Students from the seventh and eighth grades of the three Marian Alliance schools in Santa Ana — St. Anne School, St. Joseph’s School, and School of Our Lady — joined students from Christ Cathedral Academy and St. Justin Martyr last month at the Christ Cathedral campus to enjoy a matinee performance of “Therese, The Story of a Soul” in the Freed Theater, presented by St. Luke Productions.
Before the performance on Jan. 26, Hank Evers, the Diocese director of development and communications, joined Leonardo Defilippis, president of St. Luke Productions, to explain that the lives of our saints are extremely interesting, especially as so many began their lives “…just like you and me.” What made them different is that they eventually, through prayer and good works, gave themselves to God so that they might become the best version of themselves; never perfect, but never giving up their faith and trust in God.
At the end of the performance two boys in the center stood up and began what became an enthusiastic standing ovation. Fr. Jerry Horan, the Diocese director of faith formation, said, “The story of Saint Therese was inspiring and I was happy to share this with the kids and to experience their excitement and joy at witnessing, both the inside and the outside of this beautiful life.”
Alma Ramos, a teacher at School of our Lady beamed, “Beautiful! Precious and moving! Thank you for allowing us to be a part of this blessing and joyful experience.”
Hank Evers commented, “We witnessed such a powerful presence among these students as they learned about St. Therese. I hope to work with the team to continue bringing students from both our elementary and high schools to the Christ Cathedral Drama Series, allowing them to learn more about the saints. Through these performances, our children will receive an inspiration that has the potential to positively affect their lives. This is something bigger than just a play…and something they will never forget.”