Behold God's Love: A Eucharistic Musical
Notre Dame, IN – The McGrath Institute for Church Life announces the world premiere of Behold God’s Love: A Eucharistic Musical, a three-act work written in service to the National Eucharistic Revival, created to inspire a deeper love of the Eucharist.
Composed by Carolyn Pirtle, M.M., M.S.M., M.A., program director of the Notre Dame Center for Liturgy, McGrath Institute for Church Life at the University of Notre Dame, Behold God’s Love invites audiences to encounter the beauty of the Eucharist through imaginative portrayals of stories from Scripture.
“My goal was to help our audience members encounter these timeless stories in a new, vibrant, and joyful way, and to help the performers grow in their relationship with God by bringing the Scriptures to life,” says Pirtle.
With cast and crew from across the tri-campus community of the University of Notre Dame, Saint Mary’s College, and Holy Cross College, as well as numerous parishes throughout the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend, this intergenerational production represents a true cross section of the South Bend region.
“It’s been such a gift to work with our cast members,” says Pirtle. “I’m inspired by their love of the Eucharist and their commitment to share this story and their faith with others through music and acting.”
Act I recalls the Passover, the Exodus, and the miraculous manna in the desert, which has long been interpreted by Christians as a prefigurement of the Eucharistic Bread of Life. Act II highlights different meals from the ministry of Jesus, culminating in the Last Supper and the institution of the Eucharist. Act III depicts the Apostle Paul and the Christians of Corinth as they celebrate the Eucharist together and learn what it means to become the love of Christ in the world.
Directed by Jennifer Cimino, founder and director of On Cue, a performing arts program for under-resourced students in Omaha, Nebraska, Behold God’s Love is joyous, light-hearted, and profoundly spiritual, drawing viewers into a deeper love of Jesus Christ, truly present in the Eucharist.
“Sometimes presentations on the Eucharist can become so technical, in the laudable desire to teach the doctrine precisely, that one can seem to lose the forest for the trees,” says John Cavadini, Ph.D., McGrath-Cavadini director of the McGrath Institute for Church Life. “In this modern-day Passion play, we have a technically precise presentation of the Eucharistic mystery in biblical terms that can speak to hearts everywhere. The musical taps the heart of the biblical dramas in which the mystery of the Eucharist is revealed, making them live again for us. The fact that Carolyn captures the humor we don't often notice in the biblical narratives only makes the sublimity of the ultimate effect more compelling.”
The world premiere includes two performances. Both will be free and open to the public and available to the pilgrims on the Marian Route of the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage, who will be traveling through South Bend at that time. The pilgrimage will culminate at the National Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis, July 17-21.
“My hope for the audience is that when they leave the theater, they will have had an encounter with the Scriptures and with the mystery of the Eucharist that inspires them to a deeper love of God—that sparks within them a deeper realization of the love God has for them, along with a deeper love of the neighbor with whom we are united when we celebrate the Eucharist,” says Pirtle.
Performances will take place at 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. Saturday, July 6, 2024, at O’Laughlin Auditorium on the campus of Saint Mary’s College. Tickets may be reserved for free by clicking on this link.
Media Contact: Maggie Scroope, program director of communications, McGrath Institute for Church Life, 574-631-0153, mscroope@nd.edu.