The two-hour long celebration included a special Holy Hour with Adoration before the Most Blessed Sacrament.

H.L. Bishop Micallef then moved in procession to the altar where he celebrated the Holy Eucharist in the presence of thousands of parishioners, marking the Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord. H.E. Msgr. Giuseppe De Andrea, Chargé d'Affaires, Apostolic Nunciature in Kuwait, and the clergy concelebrated with the Bishop.

In his homily, H.L. Bishop Micallef stressed on putting into practice the pastoral initiatives which matured during the Jubilee Year both for individuals and for the Church as a whole.

Celebrating one of the biggest events of the Great Jubilee Year in the Vicariate to commemorate the closing of the Jubilee Year, the evening of 5 January 2001 marked the Great Jubilee Musical Concert in the parish hall of the Cathedral Complex. Families, friends, well-wishers, members of the clergy and the religious sisters attended the concert presented by vocalists, instrumentalists, group communities and other artistes hailing from Kuwait's three parishes - a unique oneness as one body in Christ.

Featuring popular compositions by Graham Kendrick and Paul Wilbur, the concert captured the beauty of contemporary Christian music with its emphasis on "Praising God Through Music". The event was definitely a rich tribute to Our Heavenly Father for the wonderful talents he has bestowed upon each one. Indeed, nobody can deny the underlying spiritual experience that touched us all.

The festive event began promptly at 7.15 p.m. The president of the Kuwait National Service Team (KNST), Francis Fernandes, opened the concert with the Great Jubilee Prayer to the Holy Trinity and shared a message for the start of the new millennium.

The opening song-dance item, 'From Where The Sun Rises' was rendered by 'child prodigy' - Tara Thomas Moolayil with Kristen Vaz providing delightful accompaniment on the keyboard / synthesizer. The dance (choreographed by Sophie Fernandes) had everyone chuckling to see the young dancers swaying and tapping in perfect rhythm to the music.

The welcome song 'Reach Out And Touch One Another' was followed by a most unusual and special welcome. A group of smiling and happy children mingled with the audience and greeted everyone with warm welcomes as we shook hands with those around us. That was a great beginning, and it set the mood for a truly unforgettable evening!

H.L. Bishop Francis Micallef, wearing a special stole inscribed with the Jubilee logo for the occasion, recalled in his address to the people that "the Jubilee Year 2000 had seen many celebrations all over the world to mark Christ's 2000th birthday. The Jubilee Year was a time of special grace and meant to be a great celebration of the salvation which God offers to all humanity through His Son, Jesus Christ..."

The message of salvation was enlarged upon through the musical skit by the students of Carmel School. The story of "Creation to Incarnation" reminded us that sin came into the world through the disobedience of Eve; it was only through Mary's obedience that salvation came to mankind... That Christ came for all, irrespective of colour, race or creed was fittingly illustrated by the children dressed in various national costumes. Kudos to Sr. Maria Lytta, teachers & team for putting up this impressive skit!

There was no mistaking the religious element in the atmosphere that evening. Colorful banners (by Eugene Vaz) highlighted the theme of the Jubilee Year. Breathtaking visual and lyric backdrops (by Gina Franco) and superb lighting effects (by James Franco & Team ) provided that extra poignancy and smooth flow, bridged by the inimitable animation by Francis Sam and Dr. Alroy Fernandes.

From Poland in the North to the Philipines in the Far East, spiritual songs and dance from other cultures and in other languages were also well represented that evening.

The children of the Polish community (under the guidance of Mme. Irenna Hoowszczak and led by Claudia Staniek) from the Ahmadi parish, delivered their winning pieces in Polish to the flawless accompaniment of the violin (Jan Wisniowski). They found their way into our hearts with their rendering of 'So Big, So Small ..', 'Sleep My Jesus' : a Christmas carol and 'Father, I Am Not Afraid' (English translation of the song titles).

Songs performed that evening also included Arabic spirituals by the Arab choir led by John Sarkis Toprakjian and accompanied by Boutros Azizi on the oud (Arabic lute). "No state of the art music system here," said John, smiling modestly. Time stood still as we immersed ourselves in the sweet, soothing music from the Arab world in a spontaneous and inspired performance. The group sang 'The Lord Is Great' and 'The King Of Glory' (English translation of the song titles).

"Ambassadors for Christ", the well-known choral singers from Ahmadi, under the direction of Sr. Nilda Dalgis Muir, performed in song and action, 'The Jubilee Song' with its catchy tune and familiar to us all -- which made it ever so great. The setting, further enhanced by the cute and appropriate actions of the children all dressed in white, breathed new life into the most lovable tune of the Jubilee Year.

From the soulful to the loud and colorful, the evening brought a subtle change in tone with a Jewish dance of celebration that grabbed our attention with its lively explosion of joy. Collectively choreographed by the teenagers and youth, the leaping and whirling of the dancers to the strains of 'Shouts Of Joy', 'Sing For Joy In The Lord' and 'Roni, Roni, Batzion' perfectly manifested the energy and vitality of the ancient Hebrew dances of the city of David. With flags and banners and ear-to-ear smiles, the dancers glided through this number as whoops and claps exploded from the audience.

A gorgeous instrumental ensemble followed. It was sheer joy to sit back and take in the melodious medley 'Come On and Celebrate', 'Deep Calls To Deep', 'Only By Grace', 'There's A Quiet Understanding', 'Shepherd Of My Soul' and 'Shout To The Lord' by the 'prodigy trio', Benedicto Fernandes (violin), Re-anne Rodrigues (piano) and Adrian Rodrigues (guitar) from the Ahmadi parish.

... Dwelling on the aspect of "music as a treasure of inestimable value" .. Marlinda D'souza (a talented musician herself), urged parents to give what it takes to provide the best learning opportunities in music for their children.

And for those among us who have a passion for live acoustic music, both the lyrics and the tune of 'Find Rest', found favour that evening. The rich contemporary voices (Dr. Alroy, Barbara Kamath) to the accomapaniment of superb guitar sounds (Jhovy Pereira, Nathan D'Costa) and animated bongo beats (Keith Fernandes) enthralled the audience.

Yet, our joy would not have been complete without Christmas carols. What, with the Christmas Season not quite over! The unusual picks of the season performed by John Fernandes and the Salmiya parishioners (music arranged and sequenced by Blossom Pereira) kept the spirit of Christmas alive in our hearts with 'God Bless Us Everyone', 'Calypso Carol' and 'Hear Those Christmas Bells'.

From Christmas to the Millennium, "Two thousand years of faith ... of hope ... of love", sang the combined choruses of the Filipino Catholic Community in Kuwait (FCCK) under the direction of Tito, delighting us with their mellow and well-synchronized 'It's the Fullness Of Time'. The group (all in colorful festive attire), also performed a happy, upbeat song 'You Are The Reason - We Have A Feast' which drew impulsive claps from the audience in rhythm to the beat.

Every vocal performance was superb. Nathan D'Costa's (self-composed) song was a joyful affirmation of hope and trust based on Psalm 23. It was a thrilling experience to listen to Agnelo Dias (Stepping Stones) perform his repertoire of songs, 'I Look Up To The Mountains, Where Will My Help Come From' (Psalm 121) and 'Let It Be'. The enormously talented stars of the evening, Barbara Kamath, Marlinda D'Souza, James Franco and Dr. Alroy Fernandes (Kuwait City Parish) took almost every composition on stage to greater heights ... 'When I Look At The Heavens ..' merged into the fabulous 'Let the Earth Rejoice, For The Lord Reigns'. It was great to see everyone get caught up in the stage charisma and enthusiasm of the performers.

The spotlight that evening was on the 'Stepping Stones', Kuwait's popular (Christian) band of five (James, Elias, Ronnie, Jackson and Agnelo), that generated the sequences and modern technobeats for most of the evening's solos and choruses. In a personal testimony, James Franco acknowledged that the fifteen years of their coming together had indeed been challenging ... However, a spiritual renewal along with a personal commitment to Jesus led the group to seek not its own glory, but, to glorify the name of the Lord through music.

The co-ordinator of the Jubilee Committee, Rudolf Fernandes, highlighted the activities of the committee (est. in 1996), and the main events of the Jubilee Year. He thanked all the parishioners for their generous contributions which helped in repatriating destitute maids from Kuwait to their respective homelands. Mr. Fernandes also comended the Salmiyah parish for its unstinted support.

This was a MEGA EVENT in every way. Thanks to the Jubilee Sub-Committee. Weeks of planning by a hard-working and energetic team (Dominic Fernandes, Bruno Lobo, Mariette Vaz, Barbara Kamath, Marlinda D'Souza, James Franco, Vero & Eugene Vaz, Mario D'Costa and Dr. Alroy Fernandes) in collaboration with parish communities backed by the intercessory prayer group made the Jubilee concert a reality. The event involved some 100 singers, dancers, musicians, stage helpers and team members. Hearty congratulations to all the participants on their brilliant performance.

"Rare are the times when one does get to be a part of such a unifying and overwhelming experience," remarked Dr. Alroy Fernandes. He said that the event was a "major milestone for all of us." Notably Dr. Fernandes' diversified talent in song, dance and animation added greater dimension.

In the Vote of Thanks, Marlinda thanked H.L. Bishop Francis Micallef for his enthusiasm and support in organising the event. Thanks were accorded to the participants and parents who had made the time for innumerable practices, etc. Special mention was made of Dominic Fernandes and Bruno Lobo responsible for front and back stage management. Lastly, but not least, Ms. D'Souza thanked all those present for making the evening a grand success with their presence.

We have indeed celebrated Jesus as a community. An invitation to refreshments encouraged everyone present to a warm fellowship. And as we dispersed, there remained in the heart - the joyful tune and theme of the Jubilee message of God's grace and salvation to all, and moments to cherish forever.

By the Web-Team. Photographs © Rewon Gomes.