When I began formation with Holy Cross five years ago, I was excited about many aspects of community life that I had experienced during my two weekend visits to Moreau Seminary. We pray and dine together every day, study theology and share experiences from our various ministries, and enjoy spontaneous outings that naturally arise among men who are uniquely passionate about art, sports, and nature while sharing a healthy dose of friendly competition: “Let’s go to Chorale’s Messiah performance!” “Come out to the courtyard after dinner for volleyball.” “Mario Kart in the lounge—of course we’re playing standard rules!”
In 2023, two men in formation proposed a fascinating and unique community venture. The duo led Moreau Seminary, Old College, and friends to put on a musical: The Prince of Egypt. Being on stage that semester challenged us and bonded us together as a community in surprising ways compared to our regular rhythm of life. We strained for harmonies, rehearsed choreography endlessly, and eventually formed new friendships as Israelites and Egyptians. After months of preparation, we shared our efforts and delighted many family members and friends. Many humorously and lovingly reacted in ways like, “Your performance was much better than I thought it would be!” “You all revealed new gifts to each other and to us!” I smile with joy at how right Alex White and Chris Mulholland were about the value of The Prince of Egypt to our spiritual and communal formation!
A year later, we returned to the stage. Br. Jacob Gorman and I co-directed The Hunchback of Notre Dame for another spring of creativity, joy, and friendship. In May 2025, I led our community once more in three performances of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. Zeal for the communion shared on stage has dawned new academic pursuits, too. In April 2025, I presented my Masters of Divinity Synthesis Seminar (our capstone project): “Scripture on Stage: Musical Theater & the New Evangelization.” Bringing Joseph’s story to life enjoined prayerful preparation. In addition to praying at the beginning and end of each rehearsal, several of us would gather before Saturday rehearsal to study Joseph’s narrative in Genesis more deeply. Becoming characters like Joseph, Jacob, and his other sons inspired new perspectives in prayer and formed us into a more tight-knit and faithful family.
Rehearsing and performing musicals have challenged and united us in different ways than our studies and ministries. Instead of grappling with theological concepts or pastorally caring for God’s children, we delve as one musical group into difficult rhythms, rapid dance moves, and unceasing lyrics. We solve problems creatively and stop agonizing about perfection. We quickly learned to forgo the individual spotlight so that the whole cast and crew could shine together. I offer a slightly adjusted Psalm 133: “How beautiful when brothers act, dance, and sing together in unity!”
We gathered in a classroom down the hall from the stage before our final performance. I looked toward the excited faces of the Narrators, Jacob and his Sons, the members of the Chorus, and Joseph himself. A mixture of thumbs up, grins, and raucous cheers were returned. “Let’s GO!” “We’re going to crush it tonight!” “One more time to let ‘Jacob & Sons’ shine!” I smiled broadly—our community on the stage had developed a deeper communion that persists well after our final performance. Though each person played a different character, the harmonies and choreography they shared made us a unified representation of Joseph’s story. Twenty-seven of us created a show that hundreds enjoyed. The musicals of the past three years have been this beautiful microcosm for the hospitality of Holy Cross: the lively bonds between religious priests, brothers, and sisters draw so many others closer to God through the Holy Cross family.
I waved my hands for quiet. “I can’t wait to share this with our family and friends one more time. I am so grateful for all of you. Let’s pray.” A few minutes later, I drew back the curtain with a big smile: showtime!
Andrew Copp, C.S.C.
Published on July 9, 2025
