ROTR Campus Ministries?
  • jpal
    Posts: 365
    Friends,

    [If there is another thread of this sort already in existence, please point me to it; I could not find one in the Google custom search]

    I am wondering if anyone can tell me about Catholic campus ministries in US colleges (Catholic or non-Catholic) that fit any of the following description:

    1. Attempt to faithfully follow the Church's liturgy and sing music from the ever-expanding treasury of sacred music, including Gregorian (and other) chant, excellent choral music, and/or musically and theologically solid hymns.
    2. If not currently at #1, have a chaplain or music director (or contingent of students) with a desire to get there.
    3. Have a regular or semi-regular public EF Mass.

    If anyone can reply or send a PM (particularly the latter if you have individual contact information), I would be very grateful. If you have personal experience with one or more schools, a short note about it would also be helpful (e.g., "I spoke to the chaplain after Mass about the praise band and he mentioned he was trying to get them to chant"; or "This college had an excellent all-student choir that sings polyphony every week"; or something similar).

    The purpose of this inquiry is possibly to build a coalition of Catholic campus ministry music programs that are with the mind of the Church. I ask not on my behalf but on behalf of others who are the real "movers."

    -Jon
  • jpal
    Posts: 365
    Not a one?

    I have at least gotten a start on a list of colleges that have an EF Mass (my #3 above):
    Ave Maria (every Sunday), Christendom, Magdalen, Franciscan, Thomas Aquinas (every Sunday), Thomas More College, and Wyoming Catholic College (every Sunday). If anyone can contribute to #1 & #2, please help!

    It would save many hours of work for a non-profit if folks could help here or at least point me in the right direction.
  • rogue63
    Posts: 410
    St. Thomas More in Norman, OK, on the campus of the University of Oklahoma. High-quality music; they host a monthly vespers and invite area choirs to come and sing. No EF Mass. Organ scholar is excellent, not to mention steady stream of young talent from the university.
    Thanked by 1jpal
  • JaredOstermann
    Posts: 488
    St Lawrence center at the University of Kansas has long been known as a liturgical and musical model. In fact, for years many non-students have made it their home, even driving long distances to get there from Kansas City or Topeka, because of its reputation for music and faithful liturgy. I grew up there in various capacities - organ scholar, assistant organist, interim music director, etc. Current music director has a doctorate and is an active composer in keeping with the mind of the church. As far as EF, that has not been a focus, although I know at least one public EF mass has been celebrated there (mainly to expose the students, rather than to start an ongoing practice). Nice tracker pipe organ. Ongoing relationship with the organ grad students at KU, as well as choral scholars. Active men's chant schola. Category 1+

    The newman center at the University of South Dakota as of this year falls into category 2 - look for good things coming there.
    Thanked by 1jpal
  • Heath
    Posts: 966
    jpal,

    I'll put in a quick plug for St. John's Catholic Newman Center at the University of Illinois-Urbana-Champaign. I'm the director of music here and I'm very proud of our music program and our liturgies overall. Please PM me if I can answer any questions.
    Thanked by 1jpal
  • ElizabethS
    Posts: 47
    It’s not exactly a “campus ministry” as such, but allow me to give a shout out to Thomas Aquinas College. I’m a graduate of the class of 2010, and was a member of the student choir during my time there. While not “professional” or “perfect” by any means, we always did excellent music, such as fits your #1 above, and usually did it reasonably well. The student choir sang for the 9:00 a.m. Sunday Ordinary Form Mass as well as two concerts per year and usually if some special occasion came up (funeral, chapel dedication, etc.).

    There is also an Extraordinary Form Mass every Sunday (and in fact, every day - Sundays high, weekdays low) and at the EF they have an all-male schola that sings the chants. There is also a student-organized choral group on campus that sings excellent music at two yearly concerts, and sometimes sings for liturgical occasions as well.
    Thanked by 2CHGiffen jpal
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