At St. Padre Pio Parish in Kleinburg, Ont., this year’s We Believe will add a striking new chapter to the parish’s young Passion Play legacy.

With a story that opens after Christ’s Crucifixion, the audience is reminded of what it means to follow Jesus at Easter, even without seeing Him.

Across two performances on March 27 and 29, Padre Pio expects near-capacity crowds for its fourth musically immersed Passion Play production. Building on the success of last year’s This Is Jesus performance, director Liana Del Mastro has taken the creative approach of constructing a play that explores the apostles’ post-Crucifixion perspectives.

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“Part of my intention of doing that was to see and explore how the disciples and the apostles might have felt, how they might have had to deal with their emotions and what it took to be a believer of Jesus once He was no longer physically there,” she told The Catholic Register. 

“Tying that into today, we are still called to follow and live in the word of Christ and in what He did for us without being able to see Him. Just as it can be so hard for us sometimes to extend that faith, it would’ve been the same for them at that time as well.”

Through her continued goal of finding new visions and approaches for Passion plays, Del Mastro hopes to pack the parish with excitement ahead of Easter weekend. By showtime, the production is expected to nearly reach the capacity of just under 1,500 seats across the two performances. 

There, the cast will dazzle audiences with their specific emphasis on showcasing belief in Christ’s death and resurrection, the power of “It is finished” (John 19:30) and the courage of early witnesses. For Del Mastro, it is part of the team’s direct goal of aiming for emotional depth.

“We wanted to tell a story that allowed people the ability to feel. It was deliberate to pull at people’s emotions, because the faithful want to come and be touched in a way that is meaningful and helps them understand what Jesus did for us in the end,” she said. 

In total, We Believe will bring together 71 adult cast members and nearly 100 volunteers. The event is expected to once again raise $70,000 as it did in 2025, with sponsorships having increased due to the production’s community-building and evangelization value.

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Thankful for the parish community aspect the plays amplify is pastor Fr. George Parayil. Calling the event the continuation of “a beloved parish tradition” that will unify the community during the Lenten and Easter season, Parayil highlighted the main benefits observed across the Passion Play's run.

“This is something that strengthens community bonds, encourages active participation and promotes evangelization and outreach. Every year, I see new people joining us and bringing newcomers to the church and to the play — it’s beautiful to have something that brings the people together,” he said.

Taking the stage for the third time is Anthony Abbruscato, playing the role of Peter. While his performances have already received high praise from director Del Mastro, the story of how he came to be a staple of the plays goes back to its inaugural year.

“The very first year that a play was held, I was part of the audience, and I was extremely touched in a way that is hard to explain. I never fully appreciated the story of the Passion prior to that first year of witnessing it from the crowd. I remember that feeling as an audience member and what it did for me for Holy Week leading up to Easter, and that is part of our mission to give those feelings to others now,” he said.

With no prior acting experience, he credited Del Mastro’s constant mentorship, including various rehearsals that incorporated theatre pedagogy, character work, line work and sensory awareness to create the deep immersion so often associated with her productions.

They’re lessons that will come in handy for Abbruscato in perhaps his most daunting role to date.

“Even as the other apostles looked upon (Peter) for leadership to continue Jesus’ ministry, we see moments throughout the play where Peter comes across as very human,” he said.

It is that raw humanness and vulnerability that he hopes will strike a deep chord with this year’s audiences.

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“I hope people will feel like they were truly witnessing the entirety of the Passion, even when it’s so difficult to go through, but in the end, it brings it to life for us.”

For tickets, visit https://www.ticketor.com/stpadrepiochurch/