On September 10, 11, and 16, the show “Light That Spans the Centuries” was performed at Santa Cruz School in Maringá, Brazil.
Celebrating the bicentennial of Vedruna in the school setting required more than just a historical reenactment; it required bringing to life the values, choices, and legacy of Saint Joaquina de Vedruna through appearance, voice, and art with students in grades 6 through 9 (ages 10 to 14).
The production of this show took place in three key stages.
1. The Educational Framework: Written by Many Authors
It all began with the collaborative effort of the teaching team. Teachers from different subject areas, as well as from the Coordination and Psychology departments, came together with the goal of adapting a bicentennial biography into a play that was easy to understand, covering the following:
- Historical and Human Connection: The teachers provided the historical accuracy and cultural context of the era in which Joaquina lived.
- Emotional Well-Being and Development: The Psychology Department and the Coordination Team worked to ensure that the narrative resonated with students in grades 6 through 9, transforming abstract concepts such as vocation, resilience, service, and solidarity into tangible feelings.
- The text: The goal was not to follow a rigid script, but rather to create a dynamic structure that would allow students to take center stage.
2. The Voice of History: Raising Awareness Among Storytellers
With the base text ready, the focus shifted to the student narrators, who served as the guiding threads of the presentation. The work with this group went beyond public speaking and training in stage presence.
- Immersion in the Context: The students were guided on a journey of reflection through the milestones of Saint Joaquina’s life: her childhood, her youth, her experience of marriage, motherhood, loss, and, finally, her call to found the Congregation of the Carmelite Sisters of Charity of Vedruna.
- Emotional connection: To tell a story, one had to feel it. The storytellers came to understand Joaquina’s sacrifices and courage in the face of the challenges of her time, learning to lend their own voices to the founder’s legacy and purpose.
3. From the Heart to the Stage: Student Mobilization in Grades 6–9
The final and most comprehensive phase involved all the students. The teachers served as facilitators and bridges between the text and the students’ artistic expression.
- Awareness Circles: In the classrooms, Joaquina’s story was broken down into scenes, themes, and emotions. The students reflected on the meaning of serving others and maintaining faith and hope in difficult times.
- Materialization in Art: Based on this awareness, emotion was transformed into expression. Each class and each group of students contributed to the creation of the performance: in the visual arts, in physical expression, and in rhythm.
- Unity and Active Participation: The rehearsals became moments of reflection. The story of Santa Joaquina is no longer just an event from the past; it has become a collective experience, in which every student from 6th through 9th grade puts their artistry and affection to work in honor of the Vedruna legacy.
During the presentation, the process of organizing the event was explained, and in that context, it was noted that the parents, relatives, and friends in attendance were part of the Vedruna family and, as such, were part of this story.
The show was performed twice. Recordings are available:
