Thousands of Catholics, including young people and families from across southern India, gathered at Our Lady of Lourdes Shrine in Perambur, Chennai, on October 31 for “Jesus Makes Me Dance, Live in Concert,” an evening combining contemporary Christian music, Eucharistic worship and Indian cultural performances.
The event was organized by the Youth Commission and the Commission for Social Communications of the Archdiocese of Madras-Mylapore, in collaboration with the shrine and Forgiven Ministries. Participants came from neighboring parishes as well as other cities, while hundreds of Catholic social media influencers also attended.
The program began at 5:30 p.m. with praise and worship led by Forgiven Ministries under the leadership of Eric Noronha. An English-Tamil bilingual Mass followed at 6:30 p.m., celebrated by Fr. Richie Vincent.
The main concert, led by Franciscan priest and musician Fr. Sandesh Manuel, OFM, opened with a procession and blessing with a first-class relic of St. Carlo Acutis. Thousands then joined in singing and dancing as Fr. Sandesh used music and audience interactions to share messages about the lives of the saints.
He highlighted the spirituality of St. Francis of Assisi, whose 800th death anniversary the Church will mark in 2026, as well as the witness of St. Anthony of Padua and St. Carlo Acutis, encouraging young people to draw inspiration from their lives.
Members of the Diocesan Youth Commission led the audience in performing dance steps prepared for the concert. The program also featured a Bharatanatyam performance, bringing classical Indian dance into dialogue with contemporary Christian music.
A rap song about St. Carlo Acutis, originally composed by Fr. Sandesh, was another highlight. A pro-life awareness stall also provided participants with information about the dignity and value of human life.
The evening concluded with Eucharistic Benediction led by Fr. Stanislaus Swamikannu, SDB, rector and parish priest of Our Lady of Lourdes Shrine.
At the conclusion, Fr. Sandesh thanked Abhishek Joseph and Fr. Richie Vincent for their initiative in bringing the concert to Chennai. The organizers also acknowledged the support of Fr. Stanislaus, Fr. Maria Prem Anbarasan of the Youth Commission, the participating ministries, dance school, volunteers, clergy and religious.
The gathering highlighted how music, dance and digital engagement can bring young Catholics together while keeping Eucharistic worship at the center of community celebrations.
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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