Dear Friends,
I love celebrating Mass in our Cathedral.
Here the city of Springfield comes to pray, and not just Catholics. Whether it be for Christmas Midnight Mass, Easter, or any given Sunday, many non-Catholics join us here to worship God, to feel His closeness and experience His goodness.
That is a privilege God grants us.
One fundamental part of the liturgy that draws many to such a grand and holy place as our Cathedral is the exceptionally beautiful music that accompanies it. I’m indebted to our organist and director of sacred music Mark Gifford for his passion to cultivate and offer our best music to the glory of the Holy Trinity. I thank him and all our choir members, cantors, instrumentalists, and musical volunteers for their dedication to their vocation and craft.
During a discussion on music at our Cathedral, Mark offered an idea that we both immediately agreed on and one we now seek to implement and grow: a men’s schola (choir) for Saturday evening Mass. Sadly, such groups are too rare, especially considering the profound effect such a choir can have on the liturgy. Men’s voices are especially well-suited for chant and many great works of chant and polyphony were written for men’s choirs.
Wouldn’t it be lovely to hear that here in this sacred place?
Such music, like the windows in our church or the homilies given, evangelizes those present. Such music speaks to our hearts of our for God and God’s miraculous response to that desire—the Incarnation.
We’re inviting nine to twelve men interested in learning and specializing in singing sacred music to join our Cathedral Men’s Schola. Rehearsals are at 3:15pm on Saturday before the Mass. The man need not be Catholic, but let him have a love for worshipping God with music.
Should you have questions, please talk to our director of sacred music, Mark Gifford.
With gratitude and joy for the days ahead!
Fr. Seth