“The Betania Choir is a living transmission of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, so that today’s men and women may sense and experience the Face of God in the Catholic Church,” Fr. Honegger Molina.
“The Betania Choir is a family choir and its task is to evangelize while singing, serving our Church, giving ourselves to our people, for the glory of God, bringing peace, love and hope to their hearts,” said its leader, Professor Maria Auxiliadora Bianchini Leon.
As every year, in the framework of an intense effort to evangelize by means of many participations, in a number of parishes, in different places, in 2018 they also visited the homeless of Chacao, the Martin Vegas Hospital that houses leprosy patients, and they visited the Sisters of Charity of St. Teresa of Calcutta. “I cannot complain about anything, Lord,” said Professor Maria Auxiliadora, “It touches our souls to see the children and the sick, to see how they smile, how they get excited with the little that we give when visiting them, to bring them joy and songs of hope, because hope is one of the most important virtues; faith, hope and love.”
The choir makes a great effort to transmit joy and excitement with their Christmas carols, but it is God who does the final work, as Hugo Liscano, assistant director, commented: “The joy of Christmas is given to us since two thousand years ago and we have to hold this joy in our hearts and try to make it grow all the time.”
Priests have also expressed themselves in this regard: “The Betania Choir always fills us with light and hope”, affirmed Fr. Honegger Molina, of La Anunciacion del Senor Parish, in La Boyera, Caracas. “The Betania Choir is a sign of quality, excellence and is a sign of hope for us and, in regard to evangelization, this is a central point because it transmits much fidelity to the Gospel, much fidelity to the Catholic Church, it is always in tune and in accordance with our liturgy and that elevates much more the liturgical times, like this one.”
Fr. Jose Martinez Dominguez, of Santa Maria Madre de Dios Parish, in Manzanares, Caracas, said that the Betania Choir concert had been spectacular, truly brilliant, worthy of being held in a stadium, and exalted the work of the choir of spreading the message of reconciliation and unity. “May God make us feel that we are all brothers and sisters this Christmas, even though we are different,” he said.
Also, Juan Carlos Leon, one of the founders, recalled that the Betania Choir was founded thirty seven years ago, and that for the choir this time of the year was very important because the Nativity of the Lord is celebrated. He added that the choir is beside the Church, supporting the apparitions of the Virgin of Betania, Our Lady Reconciler of All Peoples: “We are Catholics and we feel a fervent impulse to evangelize while singing; it is one of the main tasks of the Betania Choir.”
Rosalba and Raul Pena, who in the company of their children have been in the choir for fifteen years and their children for three years, affirmed that for them the choir represents service, giving of themselves, but that more than giving it is what they receive by being part of the choir; “The grace of the Lord of being instruments to win souls through his love.”
The Servant of God Maria Esperanza Bianchini, as a spiritual guide of the Betania Choir used to address the choir before each presentation. These are some of her inspiring phrases: “Smile with the joy of the innocent child. Share your song with the souls. The Betania Choir is light, inspiration, positive force, glory to God.”
The Betania Foundation and the Betania Choir wish you a MERRY CHRISTMAS!
