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Welcome to the February 2012 edition of the Living Stations Backstage Newsletter

Meet the Director

Catherine Zardus, Director of Living Stations 2012, is the Founder and Artistic Director of Magic Carpet Theatre and a parishioner of Divine Child Church. It was such a pleasure watching Catherine in action as she worked with the cast, one Sunday night in February. Here she answers some important questions.

What drew you to Living Stations?

I have a passion to use theatre to promote the gospel, so when I saw there was a group doing this, immediately I began praying for them. Prayer drew me to the Living Stations. The first time Kelly Nieto and I spoke it was like a door opened, and I believe we were put together to help each other, to share the gospel in theatrical ways. I have been praying for drama ministry. I praise God for the new ways He is evangelizing! This apostolate fulfills the call I have had for years.

What do you hope the audience comes away with?

I hope the audience comes away with a stronger personal connection to our savior, Jesus Christ. I hope there will be a greater awareness of how much God loves each one of us in a very intimate and personal way. I hope this love will call people into a deeper relationship with Him. I hope people will be inspired

out of love and gratitude for our Lord’s sacrifice to read scripture, participate in

the sacraments, and give praise and glory to God.

How do you see this production changing people-both cast/crew and audience?

Being at the foot of the cross all of Lent is bound to come with grace. Taking the time to meditate on The Passion this intensely opens up hearts and minds. The cast is cracking open every detail of The Passion through their character’s eyes. I felt it was important for every cast member to chose a real person from scripture, so even if you are a child in the crowd...one must ask...which child are you...the one that Jesus called over when he said, “Let the children come to me” or the one who ate from the multiplication of the loaves and fishes? Every rehearsal and every performance becomes a prayer.

We are interceding for our audience, each other, and those written in our prayer petitions. It is remarkable how God allows us to pray with Him through His Passion. This whole production is a physical manifestation of the Divine Mercy prayer, “For the sake of His sorrowful passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.” People are bound to change, because God’s mercy is great. This production helps them feel His mercy.

How has LS deepened your faith?

Last year I helped out and I came home every night full of peace. This year the main way my faith has grown so far is that I’m realizing if God wants something to happen, He will make it happen. This has been apparent as God continues to provide and open doors. It seems all have to do is go about my ordinary life and God is arranging all my appointments for me! I could give many examples, but one that comes to mind, is I’m at Mass praying for a young man to play the apostle of John. When I go to Communion, the Eucharistic minister is a young man who looked exactly like the John I was looking for. When I spoke to him after Mass, he lit right up, and his mother said her prayer that morning was that God would keep her son close. These kinds of things are happening every day! Often a door may seem closed, then God opens a better one. My faith in God is strong and my trust in Him is growing!

   The Face of Christ

Do you recognize the picture that inspired our Living Stations logo? Yes, it’s Christopher Vaught who played the  part of Jesus in the 2011 Cathedral Performance Series. What’s it like to “be” the Living Stations face of Christ? We’ll ask Chris for his comments next month. Stay Tuned!

Rehearsal Impressions

In the beautiful Sacred Heart Church in Dearborn, Michigan, Peter (played by Ryan Banar) leads a group of children down the main aisle, symbolically toward the New Church, as Jesus’ voice sings, “I am the Way, the Truth, the Life. Do you believe?”

The other actors, smiling and quietly talking to each other, wait off to the side as Peter and the children practice over and over and over again. Once Catherine Zardus, the Director, is satisfied, she turns to the opening song, “Hosanna.”

I’ve arrived halfway through, so I don’t get the full effect of the rehearsal. But to me, it’s a magical experience to watch Catherine tell the actors while they are rehearsing the opening number, “This amazing person is coming into town [Jesus], what are you doing? What are you thinking? It’s like a parade, and YOU don’t want to miss it.”

The children seem excited to play their parts. Their acting skills are put to the test as they weave braids, cook, and feeding chickens as they await Jesus’ arrival. Catherine is happy with their work.

The one-on-ones are next, where Catherine meets individually with the actors.

Catherine is right when she says, “This is like Catholic Idol” when she and Kelly Nieto work with Andy Rathburg, who plays Judas. His song, “Three Years” is his reasoning for the betrayal. He is so convincing that even without his costume, I don’t like his motives no matter how enjoyable his performance is. He gives me goosebumps and I’d say he is a great actor to make me think this brown-haired, young guy actually started in motion Christ’s death. I arrive at these feelings only from watching him rehearse this one song. How will I feel about him when I see the performance?

When Kurt Frank takes the altar (stage) to practice the beloved “From the Cross” as the Singing Soldier, I am blown away. Tears form in my eyes. His voice is like velvet, and I truly believe that he has had a conversion.

Rehearsals are only in the third week, and I can’t believe how good these actors are in their roles. But then again, I can. Catherine Zardus and Kelly Nieto know what they are doing; they’re professionals with a long list of their own performance credentials. Still, this is not like any other Broadway-quality musical experience; this is The Stations of the Cross come to life like I’ve never seen before. When Jesus sings, “I am the Way, the Truth, the Life. Do You Believe?” my answer, because of the Living Stations experience, is a resounding, “YES!” ~Kris Yankee

Lawrence Leach

Okay, folks! The handsome hunk featured in the photo above is none other than Lawrence “Larry” Leach. It’s my favorite photo from the 2011 performance series at the Cathedral. When a photographer snaps a photo like this, it speaks for itself! Every time I see Larry’s picture, I smile and say a pray for our friend Larry.

Larry, you continue to inspire us to not lose hope and be strong in the face of adversity. You are a wonderful part of the Living Stations family. Know you are loved and surrounded by Our Mother’s angels! ~Kelly Nieto

Where it all began!

The Our Lady of Sorrows 2012 cast began their rehearsals last Friday night. Hats off to everyone involved with Living Stations at OLS! This is their 11th year in production! The reason this ministry has been so successful is because of all the people that continually volunteer their time and talents to make this production what it is today. We are blessed because we are truly the “body of Christ” working together for God’s Glory. It has been an amazing journey and transformation in our families, school, and faith community at Our Lady of Sorrows.

We performed the first The Living Stations of the Cross on Good Friday, March 31, 2002. We started with a small group of about 30 dedicated people. The church was packed that day, standing room only. We estimated that there were over a hundred people who had to be turned away because “there was no room at the Inn!” The response was so overwhelming that Bishop Hurley (our pastor at the time) added an additional day to our schedule the following year.

Volunteers were easier to recruit after they had witnessed the power of this production. The testimonies, letters, and stories of how this prayer had touched the lives of people that first year were unbelievable. In 2003, 2004, and 2005, we performed The Living Stations of the Cross on Good Friday at noon and on Palm Sunday night at 8 p.m.

Since 2006, we have performed The Living Stations of the Cross on Friday and Sunday nights of Palm Sunday weekend in order to prepare our community for Holy Week.

Nearly ten years later, this same dedicated group of people has blossomed into an incredible cast and crew of men, women, and children ages 6-70. With fifteen core families and tremendous support from the parish and community, we spend hundreds of hours each year in preparation for our Lenten performances. Don’t miss the OLS Performances!

March 31 & April 1 at 7:30 p.m.

Our Lady of Sorrows

23815 Power Road, Farmington MI

If you know of anyone who may be interested in getting involved in Living Stations at Our Lady of Sorrows, please contact info@livingstations.org.

In Appreciation!

Thank you to the entire Our Lady of Sorrows Administration for their support and prayers. Special thanks to: Father Mark, Father Dave, Father Charles Fox, Pat Ernst, and Noriko Ernst for their help and friendship to those of us called to proclaim the Gospel in this way! You are loved!

Living Faith-Fine Arts Apostolate

Kelly Nieto — CEO & Founder

Kris Yankee — Communications Director

Kathy Walsh — Accountant

Living Stations

Catherine Zardus — Director

Kelly Nieto — Executive Producer

Mary Davis — Production Manager

Annabelle Young — Assistant Production Manager

Barbie Amann Weisserman— Costume Designer & Make up Artist

Kris Yankee — Editor

Living Faith-Fine Arts Apostolate

Living Faith-Fine Arts Apostolate is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation entered into the USCCB’s Official Catholic Directory in 2011. Living Faith is an apostolate dedicated to creating, licensing, and producing musical dramas that share the Gospel by means of theater and the arts.

From our very first performance in 2002, Living Stations has been dedicated to our mission of igniting a personal love for Christ in the heart of our participants through an epic theatrical experience and deeply moving musical journey along His steps to Calvary. Now, looking toward the future in faith, we seek to spread this stirring message throughout the world.

Living Stations is an experiential musical journey through Christ’s Passion and an interactive prayer engaging all of the senses. It is a spiritual wake-up call; a visual realization of what Christ went through on the Cross. The music envelops and propels the participants through the story and each feels truly present at the foot of the cross, not just as an observer, but as an active participant in salvation history.

“When people are brought to the foot of the cross to experience Jesus’s final hours in this way, it becomes a personal and profound encounter with Our Savior!”

God Bless,

Kelly Nieto, CEO & Founder

Living Stations is based on the Stations of the Cross celebrated by Pope John Paul II in 1991 on Good Friday. These Stations reflect deeply on the Scriptural accounts of Jesus Christ's Passion to prepare Christians, both Catholic and Protestant alike, for Holy Week. Living Stations has been described as the "Broadway version of the Passion of Christ" because of its professionalism, original musical score and epic theatrical production! Don't miss this powerful prayer on the altar of the historic Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament in Detroit, Michigan during Lent 2012.