MACAU (UCAN): The Maria Centre in Macau has drawn inspiration from the life of St. Lawrence to engage youth and promote Christian values among them at a local parish, according to O Clarim, the diocesan newspaper.
An unnamed official from the centre said the choice of a live-action role-playing game based on the life of Saint Lawrence, who died in 258AD, was not random.
“Each participant is assigned a specific character within a basic context, who then has to make different decisions according to their character’s traits throughout the game,” the official said.
“It is an interactive challenge with no fixed answers and whose consequences depend on the participants’ decisions. This feature opens up room for reflection and debate among young people,” the official explained.
The official added that such interactive games were powerful tools for involving young people and people of all ages in “discussions about faith and morality.”
Father Cyril Law, the parish priest at Saint Lawrence Church, invited the Maria Centre team to organise religious activities to attract more people, particularly young people.
According to the centre, the sessions at the church are the first in a series they plan to develop so that youth can learn more about the Catholic Church, its saints, and “how the Church relates to society.”
Officials from Maria Centre said they chose St. Lawrence as an example because of the “very deep meaning” his life and martyrdom had for “those who believe in God.”
St. Lawrence is one of the most venerated martyrs among Catholics. He is celebrated for his Christian valour and according to the Encyclopedia Britannica, he is the patron saint of the poor and cooks.
The saint was among the seven deacons of the Roman Church serving Pope Sixtus II, who were executed during the persecution under the Roman emperor, Valerian.
He is believed to have given away the Church’s treasures to the poor and the sick before his arrest.
The participants were given a guided tour of St. Lawrence Church after the role-playing sessions.
The tour aimed to help the participants learn more about the parish’s history, Catholic doctrine, liturgy, and some of the Church’s rituals.
