With the showmanship of a Broadway musical, 11 diocesan priests brought “Paring, Pinoy and Friends: Three Shows for Thanksgiving, Togetherness and Inspiration” to life the evening of Nov. 11 before a full house at St. Vincent de Paul Parish in Wildwood.

“Ahmen 2,” as it is affectionately called, comes six years after “Ahmen 1,” when the priestly singing sensation debuted in the diocese.

The concert name translates to “Priest, Filipino and Friends” in Tagalog, the language of the Philippines, and it perfectly describes the dynamic group that sang and danced their way through two hours of entertainment. The songs ranged from the Beatles to John Legend, from the patriotic to romantic ballads in English, Cebuano and Tagalog. Father Bernard Fernando, who is retired, also performed as a stand-up comedian, and Father Juanito Figura, head of the Filipino Ministry in the Diocese of Orlando and parochial vicar at Holy Cross Parish in Orlando, led as master of ceremonies.

This was the third show this year for the Filipino priests of the diocese, who sought to raise money for the Filipino Ministry and to strengthen camaraderie among Filipino priests serving the region. The priests also wanted to thank the Filipino communities and friends in the diocese for their support, especially for their hosting of the second National Assembly of Filipino Priests in the United States in 2014.

“One of our goals was also to encourage vocations through the music, the message of the songs, and to show them that we are also human beings,” said Father Ramon Bolatete of St. Joseph Parish in Lakeland. “We have talents and we have something to offer to the world. And in fact, through the priesthood, we grow more in our vocation and in our knowledgeand love of God.”

A Catholic priest is a man of God but shares all the hopes, fears, dreams, concerns and daily challenges of every other man.

He often finds himself alone but at any moment he may be called into the most significant moments of another persons life. The door bell rings, a cell phone buzzes, there’s a knock on the door or the office phone clangs and in a moment he goes from alone and quiet to “ministry mode” congratulating on a new birth, consoling in the midst of crisis, accepting an invitation to dinner, offering comfort at the news of a death, trying to calm a complaining parishioner or simply accepting the latest blurb that MUST be included in the next bulletin.

He often finds himself surrounded by a crowd of people but at any moment transported to a deep and quiet place where he encounters the Lord alone. Often this occurs at mass when the words from a hymn, a glimpse of a familiar face, as favorite phrase from scripture or an oft repeated line from the ritual of the mass cause him to pause and be reminded of the deep purpose of his life.