While studying Hindi at the Columban Center House during my first year in Fiji, I was saying Mass at the Home of Compassion nearby. The Sisters, elderly residents and a few parishioners had been attending the Easter ceremonies. I was the celebrant for the Easter Vigil which was my first time ever to officiate at the Vigil – the liturgical high point of the year. I carefully studied the words, actions and sequence of the different stages. I decided that it would be safer for me to say rather than sing the Exultet after lighting the Easter candle.
Afterwards the community leader remarked to me, “I’m surprised that you didn’t sing the Exultet. When Fr. O’Loughlin was here he would spend the whole day practicing before singing it. And he couldn’t sing!”
Columban Fr. Frank Hoare lives and works in Fiji.