Archdiocese of Denver - DCR


Week of February 16, 2005 Franciscan friar mixes music and spirituality for high school students Father Stan Fortuna delivers message of accountability, resisting temptation and value of prayer By Ed Lopez
Swaying and rapping, bringing forth hot licks from his guitar, Franciscan Father Stan Fortuna treated students at Bishop Machebeuf High School to an extraordinary display of musicianship and spiritual depth during an Ash Wednesday concert at the school. With his beard and ponytail, Father Fortuna might be easily mistaken for a street musician with an open guitar case plying his trade at a subway station in New York were it not for his gray robe. Beyond appearances, however, Father Fortunaπs humor, honesty and knack for knowing how to connect with young people won him an eager and receptive audience. ≥The wound of original sin unleashes a downward pull,≤ Father Fortuna warned early on during the concert in which he mixed his personal story with potent messages of accountability, resisting temptation and forging a strong sense of responsibility to one another. ≥The best way we can look out for each other is to tell the truth,≤ he said. Father Fortunaπs easy banter and street sensibility are largely derived from his upbringing. A resident of the South Bronx, Father Fortuna is one of the eight original members of the Community of the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal, which was established in the Archdiocese of New York in 1987. His musical journey started when he was in the second grade. For Christmas, his father gave him a red electric guitar, a gift that sparked a love of music that has taken him through a variety of musical genres that include contemporary Christian, jazz, folk, reggae and rap. Father Fortuna has released numerous CDs of original music and standards. All proceeds go to his communityπs hands-on work with the poor. As a young man, the Franciscan friar described himself as a ≥Catholic pagan≤ who found it easy to rationalize a lifestyle that wasnπt ≥that bad≤ as long as it didnπt involve chemicals or drug needles. ≥Your body is not your own,≤ he told students, urging them to draw back from messages in society that display or promote a reckless attitude toward Godπs gift of life. In one number called ≥Never Been Born,≤ Father Fortuna delivered an extraordinarily gripping and intense song in which, using multiple voice tracks, he assumed the role of an aborted child speaking to the world and his parents. The performance included such powerful lyrics as ≥Our lives have been taken, our bodies have been torn.≤ Father Fortuna had sharp words for men who are irresponsible in their actions regarding children, saying they should more properly be called ≥impregnators≤ than fathers. Interwoven throughout the concert were messages of prayer and reflection. ≥Worship gives us access to an inner world, but conditions us to live in this fallen world,≤ Father Fortuna said. In an interview after the concert, Father Fortuna said young people are often immersed in a culture that not only doesnπt value spiritual growth, but actually exerts a pull in the opposite direction. ≥It involves a lot of things, like sensuality, abuse of the body, disrespect of the human person, materialism, consumerism—all of those things,≤ he said. He also lamented the breakdown of the family, even if it doesnπt involve divorce or abandonment. A father may be present physically but absent emotionally, thereby depriving the family of any spiritual leadership. ≥This affects all levels of society and culture, and itπs not just rich or poor,≤ he added. Whatπs the best way young people can counteract temptations to do the wrong thing? ≥Truth and commitment,≤ Father Fortuna said without hesitation. ≥The truth that God is in charge. God is bigger than all of it. No matter how bad itπs been, no matter how hard it is, the truth will set you free. Then you take it one step, one day at a time. Godπs divine providence will lighten up the load and then we can actually have joy and peace.≤