Father Ricky Manalo, C.S.P., wins NPM music competition

by Stefani Manowski

paulist.org, paulistnews.org

Sometimes going against the grain pays off, and that is the case for Father Ricky Manalo, C.S.P.

“That All May Be One in Christ,” which Father Manalo composed and wrote the English lyrics, recently won the hymn competition sponsored by the National Association of Pastoral Musicians (NPM). Father Manalo’s hymn, along with the other winning title — “Family of Faith” by Steven Ottomanyi — will receive wide distribution by the Atonement Friars and NPM in preparation for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, Jan. 18-25, 2008. Unity is a chief Paulist charism, and the Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul on Jan. 25, 2008, will mark the beginning of yearlong celebrations for the Paulist Fathers’ 150th anniversary.

When a song is to be performed in different languages, Father Manalo said, it usually goes to someone who can transliterate the piece. But he took a different, if not novel, approach to “That All May Be One in Christ” by having a Spanish lyricist and Vietnamese lyricist transliterate on the refrain and write three original verses focused on the Holy Trinity.

“What you get are nine perspectives of God,” Father Manalo explained. “You get nuances of the Trinity where one culture is not more important than the other.”

For example, the lyrical images of God the Father include the eternal Father, caller of all nations and one who welcomes all people into his home; images of Christ include the Son of God, the bread of life and the paschal lamb; while the Holy Spirit is referenced as love-fire, healer of divisions and celestial wisdom.

This approach “was a way to respect other cultures and not telling them to do what I do,” by only transliterating the words, said Father Manalo.

“It respects other cultures without imposing one perspective,” he said.

The lyrics of “That All May Be One in Christ” are more important than the music, according to Father Manalo, who said the composition fits right in with his doctoral work in intercultural communication and post-colonial studies at the University of California – Berkeley.