101 children to sing and play for Pope Francis in Jakarta

By Mark Saludes and Peter Monthienvichienchai, LiCAS News

The children came from four different schools – Sta. Ursula Jakarta, Sta. Maria Jakarta, Sta. Theresia Jakarta and Strada Van Lith 1 – as well as two youth organisations, the Sant’Egidio Community and the Vita Dulcedo orphanage.

On the second day of his apostolic visit to Indonesia, Pope Francis will meet with bishops, priests, deacons, consecrated persons, seminarians and catechists at the cathedral on September 4.

Gabriel Fauntleroy Hadisaputro, a 10-year-old student at Santa Maria Jakarta School, said he was excited to see Pope Francis in person. “I only see him on TV,” he said. “I’m happy to be able to meet him.”

Alexa Epiphany Maria Gunawan, an 11-year-old musician from Sta. Ursula School, will play keyboards during the meeting with the pope.

“I hope to see him again in person in the next 10 or 20 years, and I really hope he enjoys his time in Indonesia,” she said.

Gunawan encouraged Pope Francis to “tour Jakarta and Indonesia” and feel the warm welcome of the Indonesian people.

The children will perform for four and a half minutes for Pope Francis, and may have the opportunity to meet him after his meeting with the clergy and young people of Scholas Occurrentes.

Yudhi Ekaputra, a choir teacher and musician, has arranged the music for the show. He said the children will perform “We are herea song popularized on the occasion of this year’s Universal Children’s Day.

“It’s in Italian, so the kids have to learn to pronounce and memorize, of course, all the lyrics in the foreign language… So I made the music, at least one for them, from scratch, of course, based on the original song,” he said.

Ekaputra revealed that they have incorporated ethnic music and some children will use indigenous instruments in the performance.

He said he was “grateful and happy to make music” for Pope Francis, adding: “I intend to make a recording of this song, a recording worthy of the name. For the pope and for the children too.”

Eight music teachers and 21 committee members helped prepare the children for the show.

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