 St. Louis Jesuits
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As young seminarians at St. Louis University, Bob Dufford, Roc O'Connor, Dan Schutte, John Foley and Tim Manion brought the ancient traditions of the Church into the present with acoustic guitars and simple melodies. Dan Schutte describes the group as "a brotherhood of composers joined by our common love for Jesus Christ, for music and for prayerful liturgy." At a time of great change, churches were hungry for a new kind of music that would encourage everyone to join in the worship. People discovered that these folk-like melodies and clear, scriptural lyrics are an enduring way to pray in song. Their music
Honorary Doctorate Degrees Awarded to the members of the St. Louis Jesuits by Creighton University and the University of Scranton. "Be Not Afraid," "Here I Am, Lord," "One Bread, One Body," "Lift Up Your Hearts." Known and loved the world over, these and other classic songs by the St. Louis Jesuits have been staples in Catholic worship for more than 30 years.
Considered by many the fathers of contemporary American liturgical music, they began composing in the early 1970s in the wake of the Second Vatican Council. As young seminarians at St. Louis University, Tim Manion, Dan Schutte and Jesuit Fathers Bob Dufford, John Foley and Roc O'Connor brought the ancient traditions of the Church into the present with acoustic guitars and simple melodies. Dan Schutte describes the group as "a brotherhood of composers joined by our common love for Jesus Christ, for music and for prayerful liturgy." At a time of great change, churches were hungry for a new kind of music that would encourage everyone to join in the worship. People discovered that these folk-like melodies and clear, Scripture-based lyrics are an enduring way to pray in song. After releasing several best-selling collections as a group, the five decided to work and write music independently, with several members releasing solo albums over the next 20 years. In 2001, they came together again for a surprise performance at the NPM National Convention in Washington, D.C. Over the next few years, they gathered new material into what became Morning Light, a reunion collection released in February 2006. Wanting to document the magic of their collaboration and the changing face of the Church that supported them through three decades, the group also began to compile stories, snapshots and memories. Eventually they published Thirty Years: The St. Louis Jesuits, a beautifully designed coffee table book with dozens of full-color photographs. "With this book," says Rev. Virgil Funk in the introduction, "we catch a glimpse of the composers and their texts, both then and now."  1-800-LITURGY (548-8749) |
