St. Mary, singers remember Father John
By Alastair Lee Bitsoi
Navajo Times
TOHATCHI, N.M., Dec. 22, 2011
(Times photo - Paul Natonabah)
Members of Tohatchi's Filipino community perform the Philippine Canao, a tradition to celebrate fiestas in honor of saints, at the 5th Annual Christmas concert at St. Mary Mission Dec. 11, in Tohatchi, N.M. The Filipinos, led by Ella Callo, also sang Tagalog (Filipino) Christmas songs dedicated to Father John Mittelstadt.
Over 100 parishioners from Coyote Canyon, Naschitti and Tohatchi and as far away as Gallup and Window Rock gathered and filled the pews of the mission to maximum capacity for the 5th Annual St. Mary's Christmas Concert.
"This evening's gathering is a family reunion of our three parishes - St. Mary, St. Anthony and St. Joseph," Sister Pat Bietsch said before the concert began. "It's the honor and glory of God. Tonight is a prayer. Every song you hear is a prayer."
Sister Pat, a mission staff member, said this year's concert was also dedicated to the memory of Father John Mittelstadt, who served as the pastor of St. Mary Mission for 22 years, from January 1989, until his death in March 2011.
Father John, who was a member of the Order of Friars Minor, organized the concert as a way to gather the many cultures that make up the demography of the Franciscan parishes on the Navajo Nation. And on Dec. 11, the church continued with Father John's tradition.
"Father John believed in people and encouraged everyone of them to fulfill their dreams," said former Council delegate Peterson Yazzie, who was master of ceremonies. "He liked to bring people together from different cultures and languages. This Christmas concert captures who Father was."
The concert began with a procession and ritual by Father John's brothers, the Franciscan Friars, and a Filipino offering dance called the Philippine Canao.
According to Ella Calo, who leads Tohatchi's Filipino community at mass at St. Mary, the Canao dance is a Filipino tradition to celebrate fiestas in honor of saints.
"This dance originated from the mountain province (in the) north of the Philippines," Calo said. "All over the 7,100 Philippine Islands, it is the people's tradition to celebrate fiestas in honor of saints, and offer dances to kick off such celebrations."
Following the opening prayer and rituals, the church's choir - made up also of members from St. Anthony in Naschitti and St. Joseph in Coyote Canyon - sang "O Come All Ye Faithful" and "The First Noel" in the English, Navajo and Latin languages.
Navajo musicians Eric Manuelito, who played a selection of songs on his flute, and Elijah Watson, who played the piano and signed in the American Sign Language for the deaf, performed solo acts.
During the second selection of songs, Calo led the Filipino congregation with a Christmas medley all in the Tagalog language.
Calo said that in the Philippines, Christmas is celebrated when the month of the year ends in "ber," which is from September to about February.
"There is much and long celebration, decorating, and get-togethers with much food that anyone who is in foreign lands like America is being missed and will miss the family most of all," Calo said. "The first song has the message of being missed during Christmas."
Other Filipino Christmas songs included the interpretation of Santa Claus in the Philippines as well as a song called "Misa de Gallo," which celebrates the coming of Christ at nine different masses.
At the conclusion of the Filipino performance, the crowd offered a resounding applause and offered "woohs" for the festive, foreign Christmas spirit.
In addition to the Filipinos, the St. Anthony Singers from Naschitti sang "Hail Mary" in Navajo and "Glory Be" and, in a special performance, sang peyote songs dedicated to the birth of the Lord with a Native American Church gourd.
The fifth set of songs ended with what the Franciscan Friars dubbed as Father John's favorite, "Silent Night."
"This is the song especially dedicated to Father John," said Sister Pat. "Without this song, we wouldn't have Christmas."
As the choir and parishioners sang in unison, Navajo children dressed as angels, shepherds and Mary and Joseph depicting the nativity scene walked to the altar, representing that Christ the Savior is born.
The concert concluded with the choir and Filipinos singing, "Joy to the World" in English, Navajo and Tagalog, "Feliz Navadad" in Spanish, and "We Wish you a Merry Christmas."
For siblings Nolan and Tanisha Notah, of Naschitti, the concert was an opportunity to experience the Christmas tradition of the local mission, rather than staying at home and being an NFL couch potato on a Sunday evening.
"All of the songs were great especially 'O, Holy Night,' which was my favorite," said Nolan, 31, following the concert. "I'm glad I came because it brings the Christmas spirit out of you."
The Filipino performance was the most intriguing for Tanisha, 20, because it offered a different flavor of Christmas.
"I enjoyed the Filipinos singing because it's different from other songs," she said, adding that she could feel the energy of the church's welcoming environment.
Asked about the diversity of the church members, Nolan said, "It's nice that a Catholic church is able to do that. Most churches would not allow such things."
The open-mindedness of the church and the concert is what Father John prided himself in, according to Father Pio O'Connor, who has been the pastor the last nine months at St. Mary.
"He always brought people together and believed in them," O'Connor said of Father John. "He would bring out the best in everybody, including the Navajo, Philippines and white people."
