by Susan Palmes-Dennis
The singing priests of the Cagayan de Oro Archdiocese will hold a US-Canada tour from July to August this year.
Concert director Joseph Espadilla told me this, saying it is a “tribute concert to our retiring priests.” “It is every priest’s desire to be remembered as who they are even when they are no longer active in their vocation,” he said.
Proceeds of the concert will help build additional rooms for the retirement house of the priests. The cast of the singing priests include Monsignors Columbus Villamil, Tex Legitimas, Rey Monsanto and Frs. Rolando Gabutera. Jesse Namocot, Harren Salon, Richard Deloso and Ely Dato.
They are assigned in different parishes and are blessed with the talent to sing and perform. This is the second concert held by the singing priests after the 2011 “Only in God” concert.
Espadilla, who directed performances in the Philippines and abroad confided that the priests had several rehearsals for their parts. “They have good voices. It would be a blissful joy to see the men of God in this performance,” he said.
The concert tour officially kicks off July 2 at Reno, Nevada two days after the group arrives in San Francisco, California and it ends during the Tapok in Vancouver, Canada on August 1 and 2.
The performance would include the classic Visayan song Matud Nila and the Julio Iglesias-Willie Nelson song “To All the Girls I Loved Before.”
Fr. Rolando Gabutera, whose previous assignment at the archdiocese was the improvement of the Catholic schools run by the parish, also said they hope that Filipino-Americans especially those hailing from Cagayan de Oro and Misamis Oriental would help promote the concert so they can fully realize the dream of building a retirement home for priests.
It was also learned that many of the active priests who held different advocacies in the archdioceses like Msgr. Monsanto, Legitimas, Abelardo Cabillan and Villamil are retiring from the priesthood soon.
Espadilla said the concert is divided into three parts; the vocation, reflection and remembering. Here's the breakdown:
Reflection:
They are called to serve and to listen to God’s voice. They have become the voice and hands of God. So they share the Gospel of love and salvation and reach out to those who are in need.
Their calling to serve the people is a manifestation of God’s abundant love for mankind. It is manifested through God’s servants, the Priests.
• Vocation Jamboree Theme Song All Cast
• Natawag ko na Ikaw / Ang Tawag Msgr Villamil
• Liwanagan mo Jesus Fr. Harren/Fr Datoy,
Fr. Richard
• Lord I Offer Myself All Cast
“Let your light so shine before men that they may see the glory of God in You”. Espadilla said this saying is shown in the lives of the priests who mirror the glory of God by living godly, holy lives.
Through this, the priests have also realized that as God has mirrored His life to them, they should also follow His examples so that God’s glory will reside in them too.
• Do you Hear the People Sing All Cast
• You’ll never walk alone Msgr. Tex Legitimas
• Lift up your Hands Fr.Harren, Fr Richard, Fr. Datoy
• You Raise Me Up Msgr. Villamil
• I Don’t Know How to Love Him Msgr. Monsanto
• Together Forever All Cast
Remembering
“Just as God has remembered you, remember me (us), God’s servants in your prayers.
Espadilla said it is the priests’ desire to be remembered not for what they have done but for what God has done through them and in them.
“Their life testimony would serve as best avenue where people will always remember them, the unselfish and boundless love they have given even when this love is not being returned as expected,” he said.
• Believe All Cast
• Matud Nila Msgr. Tex
• To All the Girls I love before Msgr. Monsanto
• Matt Monroe Medley All Cast
• Bring me Home Msgr. Villamil, Archdiocese of Cagayan de Oro
Here's the schedule of the singing priests for those interested to catch their shows:
Reno, Nevada, July 2
Sacramento, July 3
Stockton, July 4
San Francisco, July 5
San Diego, July 10
Anaheim, July 11
Chicago, July 12
Kalayaan Hall, July 16
Boston, July 17
New York, July 18
Boston, July 19
Toronto, Canada July 23-24
Edmonton, Canada July 25
Vancouver, July 26-Aug. 2, Tapok, Thanksgiving Mass
(Susan Palmes-Dennis is a veteran journalist from Cagayan de Oro City, Misamis Oriental, Northern Mindanao in the Philippines who worked as a nanny and is now employed as a sub-teacher and a part-time teacher assistant in one of the school systems in the Carolinas.
Read her blogs on susanpalmesstraightfrom the Carolinas.com and at http://www.blogher.com/myprofile/spdennis54. These and other articles also appear at http://www.sunstar.com.ph/author/2582/susan-palmes-dennis.
You can also connect with her through her Pinterest account at http://www.pinterest.com/pin/41025046580074350/) and https://www.facebook.com/pages/Straight-from-the-Carolinas-/494156950678063)
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