People journey the Way of the Cross with musical stations

By Tanya Connor | The Catholic Free Press

SOUTHBRIDGE – An eighth-grader from Virginia sang Christian songs – including two of hundreds she’s written – for the Musical Stations of the Cross March 21 at St. John Paul II Parish’s St. Mary Church. Playing guitar with her and leading the music was her grandmother.

“We’ve been doing this for more than 20 years,” that grandmother, Teri Righi Canty, a St. John Paul II cantor and choir member, said of the Musical Stations. But this was the first time her granddaughter Rita Grace Francavilla, 14, contributed to the tradition.

Mrs. Canty said Brandon Vennink began the Stations when he was music director at St. Mary’s, before the parish was merged with other parishes to form what is now St. John Paul II.    

“It’s one of the traditions that he began that we treasure and hold on to,” she explained. “It’s that little bit of difference in hearing some music” that prepares you to take the journey with Christ in praying the Stations “and just leave the world behind and make that transition into a more spiritual time.”

She’s been organizing the Musical Stations since he moved on years ago, she said. She arranges for different musicians to play songs each week before those present pray the Stations of the Cross, during which all sing, “At the Cross Her Station Keeping.”

Usually Mrs. Canty gets different local musicians to play and sing Lenten music before the Stations, this year focusing on hope, the theme of the Jubilee Year. But for March 21 she arranged for her granddaughter, who was here visiting, to join her in sharing songs.

Mrs. Canty said she’d gone to Virginia to attend a concert by Riley Clemmons, a popular Christian composer and recording artist, with her daughter and granddaughter, and they came back here with her for a visit with one of Rita’s brothers.

For the Musical Stations Rita sang and played the Riley Clemmons song “Loved by You,” which mentions Jesus’ blood and scars. With her grandmother she sang “Nothing but the Blood/O the Blood of Jesus,” which the program leaflet attributed to Robert Lowry and a Spiritual.

Granddaughter and grandmother also sang Rita’s songs “Shalom,” which acknowledges that Jesus, Prince of Peace, is “all I need,” and “Purified,” which speaks of surrendering one’s broken heart to God, being “born again” and shown “a brand new way.”

“I wrote my first song when I was six years old,” Rita told The Catholic Free Press. It involved playing two chords on a ukulele while words about Jesus just came out of her, she said; she wasn’t planning on writing a song.

She continued writing, almost gave up at one point, but now says, “It’s a part of who I am ... if I were to describe myself, music would be in there.” She said she writes worship songs and songs about her life, as well as novels and movie scripts.

Mrs. Canty said Rita has released “Shalom” and “Purified” and they can be found on streaming platforms, including YouTube, Spotify and Apple Music.

Why not write and share Christian music? As Rita put it, “I’m a pastors’ kid.”

Her father and mother, Pastors Bill and Jessica Francavilla, lead Living Hope Church VA in Williamsburg, Virginia, part of the Open Bible Network of churches.

“I’ve performed at church conferences, talent shows, festivals, youth camps,” Rita said.
Now she has also played for the Musical Stations of the Cross, one of three opportunities St. John Paul II Parish offers each Friday of Lent for people to pray the popular devotion in community at St. Mary’s.

The Musical Stations, at 5:30 p.m., are flanked by Stations of the Cross in English at 3:30 p.m. and in Spanish at 7 p.m. All include singing between Stations, said Deacon Juan J. Guzman, who serves at the parish. But there are additional songs with Musical Stations. The 3:30 p.m. time enables older people who don’t drive in the dark to participate, he said.

He said the English-language Musical Stations have been a wonderful blessing because, through them, participants don’t experience the Way of the Cross by itself; they are also inspired by music that relates to Jesus’ Passion.

The Musical Stations begin with a “Service of Light,” for which the paschal candle is lit and the congregation sings together before the guest musicians present their songs.

The first two weeks of Lent this year, musicians from St. John Paul II – choir member Rob Honohan, and music director Pam Goodnow with choir member Sandy Allen - played and sang, Mrs. Canty said.

March 28 soprano Andrea Jachimczyk, accompanied on piano by Jan Mathieu, musicians from St. Joseph Parish in Charlton, provided music.

On Friday, Frank Gallagher, of St. John Paul II, is to sing and play contemporary songs guitar.
Next Friday, April 11, Mrs. Canty expects to sing and play guitar herself.