CNA Staff, Aug 13, 2024 / 06:00 am (CNA).
When 50,000 Catholics recently gathered in Indianapolis for the National Eucharistic Congress, one of the powerful voices leading the praise and worship music was Sarah Kroger, a 37-year-old Nashville-based Catholic singer-songwriter and worship leader with numerous albums under her belt, her most recent released in May titled “A New Reality.”
Kroger was invited to the congress by Bishop Andrew Cozzens, who spearheaded the U.S. bishops’ National Eucharistic Revival, and immediately knew she wanted to be a part of it.
“I think I didn’t fully understand what we said yes to before going. I don’t think any of us did, maybe, as is often with the Lord, just the whole thing was completely mind-blowing to me,” Kroger told CNA in an interview. “Honestly, I’ve done conferences for 15 years now and I felt like this just had a completely different feel to it.”
She emphasized that it felt like the attendees were “hungry” and “ready to go from Day 1.”
“They just were excited and truly there for Jesus,” she added. “It just felt like we were all together and unified and in the same space and going after the same goal, which was just to encounter the Lord in the Eucharist and truly just be transformed by that and be filled up so that we could be sent out into the world as new creations.”
Kroger called her experience at the congress “profoundly beautiful to be a part of” and believes “we’re going to be experiencing the ripples from this event for a long time to come.”
From stage fright to embracing her gift
The singer-songwriter was introduced to music from a young age through her parents, who were also Catholic music ministers. She was part of the children’s choir at their church and took piano and voice lessons but was scared to sing in front of people. But after attending a Catholic camp when she was a junior in high school and experiencing contemporary worship music for the first time, she learned how to have a personal relationship with Jesus through worship music.
“There was a speaker on that retreat that was speaking to the whole room, but it was one of those moments where it felt like the light was just on me, and he said, ‘If you have a gift from God and you’re not using it, you’re denying the glory of God within you,’” she recalled. “And I just felt like he was convicting me in that moment. And God was inviting me to step out in faith and to start saying ‘yes.’”
From there she never looked back and began cantering at her parish, despite her fears of singing in front of others, and now she “can’t imagine doing anything else.”
‘Leading people into an encounter with God’
Kroger admitted that she doesn’t love the term “worship leader” because she views her role as one of “leading prayer.”
“We’re up front and we’re on stage a lot of times but it doesn’t mean that I’m the one that knows all the answers in the room,” she explained. “It’s more like I’m a student just like anyone else in the room. I just happen to have a microphone and I can sing and I know how to lead a moment of prayer, but really what I’m trying to do is just lead people into an encounter with God and lead myself and in the same way and make space for God to do whatever it is that he wants to do in the room.”
When discussing how Catholics should worship through music, Kroger explained that she sees worship as “drawing us into the presence of God, and that should be something that leads us to repentance.”
“It’s not just something that’s supposed to make us feel good and kind of placate whatever we’re walking through — I think there is a place for that for sure,” she said. “But I also think that worship should challenge us and should change us and should make us really take a good hard look at how we’re living our lives and confront whatever is unholy in us so that we’re challenged to leave that place of worship … and change the world.”
“So worship to me is about repentance and challenging us to live different lives and lives that point to God.”
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I am confused that she is referred to as a “Catholic worship leader”. Is that not the priest?
I too found that an interesting choice of words. And also the electric guitars and more casual style of dress. I am NOT judging them, as I attend a “praise and worship” church one Sunday a month–30 solid minutes of “praise and worship” music of the type you’d hear on Family Life Radio or something (then followed by 30 or more minutes of the Pastor preaching on the topic of the month). To them, it is worship (and I will not say they are wrong) but it is not at all what I would expect at a Catholic Mass.
Gregorian Chant accompanies the prayer of the Mass with the most efficacious impact. All other “music” is emotive, juvenile or distracting.
I’m a skilled pianist and competent organist who has been playing in church (Protestant growing up, Catholic since 2004) since I was a child (I’m now 67 and still playing when needed.)
The Catechism of the Catholic Church 1156 says “The musical tradition of the universal Church is a treasure of inestimable value…The main reason for this pre-eminence is that, as a combination of sacred music and words, it forms a necessary or integral part of solemn liturgy. The composition and singing of inspired Psalms, often accompanied by musical instruments, were already linked to the liturgical celebrations of the Old Covenant. The Church continues and develops this tradition: “Address one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with all your heart.”
Catechism 1156 through 1158 is worth reading and does NOT state that Gregorian chant “has the most efficacious impact”. It also does NOT state that “all other “music” is emotive, juvenile, or distracting.” Quite the opposite–1158 says “The harmony of signs (song, music, words, and actions) is all the more expressive and fruitful when expressed in the cultural richness of the People of God who celebrate.”
With respect for your personal preference in liturgical music, Gregorian chant is not easy for most people (especially women) to sing correctly. Reading the neumes is a skill that takes practice to learn. Singing Gregorian and other forms of chant with the proper intonation also takes training and time. Also, it is generally expected that Gregorian chant will be done by males, not females.
Likewise, sacred polyphony (which I’m thinking that you also find uplifting and appropriate for Mass) can be difficult for even well-trained musicians. E.g., music by Palestrina, although similar to Bach’s and Handel’s music, is much more complex than either of these beloved composers. I’m an excellent sight reader, but struggle with Palestrina and have to do a lot of practicing!
A skilled musician/conductor/teacher is vital to teaching volunteer musicians to properly present Gregorian chant and also sacred polyphony.
Also, with respect, in this day and age, it’s extremely difficult to find a group of boys and men who are willing to spend a few hours a week learning Gregorian chant and presenting it at Mass. I’m sad about this–I can remember when many Protestant churches had large men’s choirs and ensembles, and from my experience playing in an Institute of Christ the King (Latin Mass) parish, I know that there are men who were raised to not only sing at church/Mass because it’s their responsibility, but because they love to sing, and are willing to put in the work to learn the proper techniques for presenting Gregorian and other forms of chant in the Latin Mass.
Many Americans simply do not have the musical “chops” to be able to correctly present Gregorian chant. Christian/Catholic schools do not always have music teachers who know how to “do” Gregorian chant. Other than “stage struck” children (who often come from families like mine who have been involved with theater as children, teens, and adults), it is difficult to convince children to give up or limit soccer, swimming, and all the other sports to join a children’s choir in their parish, or even to sign up for music classes in their middle and high schools.
I don’t know about your parish, but in my parish, very few people even open the missalette to follow the words of the hymns in the vernacular! (This is sad, IMO.)
I am thrilled to learn that at the Eucharistic Congress, people joined in singing Praise and Worship songs together. Remember that much of this singing did not take place at a Mass, but during the various meetings and times of worshipping the Lord Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament.
I hope you are able to attend a parish where Gregorian chant is done, and I hope you are doing what is necessary ($$, time, regularly thanking the Schola!, etc. to see that Gregorian chant is possible in your parish.
I personally, like many others, prefer traditional and contemporary hymns, and love playing and singing these. I love looking up the history of the various hymns–many of the stories of the hymn-writers are very inspiring. I respectfully ask that you respect the Mass music preferences of your fellow Catholics. Thank you.
Thankyou, dear Mrs. Sharon Whitlock for such a well-informed and helpful comment.
My own experience, over 80 years, suggests that the formal liturgical music in many Anglo-Irish influenced Catholic churches, including Australia & N. America, reinforces the pernicious error that lay congregations are present to observe a performance rather than as actively participating servants of our LORD Jesus Christ.
That’s not an inevitable reality of liturgy, as can be seen in this clip from “The Praise is Yours”, where everyone gives of their best in the awesome venue of San Juan Capistrano. I’m sure Saint Francis and his brothers who built this mission rejoice in Heaven with the purity of such heartfelt praise & worship.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tf8Qjev0hjg
As you indicate: while we should not dispose of the traditional excellence, more participatory, culturally comfortable liturgical music has much to offer; not least by teaching the younger generations the joy of participation.
Ever in the joyfull love of The Living Christ; blessings from marty
Sarah Kroger is aptly described as a “worship leader.” Upon review of her website —
https://www.sarahkroger.com/#about-section
the word “Catholic” doesn’t appear in her biography (“about” section), nor does the word “Christian.”
What is the reason for her hesitation to publicly acclaim one’s Catholic expression of Christianity?