter the Kingdom of God. The scene posted the strong challenge of renewal.

The Adulteress

The stories of the disciples Peter, Judas and Mary Magdalene kindled the question of how strong the people’s faith is to God and the challenge to overcome temptations and win the grace of God through faith.

Jesus’s healing of the blind man Barthimeus was symbolic of how the people are blinded in many ways, and that it is the man’s faith that heals himself. While the story of the adulteress, who was condemned by the public, evokes forgiveness.

Peter

The feel-good scene of Zaccheus, the tax collector, a sinner whom Jesus dined with, gave comic and uplifting relief to a heavy message of renewal and giving back to the community.

And ultimately, the model of faith, the story of Mary as she praised God singing Magnificat anima mea Dominum (My Soul Magnifies the Lord), where Mary proclaims the Lord’s greatness with humility and grace. The song connected to audience well that one could feel praising God with the song.

Resurrection Scene

The whole story was stitched together with the character of the present-time teacher who met Gabriel, the institute’s founder, and how they relate the story of the Gospel into the present situations of the community of faithful.

The enthusiastic response of the audience motivated the Brothers to have a repeat performance on November 29 for a humanitarian cause. Proceeds of the ticket sales will entirely go to the victims of Supertyphoon Yolanda.

“We are happy and proud of what we have produced,” del Barba said. “Convinced that this form of new evangelization through music and dances is a powerful way of conveying Jesus’s message to the new generation,” he added.

The Brothers of the Holy Family dubbed themselves as educators of the youth since 1835.

The Cast and production crew acknowledge the applause of the audience.

Scholars pay tablecloths for their diploma

Bro. Davide Del Barba (center) is flanked by the lady scholars of the Gabriel Taborin College of Davao with the intricately designed tablecloths as their backdrop. These tablecloths are the token of the ladies to their schoalrship sponsors.

Education is not cheap but some lady scholars pay only tablecloth for their diploma. 

In exchange for the generosity of their virtually unknown sponsors, some graduating lady scholars of Gabriel Taborin College of Davao (GTCD), in Lasang, Davao City ingeniously did the laborious needlework of intricate designs on tablecloths as a memento of their enormous gratitude.

“This is a fruit of our labor and passion in the spirit of thanksgiving to our benevolent sponsors,” says Cyrene Molina a scholar, graduating from two-year hotel and restaurant management course.

GTCD named after the French founder Gabriel Taborin was established in 2001 as the only Catholic technical/vocational  school in the region aimed to help indigent but deserving students, has now blossomed to a tertiary institution offering Hotel and Restaurant Management as its flagship  four-year degree course. 

The school’s Executive Director Bro. Davide Del Barba said that the students’ sponsors are private institutions and individual donors mostly from abroad.

“This is our special way of saying thank you to their respective sponsors whom our lady scholars will not probably see personally,” said del Barba.  

Among the sponsors of the students include the American Women’s Club of the Philippines, the Assisi Foundation, Cuore Amico (Friendly Heart) an organization from Italy,  and private individuals mostly from Europe “who generously help the least privileged  students in our mission here,” del Barba added.

Del Barba himself is an Italian missionary of the Brothers of the Holy Family who arrived to the Philippines in 2000 and in the following year established, then a technical/vocational school, with the strong support of Archbishop of Davao Fernando R. Capalla.

These lady scholars are also called “dormitory ladies” because they avail of the dormitory service that that the school provides since 2004 solely to ladies coming from far-flung areas. Since then at least 150 students have benefited from the service.

In the dormitory, ladies have to pay minimal amount which covers for their lodging, food, security personnel, and dorm in-charge. And part of their tasks is to learn the skill of embroidery.

 “The embroidery activity of the ladies is part of their tasks as scholars of the school and as ‘dormitory ladies’ to learn new skill and earn extra income since they are paid for their labor,” said del Barba. 

To improve the quality of their work, the school tapped the voluntary services of needlework hobbyist Ms. Theresa Valdevieso from Colombia , Mariela Chacon and Gladys Miranda both from Panama who said that there are at least 16,000 kinds of stitches to learn.

Charisse Diaz of Sindaton, Panabo City said she did not just learned embroidery skill but also patience and time management.

“Time management is very important,” Diaz said. “We need time to study our lessons, make our school requirements and finish our tablecloths for one semester (five months),” she added.

According to Diaz, embroidery is no way easy job, “our back aches, eyes sore and to come up with the best and most unique design we research in the internet and books.”

 “Even if we were repeatedly punctured by the needle, we continue to work because this (work) inspires us,” added another graduating ‘dormitory lady’ Venus Amor Agad.  

Cyrene Molina stands by the tablecloth she made for five months.

  

Recently, the school put up and exhibit showcasing the ladies final work.

“We have already sent some of these to their respective sponsors and I am really happy for the positive feedback,” del Barba uttered.

Further he said that there had been request from private individuals (commonly foreigner) to buy the products but “this is particularly made for our sponsors, should they want one they must sponsor one of our scholars too,” said del Barba.

 

“With what has become of our scholars and of the school I can say that we have lived up to our motto: in prayer, work and love, you will find peace,” del Barba said.