0 Play tells story of two saints

Sensitive story: The poster for "Fides Ecclesiae."
The play tells the story of two saints,
including Pedro Calungsod, who was martyred
alongside Pale' San Vitores in Guam.

"Fides Ecclesiae," or "Faith of the Church," is the title of a production in Los Angeles which is partially set on Guam and cast with talent from the island.

The debut performance was at the Redondo Beach Performing Arts Center to a full house on Dec. 2. On Feb. 10, the musical play will be presented to the public at the Pantages Theater in Los Angeles.

Scriptwriter and lyricist Father Robert Victoria tells me that inspiration for the play came from the young saints Pedro Calungsod and Keteri Tekakwitha, whose stories are told in "Fides Ecclesiae." Both were canonized in October 2012.

The story of St. Keteri Tekakwitha, the first Native American saint, is told in Act 1.

Act II, with scenes set in Guam, depicts the story of St. Pedro Calungsod, the native Filipino seminarian who accompanied his mentor, Pale' Diego San Vitores, on his mission to Guam and was martyred alongside San Vitores in 1656.

Details of the Guam scenes include the historical character Chaco and the indigenous designations of the makana (spiritual leaders) and the uritao (bachelors), which I believe the Pantages has not ever seen in its previous programs. It is a rare and welcome exposure of Chamorro history and terminology for a mostly non-Chamorro audience.

The famous story is told sensitively, with humor as well as dramatic effect. A lot of effort was made to cast the scenes with Chamorro actors and dancers.

Act III depicts the miracles and the canonization of the saints.

The two-and-a-half hour musical play is achieved with a total of 150 volunteers on stage. Sprinklings of professionals are among the mostly amateur cast and crew.

The Chamorro Group of Los Angeles is noted as one of the presenters. The Kutturan Chamoru dance group of Long Beach is listed among the special participants.

Victoria gives credit to the community of Filipinos, Chamorros, Hispanics and others in the Los Angeles area. He emphasizes that it is not a play identified with any ethnicity, but rather with the Catholic Church.

Proceeds from the production will benefit the St. John Seminary of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles and contribute to an endowment to support the seminarians.

Tickets for "Fides Ecclesiae" can be purchased at FaithoftheChurch.com or at Ticketmaster.com.

By Sandy Flores Uslander, she lives in San Diego and works to promote Chamorro culture among Chamorros living off island.

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