Stepping inside the sacristy of the church of St Nicholas of Tolentino is like treading the backstage boards of a theatre where youngsters are rehearsing their moves before going out on the Lord’s stage.
Fr Franco Grech, rector of this Tarxien church, stands on the sidelines getting ready for Sunday’s 10 a.m. Mass with a difference that is igniting a quiet revolution and filling up the pews.
“Many complain that Mass is always the same, so we are trying to present the Gospel in an appealing way that is relevant to today’s world,” Fr Grech said.
As Mass attendances drop, priests like Fr Grech are attempting to reverse the decline by reasoning that if they are going to be successful in spreading the Word of God, they must bin their mundane habits.
Fr Grech has stopped to listen to what his parishioners wanted, taken on their proposals and roped some of them in to help him make the one-hour long Sunday Mass an experience that is both spiritual and entertaining.
It started slowly with the participation of a band, followed by the introduction of the readings projected on the wall for churchgoers to follow, and more recently an initiative to receive prayers via SMS.
But what singles out the church of St Nicholas of Tolentino is the way the homily is presented, which is usually a challenge for many priests to keep parishioners’ attention for some 20 minutes.
The first step was bringing in a catechist who would explain the day’s reading to the children in the sacristy in a fun way, while allowing their parents to follow the priest’s homily without distractions.
And for the past three months the homily has included a short five-minute play that relives the Lord’s message in a modern way – a sure way to seize people’s attention.
Heads instantly turned last Sunday as a youngster wearing dark sunglasses strolled down the aisle accompanied by two security men and with two sexy girls draped over his arms.
When he got to the altar he bumped into a young man who looked hungry and he stopped to tease him about his lack of rich trappings. The young man gently explains that he too had it all once, but chose to give it all up to follow the Lord.
Fr Grech picks up from where the play ends to deliver his own message, speaking about the battle for freedom in Libya and North Africa where people, though not necessarily poor in material things, lacked the one thing they cherished most – freedom.
The Augustinian friar challenges parishioners to look within, to ask themselves questions and examine which aspect of their lives is poor.
His way of presenting Mass has seen attendances soar and he is happy this celebration at 10 a.m. every Sunday has gained such a following.
He is, with the help of his dedicated team of volunteers, constantly exploring new avenues, and for Lent the church is organising a penitential event on April 18 at 6.30 p.m., and a special Way of the Cross the next day, also at 6.30 p.m.
“We want to welcome everyone, especially those who are disillusioned and uninspired by the repetitiveness of the celebration. The word of God does not date, and we adapted our Mass to these times, so come and see with your own eyes.”
www.augtarxien.org