Seeds of Faith Enables Gregorian Chant, Elevates Liturgy

Every year, the Church Music Association of America (CMAA) hosts a Music Colloquium conference that trains individuals in the art of Gregorian Chant. This unaccompanied form of singing is centered around Latin songs that are sacred to the Catholic Church. They contain monophonic melodies- or simple phrases of melody meant for a single singer- and are traditionally sung during mass.  Sebastian Modarelli, Organist and Director of Music and Liturgy at the Co-Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist recently had the opportunity to attend this year’s conference with an interest in learning more about this traditional way of singing.

Modarelli says, “I attended the CMAA conference in St. Paul thanks to the funds provided [by the Seeds of Faith- Faith Formation Endowment], and it was an excellent week.

It was very intense, full of hard work, and was led by knowledgeable faculty. I have acquired a much deeper knowledge (both technical and liturgical) on the use of Gregorian Chant and Sacred Music.

 

Some young people have approached me in the past years with the desire of participating in a sacred music ministry, and we started what is now the Schola Cantorum at St. John’s Co-Cathedral. It is a greatly formative experience for both the ministers and the congregation, as the mysteries of faith are transmitted through the beauty of music. What I learned from this conference will allow me to teach and direct the music that we want to sing in a more accurate way.”

The Seeds of Faith- Faith Formation Endowment provides support to the training, mentoring, and development of lay ministers like Modarelli. It also supports projects and initiatives which seek to evangelize and catechize God’s People within the Diocese of Winona-Rochester. If you are interested in applying for this endowment, please complete an application by October 2025. Applications can be found at catholicfsmn.org/granting or by contacting Morgan Lowney at mlowney@catholicfsmn.org.