For Lenoy Gomendes of Goa, western India, music began with a keyboard gifted by his father. He could not have imagined that the simple gift would lead him from college programs and television to Konkani music, tiatr, Church ministry and religious dramas that bring messages heard in church to life on stage.
A self-taught musician, Lenoy formed a choir group during his second year of commerce studies. Although his knowledge of non-Gospel music was limited, he was eager to learn. He began playing for college competitions and programs on Goa Doordarshan, India's public television broadcaster.
One memory remains special. On August 15, the Feast of the Assumption, he played the keyboard for the first time in the college chapel. The appreciation he received gave him confidence that his talent could touch people.
“Looking back, I feel that I did not choose music as much as music became a part of my life naturally,” he said. “I simply kept learning, practicing and accepting every opportunity that came my way.”
After college, Lenoy worked in different areas of music, playing in five-star hotels, Konkani dramas, wedding bands and other programs. He later received an invitation to help with the choir and Church services at Our Lady of the Rosary Church in Navelim.
He was not prepared for the responsibility, but when a priest asked him to serve, he felt he could not refuse. At the time, he received only 18 Indian rupees per Mass for travel expenses. He did not see the service as a financial opportunity.
“I looked at it as an invitation from God,” he said. “If God had given me this musical talent, I should also give a little of it back to Him.”
For Lenoy, being a choirmaster is not simply about playing an instrument or singing correctly. It is about helping people enter into prayer through music. Navelim is a large parish, and on some days he plays for seven or eight Masses.
He is particular about liturgical music. Hymns, he believes, should serve the liturgy and help the congregation pray rather than turn the celebration into a concert.
His love for music also extends to Konkani culture. A tiatr lover since childhood, Lenoy has worked with numerous directors and producers and participated in tiatrs and musical shows. He sees Konkani music and tiatr as more than entertainment because they preserve language, emotions, humor, social realities and traditions.
He has also encouraged new talent. In 2020, he organized Proximo Voice of Goa. He now presents Gõychem Kantaranchem Daiz, The Voice of Goa with Fr. Myron Jeson Barreto, a priest of the Archdiocese of Goa and Daman.
His religious dramas grew largely from listening to the Word of God at Mass, homilies and retreats, as well as through personal reflection. Lenoy wanted to transform messages that might otherwise remain words into stories that people could see, hear and experience.
“I usually begin with a situation that touches me deeply,” he said. “I then ask myself: How can I communicate this in a way that an ordinary person can understand, relate to and feel?”
His dramas draw on real-life stories and personal testimonies. Through them, he seeks to help people reflect on their lives, their relationship with God and the choices they make.
Music has become an important part of this evangelizing work.
“A message spoken on stage may stay in someone’s mind for a while, but a message put into a meaningful song can sometimes stay in someone’s heart for years,” he said.
His journey has also brought challenges. Church ministry involves working with different personalities, opinions and expectations, but Lenoy sees these experiences as opportunities to grow in patience and understanding.
He encourages young people not to bury the talents they have received.
“Music, technology, filmmaking and writing and the performing arts can all become means of evangelization,” he said.
Lenoy’s journey, which began with a keyboard from his father, has developed into a ministry that connects music, culture and faith. Through liturgical service, Konkani music and religious drama, he continues to turn what he hears and experiences in the Church into stories and songs that speak to people with a missionary purpose.
Radio Veritas Asia (RVA), a media platform of the Catholic Church, aims to share Christ. RVA started in 1969 as a continental Catholic radio station to serve Asian countries in their respective local language, thus earning the tag “the Voice of Asian Christianity.” Responding to the emerging context, RVA embraced media platforms to connect with the global Asian audience via its 21 language websites and various social media platforms.
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