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Duwa Passion Play on low key but the Old, Rugged Cross was there
A past Passion play
This year due to the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Duwa Passion Play, a tradition that has been preserved for generations, was not staged as usual.
Instead this time, the services on Good Friday were limited to the way of the cross and the three hour service that ended with devotees worshiping the crucifix inside the church at Duwa.
The Duwa Passion Play which was started first based on the book ‘Dukprapthi Prasangaya’ by Fr. Jacome Gonsalvez in 1728 has been continuously used for the drama, till the script was written again in 1939 by Fr. Marceline Jayakody coinciding with the 100th anniversary of the crucifix that was brought here from Kochin in India.
It is a special feature of this drama that most of the village people are engaged in the traditional play. With Fr. Marceline Jayakody taking a bold step to use human actors replacing the statues it got wide publicity in Asia, but in 2019 the Duwa Pasku Committee decided to use the crucifix to give the younger generation a glimpse into the traditions.