COLOMBO : Brian Fernando, 10, and friends used to emulate their hero, Michael Jackson, by "moon walking" in the aisle of St Lucia's Cathedral after Sunday Mass. His mother grew tired of telling them to behave.

"I like his dance moves, and I would love it if he was our neighbor," Brian would say.

As recently as a month ago, he and other Sunday school students admitted that pop and movie stars were their heroes, and that they did not feel such a connection with the "un-cool" characters in the Bible.

This attitude worried Father Anthony Joseph, assistant parish priest for the cathedral parish's Tamil community. So he prepared a one-month program involving family members and teachers aimed at helping young parishioners realize that biblical characters such as Saint Peter, Saint Paul, Samson, Abraham, Moses and, of course, Jesus could be "cool" heroes too.

"Contemporary consumerism challenges our children and can corrupt them," Father Joseph told UCA News. With stars in action pictures, TV series and sports mesmerizing children and becoming their role models, he said, "we saw it as a challenge to bring biblical heroes to life."

St Lucia's Marai Vazhu Onrium (catechist center) conducted a Bible, art and handicraft exhibition as a joint effort with parents, children and teachers to try to change attitudes among the 700 children aged 5-16 in the Tamil Catholic community.

Parents, children and teachers worked together for a month to create paintings, posters, carved Bible figures and handicrafts based on biblical stories.

For an art competition on the theme of love, Church, and family life, some 200 children under age 10 drew characters from the Bible.

On Sept. 5, exhibition day, hundreds of visitors came to see the more than 500 pieces of artwork and handicraft items that had been produced. Boys and girls dressed as characters from the Bible moved around the college premises as the story of the life of Jesus was projected on to a screen.

Nimulson Theepa, mother of two, and Usha Thomas, mother of three, told UCA News their children had worked late into the night to prepare for the exhibition. They had discussed the characteristics and costumes of Bible heroes together.

Parents said they were overjoyed that their children had learned how Bible characters sought truth and practiced honesty, tolerance, self-respect and compassion for others.

Sahana Croos, 14, who received first prize in the art competition for secondary students, told UCA News: "Mother Mary is my favorite. You see, she sent her only son to work, preach and die for the human race."

Brian Rajaratnam, a student at a local college, acknowledged the exhibition had changed his priorities.

"I removed all the figures of heroes from my back pack. A real hero is measured by his character and life style," he said.

Organizers are claiming a great success and say that during the month, children gave up all their pocket-size figures of film stars, pop stars and TV stars. In line with this, parents gradually removed photos and images of stars from their homes.

"It is a weakness for children to accept everything without inquiry," remarked Father Tony Martyn, the cathedral parish priest.

"Their heroes are entangled in drug charges and even child abuse," he said. "The Church has to protect them from social evils and provide a good environment in which to grow up."

Elizabeth Fernando, 71, told UCA News: "One of the joys of being a grandparent is watching the child's character develop."

Courtesy : UCAN