By Bro. Mario G. Dorado, OFMCap

Bro. Mario Dorado joins the native dancing and discovers a new way to inculturation.

Singing our History

Recently we had a youth rally for the five highland regions of Papua New Guinea. Before the rally, the youth asked me to join them in their “Singsing” – their way of dancing and singing the different parts of their history and culture. I did not have any second thoughts about is because I believe that’s’ one way of winning the youth. And I was correct.

Tedious Work

I stood for almost three hours and allowed to decorate my body, especially the face. I wore their own clothes which consisted of grasses, bark of a tree, feathers and plant leaves. The last part pf the decoration was the pouring of oil. It was nice that they used the cooking oil because before they were using the used motor oil! I felt a new person when I looked at myself in the mirror. Dancing to the rhythm of the drums and their loud voices, I felt so mesmerized and really out of myself. We spent the whole morning singing and dancing to the enjoyment of all the youth and the people who witnessed the celebration.

The culminating part of the day was the Mass wherein I was the main celebrant. In the homily, I told them that God has given us so many gifts, So let us love our own culture as God’s gift and may we learn to praise and thank God for everything, especially our own culture.