A Cork Redemptorist community has received “very positive” feedback after posting a video of themselves taking part in the Jerusalema dance, which members of An Garda, Ireland’s fire department and defence forces have all taken part in.
Fr Gerry O’Connor CSsR and three other priests in the Scala community participated. The video has received thousands of reviews on Twitter and on the community’s website.
“We had very positive feedback with lots and lots of emails and Facebook messages,” said Fr O’Connor, “I think we’re all looking for ways to find highheartedness so there’s no doubt about it that it’s good for us and hopefully good for others.
“I think people are feeling an extra layer of pressure, you’d know by the phone ministry as I call it, listening to people there’s an extra edge, people are feeling isolated and alone, so if it helps in that sense it’s good.”
Fr O’Connor discovered there was spiritual origins to the Jerusalema song, which is a prayer to God, and spoke about it at Mass, which led to people challenging him to take part. As there there’s been a “significant disruption in people’s lives”, he said the purpose was “reaching out to people with a bit of light-heartedness”. He has asked the Redemptoristines in Drumcondra to do the Jerusalema dance as well as their colleagues in Brazil.
The gospel-influenced song and accompanying dance has seen health workers, construction workers, nuns, priests, police officers and flash mobs in different parts of the world participate.
