Scottish Catholic Observer

When you look around you, do you think of art as an exceptional social service in favour of the common good? This is exactly how Blessed Pope John Paul II described the vocation of the artist. In a society in which we are bombarded by the saturation of images and sounds, can the Catholic artist really have an impact on society for the good of all?

A month ago, I received a letter of thanks from a young man, called David, who had been accepted to study for the Dominican Order. He was involved with the arts project over a period of time, acted in a couple of plays and was able to use these as a springboard to further a project of his own which looked at the ecological mission of the Church. Whatever the future holds for him, there is no doubt in my mind, or in his, that the arts project was a contributing factor in his vocational discernment. Yet, for some, the relevance of the arts for the everyday life of the Church is something difficult to grasp. However, entering the Year of Faith, the Church has identified the arts as a powerful tool for the New Evangelisation.

The pastoral recommendations for the Year of Faith published by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, state ‘that Episcopal Conferences maximise the Catechetical potential— possibly with ecumenical cooperation—of the artistic patrimony of the region entrusted to their pastoral care.’ This ‘Catechetical potential’ is something that we cannot ignore but how exactly does it ‘work?’

There are different levels on which Catechesis takes place through the arts. In earlier times, when fewer people were literate, the visual was all the more important in communicating the Gospel. Thus, the art of the icon, particularly in the Eastern Church, fed the imagination and faith of millions through signs and symbols that transcended the boundaries of language. Today, in our society, there are many people who are illiterate in the language of the Church and, for whatever reason, find it difficult to access ideas that many of us take for granted in our practise of the Faith. I believe that the arts can help.

Each year, since 2007, AGAP has taken plays into parishes and schools that allow people to access faith ideas, such as the lives of the saints, moral or theological concepts. These plays are sometimes seen by around 100 people per night. Like the medieval mystery plays, which allowed ordinary working men to act out Biblical episodes and morality tales, these plays are performed by men and women from across parishes, young and young at heart. Together, they explore the text of the play and discuss its themes and characters, sometimes sparking authentic faith discussion and sharing within the group. Prayer is also an important part of every rehearsal and often cast members will come with special intentions or petitions. Then, and only then, can the cast take the production out to the wider public and present it.

Occasionally, a direct theme will emerge that allows further explanation, sometimes by a priest or religious. This autumn, we have been working towards a dramatisation of Blessed John Henry Newman’s poem, The Dream of Gerontius, which tells of the soul’s journey from the moment it leaves the body. Discussing the opening scene of the poem, it became apparent that not everyone was familiar with the Sacrament of the Sick, often administered to a dying person. Our chaplain, Fr Michael Savage was invited and gave a powerful talk about the history of the sacrament, explained the process and allowed the cast to ask questions. Similarly, when rehearsing Passionate Voices, a series of monologues on the Lord’s Passion, Canon Robert Hill was invited to answer any questions arising from the scriptures.

Like the audiences who come to these plays, those involved in the productions are at different stages on their faith journey. Sometimes, they are from other faith traditions—like the Sikh who played St Peter so as to learn something about the Catholic Faith— or none at all.

“Coming from a non-religious background, I have come to AGAP and found it both welcoming and exciting. I have been made to feel part of a family with a great sense of togetherness,” Laurence Turner, who played the lead role in the 2011 production The Turnaround remarked.

Surely this comment sums up what is most effective about the New Evangelisation, as something welcoming and inclusive; an invitation to discover a deeper personal relationship with Jesus Christ that starts with meeting Him in His Church. This was once referred to as the preambula fidei or ‘journey to faith.’ It is also effective in reaching out to others of different Christian traditions, as Gillian Stephen commented on her experience of acting in the 2010 production of the life of the Cure D’Ars, specially written for the Year for Priests.

“Being a non-Catholic, I knew nothing of John Vianney’s life but, having enjoyed previous AGAP productions, had no worries about appearing as a late addition to the cast,” she said. “It has turned out to be one of my favourite plays.”

Most often, those taking part are Catholics looking for a way to express their faith in a supportive environment. Before beginning his novitiate with the Dominicans, I asked David if he thought that the arts project had helped with          his discernment.

“I found there is an informal support structure that exists within AGAP in relation to fostering an individual’s interests in the arts and also vocations in general,” he said. “It can be difficult to discuss your vocation in life, particularly in the initial stages when you are not sure of what you are being called to- whether that is a vocation to a particular career path or profession, married life, vocation to religious life or the lay apostolate. It is said that God is the source of all creativity, and I always felt there is something about the arts project that makes it a good outlet for more than just improving your acting skills.”

David was not the first to experience the unfolding of a vocation whilst being involved with theatre. Fr Domenico Zanre, ordained last year for Aberdeen Diocese, played the lead role in two plays written by Karol Wojtyla—Pope John Paul II—which I directed.

“The plays of Pope John Paul II had a significant impact on my own vocational discernment,” Fr Zanre said. “Wojtyla’s adroit psychological study of the inner person—his search in life for the truth of his own being, his subsequent relationship with the Ultimate Truth, and his response to his God-given calling—had a strong resonance with me during a time when I was seeking the Lord’s will for my life.”

Perhaps this is why I am regularly invited to contribute to vocations awareness events at schools. Being an artist is a vocation but, as in the case of Karol Wojtyla, the exploration of one’s own soul through art can sometimes lead to a deeper realisation of what God is calling one to, whether that is priesthood, religious life, marriage or something else. The arts can also be a way for religious orders and movements to express and explain their particular charisms, bringing them into contact with different people. AGAP has worked with various religious orders such as the Jesuits, the Dominicans, the Franciscans and the Passionists and with religious movements like Schoenstatt and the Knights of St Columba.

It is not only drama which opens the door to Catechesis, however, but all artforms. Recently we presented prizes to young people who took part in our annual schools art competition. The two highest awards are for ‘excellence in the expression of faith through art’ and entries are judged according to artistic merit but also in terms of how effectively they have handled the faith-based theme. Quite often the competition involves cross-curricular input from religious education and art departments in preparing the students who take part. My hope is that such initiatives encourage a deeper understanding of the faith that empowers young people, no matter what field of work they go into.

Earlier this year, during the launch of Lentfest 2012—our annual festival which seeks an ‘imaginative fusion of faith and the arts’—at Glasgow University, we received a letter of support from Cardinal Ravasi, the Prefect of the Pontifical Council for Culture. In that letter, he said that the ‘essential encounter of faith and culture creates a continually renewing dialogue in which the treasures and insights of Christian experience purify and take on new shapes and forms in the changing circumstances of our times, encouraging society to be centred on the dignity of each and every human person and their potential to flourish.’ Surely this is something which is relevant for everyone as we strive to live our faith in a meaningful way that is attractive to others.

http://www.agap.org.uk