Christmas 2024: Acolyte Children’s Choir in Peru announces a new Christmas carol in Quechua

The Huancavelica Acolyte Children’s Choir, with more than a decade of experience and rooted in the San Juan Evangelista parish, in the Andean region of Peru, is preparing to present this year its new carol in Quechua titled “Uiñay Chulla”, which means “Eternal Candor”.

Link Mesa, only 10 years old and an acolyte since he was seven, is one of the protagonists of this story. A well-known priest asked his parents if their son “wanted to serve at Mass, and I said ‘yes, I do,’” he recalled in a recent interview with EWTN News.

His participation in the choir began shortly after: That priest “told my mother that Father Carlos (López) had a choir, and my mother signed me up. Since then I have been learning to sing.”

The release of “Uiñay Chulla”

The choir, made up of 21 children, made a trip of more than 15 hours to the Cusco region to record the video clip of the new carol. During the journey, the children felt very excited at different times.

“I felt very connected to God and I loved all the places we have gone,” commented Adriano Romani, another of the members, while remembering the recordings in iconic settings of the Inca Empire such as the Coricancha temple and the Sacsayhuamán fortress.

For Father Carlos López, director of the choir, the experience was much more than a musical production, since it meant “living moments of prayer” and sharing in community. Likewise, he explained the meaning of this new topic and highlighted the connection between the Christian faith and ancestral traditions.

“The Christmas carol that we are going to launch speaks of ‘Eternal Candor’, ‘true sun that you were born’. For the ancients in Peru, the sun was considered a god, which is why they built the Coricancha temple, which is currently a Dominican temple. In this place, the true Sun is now worshiped, which is Christ. In the video, we recreate a live birth and show how, in the place where the sun god was worshiped, today we proclaim the true Sun: Jesus Christ.”

An audiovisual project with obstacles and blessings

The recording was not without challenges. Without sufficient financial resources, parents organized activities to raise funds. “We have greatly felt the Providence of God and also the support of the parents and many people who accompany us with prayer. That is why the doors are opened to us,” reflected Father Carlos.

Magaly Cóndor, mother of two choir members, shared the impact that this experience has had on her children: “Before they didn’t know much about God. Now, when they serve at the altar, I see a profound change. “It is the most beautiful thing I can see in my children,” he said.

The Huancavelica Acolytes Children’s Choir was born in 2011, during a carol competition. Since then, they have recorded eight video clips and have a repertoire that includes Eucharistic, vocational and pro-life themes. One of its main objectives is the promotion of religious vocations.

Father Carlos, who felt his call to the priesthood while he was an acolyte, seeks to replicate that experience in new generations. “When we were acolytes, our bishop taught us music. He got pianos for our diocese, musical instruments, and there was a band of musicians in the minor seminary. My hobby arose there, in an environment of much prayer and academic and human training,” he recalled.

Children also invite others to join the choir, encouraging them to discover the joy of serving God. “When I am in the choir I feel that Jesus is calling me,” confessed Jack Paucar, one of the little members.

Premiere of “Uiñay Chulla”

The Christmas CarolUiñay Chulla” will be released on December 16 on the choir’s social networks. To support this noble mission of faith and music, those interested can visit their website at www.corodeacolitos.com.