Youth Kick-Off Starts CTK’s Fiesta Celebration
It was another fun night last November 17, with the organizers of the traditional Parish Youth Fiesta Kick-Off delivering on their promise of ‘a night full of fun’. Entitled ‘Color the Night’, the annual event, usually staged the weekend before the parish feast day was organized by the CTK Youth Ministry headed by Louie and Lei Abando. It officially started at 7:30 pm, with the opening remarks by CTK parish priest Fr. Steve Zabala.
Fr. Steve first recognized the different delegations, from Bukas Palad, Timothy Ministry, Days With the Lord. In his opening remarks, he talked about the theme, Color the Night, and he asked the young audience to think of who has given their lives color and meaning. He confessed that for him, in his youth, it was his crush since second year high school. He looked forward to going to school everyday, not because he was going to learn his lessons but because he was going to be able to see the girl who gave color to his life. He also recalled the story of the daughter of a good friend who used to be proud and independent but then had a boyfriend and he would see her constant Facebook posts. They were always together in the photos, they were very sweet, and clearly in love. Until one day, his friend called for help – his daughter had tried to kill herself because the boyfriend broke up with her. Fr. Steve pointed out that it is only in Jesus Christ that a person can find ultimate happiness that is true and permanent.
A surprise guest was former CTK parish priest Msgr. Dan Sta. Maria, who had just finished presiding over a novena mass. After saying that he was honored that Msgr. Dan dropped by, Fr. Steve kidded him that he might have wandered into the wrong place because this was a youth, not elderly, gathering. Fr. Steve then saw a guitar nearby and on the spur of the moment decided to sing an original composition of his about friendship. His guitar playing and singing elicited huge applause.
Emceeing the event were PREX Youth leader Earle Manucom and Family & Life Ministry core team member Louie Padrinao, who had also emceed the Kingdom of Heaven Fair two weeks earlier. It was interesting to note that like the Kingdom of Heaven Fair event, the Parish Youth Fiesta Kick-Off was once again a collaboration among three ministries: Youth, headed by Louie and Lei Abando, Family and Life, headed by Regie and Joanne Polancos, and Mustard Seed Ministries. Earle and Louie started the ball rolling with an icebreaker game, Arrange Yourselves, forming four teams of eight. Dinner followed.
After dinner, Louie and Earle mounted a second game, ‘Bato Bato Pic’, where everyone was encouraged to join. But instead of the usual P20 bill, the participants were each given a KitKat.
After the second game, the emcees introduced the Bukas Palad Music Ministry. The group, decked in orange and red shirts, had been composing, singing and recording liturgical and spiritual songs professionally since 1986 and had performed in more than a hundred concerts in the Philippines, Japan, HK, and the US. They sang several pieces, starting with I Will Sing Forever, from their 1989 album Tanging Yaman. The song was an original composition by Fr. Manoling Francisco SJ and first interpreted and popularized by Bukas Palad, a product of the Ministry of Jesuit Music, Ateneo.
Fr. Jojo Gatdula, CTK guest priest also joined the festivities and was egged by the crowd to do a number. He promptly obliged and picked up the guitar a la Fr. Steve. This was followed by a series of religious musical numbers by the Worship Ministry of the Timothy Prayer Group, which is part of the Living Hope Prayer Community. The Timothy Youth Ministry had recently been teaming up with CTK’s Youth Ministry for several events, including the August 11 Day of Sacraments. Dancing followed after the closing remarks.
