austraLasia #2843
 
'Rot bilong Kruse' for a cause
by J. Cabrido sdb

PORT MORESBY: 16 April 2011 -- A much-loved Lenten practice in Papua New Guinea is the Good Friday “Rot bilong Kruse” (Way of the Cross). In many “priest-less” villages, this devotional practice is led by lay people and can wind through mountainous paths kilometres long! In 2009, I presided over one such endless, village Rot bilong Kruse and I almost fainted by the sixth station (!) from exhaustion, thirst and sun-stroke!
    On 15 April, the Salesians, FMA Sisters, staff and students of the Don Bosco Technological Institute (Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea) held its Lenten Rot bilong Kruse  within the school campus. Ms. Judith Kaidoga (3rd Yr. Student) was the overall coordinator and adapted the devotional text with contextualized, youthful prayers. Together with Mr. John Viritia (2nd Yr.) and assisted by Sr. Pamela Vecina FMA, Ms. Kaidoga organized a complete ensemble of passion characters, musicians and readers to interpret Jesus’ Passion in a moving, reflective way adapted to young people. Mr. John Aribi (1st Yr.), who was cast as Jesus, internalized his character so much, he instructed the “Roman soldiers” to act out their parts fully, and brought some of the students to tears. The cast of actors was complete with an ever ubiquitous “devil” who tested Jesus throughout, as inspired by Gibson’s “Passion of the Christ”.
    The “Rot bilong Kruse” ended in the school gymnasium with an appropriate social-awareness activity. As suggested by newcomer Mr. Jacob Henry (1st Yr.), the Student Representative Council organized a “Coin Trail for Japan”. Students were encouraged to bring 20-Toea coins which they lined up by class/technology groupings. It was a fun-ending to the religious event and brought out the lesson that Jesus’ offering of self beckons one’s own as well. Oh, yes, Electrical Technology and Computer Technology students competed to a closely (and amicably) fought finish as they led the school to raising a significant amount for Japan.
  _________________
 AustraLasia is an email service for the Salesian Family of Asia Pacific.  It also functions as an agency for ANS based in Rome.  For queries please contact admin@bosconet.aust.com . RSS feeds - just go to Bosconet, click on austraLasia 2011 in the sidebar. You will see the RSS orange icon in your browser address bar - add it from there.  Or be interactive with the EAO blog Cetera Tolle. Avail yourself of the Salesian Digital Library at http://sdl.sdb.org