The Argentine couple wanted to contribute their music to the virtual Eucharists celebrated during the quarantine of the pandemic, something they did before the COVID-19.
The eucharists did not stop in Argentina despite the eight months of quarantine against COVID-19. The parishes have used digital tools so that the faithful have continued to celebrate their faith in community, albeit virtually. At first Facebook and later Zoom have allowed priests to celebrate Mass with the virtual accompaniment of their faithful.
This is how Vanina and Adrián, a couple from the Parish of Saint Joseph, of the Order of Augustinian Recollects in Villa Maipú (Buenos Aires) began to sing for Zoom for the celebrations of the Eucharist along with other musicians from the Parish of Our Lady of Luján. “We were watching the Mass on Facebook and it was our desire to participate in it,” they say. They add that they believe that “God uses people to call us. In this case, it was the couple Roxana and Aurelio, who belong to the community of San José, who proposed to participate in this challenge.
This way of participating and serving in the celebrations of the Eucharist they consider that “it was a new experience and the first meetings, we were nervous”; but they did not let themselves be overcome by nerves because “the emotion of wanting to offer all the best and that the screen is not an obstacle to put our gift (of music) at the service of God, since He is the center of everything”, they add.
When they joined the WhatsApp group, composed of faithful from the Parroquia Nuestra Señora de Luján (who did not know them) and some from their Parroquia (San José), they felt welcomed from the first moment: “The whole community of the Parroquia de Luján received us in a very affective way, making us feel comfortable at all times,” they comment.
They have been doing this beautiful service of music that they offer to God for about 25 years, since they have always been singing in their parishes since they were very young. “Adrian belonged to the parish of Our Lady of Lourdes in Ciudadela and I belonged to the Community of San José in Villa Maipú, Buenos Aires”, specifies Vanina.
They met at the National Youth Meeting in 2003, in Gualeguaychú, Entre Ríos Province, Argentina. “In 2005 we got married and from there, we started to serve together in the San José Parish”, specifies Vanina. Finally, they add that “each mass is an opportunity to transmit God’s love from music”.