Sacred Music

The Latest

Pope Francis greets artists and participants of the 2024 Vatican Christmas Concert in the Clementine Hall on Dec. 14, 2024.

Pope Francis calls on Vatican Christmas concert artists to promote peace, reconciliation

Dec 14, 2024

By AC Wimmer

The pope emphasized the unique power of music to foster unity and communion, drawing parallels to the first Christmas. Read more

null

Diocese reverses hymn ban in favor of ‘synodal’ selection of sacred music

Nov 7, 2024

By Jonah McKeown

Bishop W. Shawn McKnight of the Diocese of Jefferson City, Missouri, had listed a dozen contemporary hymns to be “forbidden”... Read more

The new gallery organ sits under construction at the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart in Richmond, Virginia.

A major organ build in Virginia highlights the ‘multidisciplinary’ art of church organ-making

May 29, 2024

By Daniel Payne

The Richmond cathedral’s search for a new organ eventually led it to the firm of Juget-Sinclair, whose build of the... Read more

The Chapel of the Good Shepherd is home to the General Theological Seminary in the Chelsea neighborhood of New York City.

Episcopal bishops oppose Catholic music group’s use of New York seminary

Apr 17, 2024

By Daniel Payne

In a letter, the Episcopal bishops said they were “concerned by the lack of full acceptance of the LGBTQ stance”... Read more

Cappella sings “O Sacrum Convivium” at the University of Mary on Holy Thursday, March 28, 2024.

University of Mary student choir celebrates Eucharistic Revival 

Apr 7, 2024

By Kate Quiñones

Choir director Rebecca Raber hopes that through their recordings, the beauty of sacred music “will draw hearts to Christ in... Read more

Richard Carrillo, director of “Requiem for the Forgotten,” conducts a choir. Carrillo is finishing his doctorate in choral conducting at the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami.

Historic ‘Requiem for the Forgotten’ Mass to premiere in Miami 

Mar 10, 2024

By Kate Quiñones

The Requiem by composer Frank La Rocca “is something that’s not been done in music history for centuries,” according to... Read more

Diane Mahoney's original composition “We Do Believe, O Lord” has been selected as the 2024 National Eucharistic Congress’ official theme song.

Prizewinning National Eucharistic Revival hymns released for use in parishes

Nov 13, 2023

By Jonah McKeown

The sheet music for the official hymns of the upcoming National Eucharistic Revival was made available online last week. Read more

Sheet music.

Meet the women who penned the official songs for the National Eucharistic Congress

Aug 7, 2023

By Jonah McKeown

Diane Mahoney and Kathleen Pluth have had their musical compositions chosen out of many entries as the official theme song... Read more

Saint John’s Abbey organ console. Martin Pasi did a project expanding the abbey organ beginning in 2019 and after coming to know the monks, came up with the idea of moving his organ-building operation there.

Benedictines in the U.S. return to organ building

Jul 15, 2023

By Jim Graves

Saint John’s Abbey Woodworking will join forces with Abbey Organ Builders to build organs and serve as a school for... Read more

Bishop Kevin C. Rhoades dedicates the organ at St. Pius X parish in Granger, Indiana, in 2022.

Catholic churches are buying pre-owned pipe organs to enhance their liturgies

Jun 24, 2023

By Jim Graves

While in some parts of the country church organs are being removed, destroyed, or sold, in other places they are... Read more

A community of Benedictine sisters recording an album of sacred music.

‘Catholics Got Talent?’: Competition invites musicians to promote zeal for the Eucharist

Jan 18, 2023

By Francesca Pollio Fenton

The musical competition is one facet of the multiyear National Eucharistic Revival. Read more

The Benedictine Monks of Our Lady of Clear Creek Abbey in Oklahoma emphasize Gregorian Chant as a way to delve deeper into the psalms.

The next generation of sacred music? Gregorian Chant album uses new spatial audio feature

Sep 25, 2022

By Leonardo Colon

The Benedictine Monks of Clear Creek Abbey in Oklahoma have released a new album of Advent melodies that takes advantage... Read more

null

Benedictine nuns in Missouri honor Christ the King with new album

Dec 3, 2021

By Carl Bunderson

After the harrowing experience of shootings at their abbey in rural Missouri, the Benedictines of Mary, Queen of Apostles resolved... Read more

Seminarians of the FSSP's International Seminary of St. Peter.

'Sancta Nox' album of Christmas Matins debuts at #1 on Billboard Traditional Classical Albums chart

Oct 8, 2021

By Autumn Jones

On Sept. 28, a community of seminarians from the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter’s European seminary released an album of... Read more

CNA

Sacred music album recorded on eve of coronavirus lockdown storms Christmas charts

Dec 21, 2020

When the singers of the Schola Cantorum of the London Oratory School gathered earlier this year to create a new... Read more

Jean-Christophe Geiser performs at the International Organ Festival in the Pantheon Sept. 5, 2020.

Catholic priests kick off first international organ festival at Rome’s Pantheon

Sep 8, 2020

By Courtney Mares

Under the nearly 2,000-year-old dome of Rome’s Pantheon and above the relics of early Christian martyrs, the melodies of Johann... Read more

Pope Benedict XVI on Aug. 28, 2010.

Benedict XVI praises “glorious music” of Bach in festival message

Jul 28, 2020

Pope emeritus Benedict XVI has praised the “glorious music” of Johann Sebastian Bach in a message to a festival in... Read more

London boys' schola tour brings music from Old Spain to the New World

Jul 16, 2019

By Mary Farrow

Franciscan mission priest St. Junipero Serra would perhaps recognize some of the music that will be sung in an upcoming... Read more

Archbishop Alexander Sample of Portland in Oregon.

Love God? Let your music aim high, Archbishop Sample says

Jan 28, 2019

Sacred music has a special role in the Catholic liturgy, and Archbishop Alexander Sample of Portland in Oregon has written... Read more

Image courtesy of the Benedict XVI Institute

'Mass of the Americas' to premiere at San Francisco cathedral

Dec 5, 2018

The Mass of the Americas, a newly-commissioned Mass composed by Frank La Rocca, will premiere Saturday for the feast of... Read more