The Singing Adornos knock ‘em dead
Three Adorno Fathers from the Philippine Islands serenaded a sell-out crowd at Jesus Our Risen Savior Church on Saturday evening, Nov. 5. The next Sunday, the singing trio took their show on the road, journeying to Goose Creek to perform in front of nearly 800 people at Immaculate Conception Church.
The main purpose of the concerts, called Evenings of Music Worship, was to raise money for a novitiate house at an Adorno seminary in the Philippines. Secondarily, the priests hoped to repay the hospitality of the parishioners who hosted them for a month. Father Ted Kalaw is the parochial vicar at JORS, but his two fellow entertainers are from away. Fr. Melvin Avilla is stationed at the Adorno seminary in Ramsey, New Jersey; Fr. Liam Panganiban is with the seminary in Vinzons, Camarines Norte, PI.
Both purposes were well met, with the Spartanburg event raising more than $23,000 and the Goose Creek event almost $9,000. Parishioners at JORS cheered the singing of the three emotive baritone voices, laughed at the asides issuing from the three entertainers, and offered sustained bouts of thunderous applause. The priests were favorites of the Risen Savior community even before the concert, with their humble and humorous ways and their devoted attendance to the mass. All three are delightful homilists who shared with us their joy in the priesthood.
Fathers Ted, Liam and Melvin, who were classmates in seminary, also visited the homes of parishioners and sang for them, including that of Deacon Paul Shook, who is ill with cancer. Those private recitals were sung a capella, but for the big events at JORS and Immaculate Conception they were accompanied by guitarist Chris Lagnese, drummer Kevin Sherman and keyboardist Andre Enabore. The video production company of Ron Boudreaux and Catholic radio’s Michael Brennan recorded the JORS concert.
In order to sustain themselves until the Filipino priests visit Jesus Our Risen Savior again, parishioners will soon be able to purchase CDs and DVDs of the hugely successful Spartanburg concert
