175th Anniversary Mass

Choirs at Mass show musical diversity in archdiocese

Members of a high school choir made up of students from Cardinal Ritter Jr./Sr. High School, Bishop Chatard, Roncalli, Father Thomas Scecina Memorial and Cathedral high schools, all in Indianapolis, sing prior to the start of the 175th anniversary Mass at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis on May 3. (Photo by Brandon A. Evans)

By Sean Gallagher

Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis echoed on May 3 with music performed by Catholics young and old from across the archdiocese that represented a broad spectrum of musical and ethnic traditions.

Charlie Gardner, archdiocesan executive director of spiritual life and worship, worked for more than a year to arrange music for the 175th anniversary Mass.

He was glad that it was both prayerful and representative of the archdiocese’s cultural diversity.

“They go together because the prayer of the Church is representative,” he said. “The musical expression is so important—from Latin in our roots and different styles of music.”

Before the Mass began, a choir made up of more than 100 students from

five Catholic high schools in Indianapolis sang several selections. The students came from Cardinal Ritter Jr./Sr. High School, Bishop Chatard, Roncalli, Father Thomas Scecina Memorial and Cathedral high schools.

Eddie Guanajuato, who directs bands and choirs at Cardinal Ritter, helped organize the choir, and spoke about it while the students were singing.

“It’s wonderful to hear this sort of sound coming out,” he said. “We have a huge task. We have to make Lucas Oil Stadium a holy place. That’s kind of hard.

“But, you know what? If you’re listening to them, they’re pulling it off.”

A student who helped “pull it off” was Cardinal Ritter senior Chelsea Beecher, a member of St. Gabriel the Archangel Parish in Indianapolis.

“I felt like our music that we sang calmed a lot of people down and made them really ready to experience Jesus for themselves,” said Chelsea. “ … It was really, really amazing. I loved the fact that all these high schools came together to produce one sound. I love how it sounded in there. I love big, loud, exciting sounds.”

During the Mass, a 200-member choir sang that was made up of Catholics from nearly all of the archdiocese’s 11 deaneries and from 53 parishes. Also adding their artistry was a choir of students from Marian College in Indianapolis, the Gospel Choir of Holy Angels Parish and the Spanish Choir of St. Monica Parish, both in Indianapolis.

“It’s an honor for us even to be selected for this,” said Vincent Howard, director of Holy Angels’ Gospel Choir, shortly before the Mass. “We’re really excited, and are going to get up here and do a good job and praise and honor the Lord. That’s what we’re here for.”

Carolyn Sylvester, a member of the choir for more than 25 years, was excited about the opportunity to sing for Catholics from across the archdiocese.

“This is just amazing,” she said. “As a Gospel choir, we don’t normally get to sing [before most] … of the Catholic Church. So this is going to be a new experience.”

Leona Marino, a member of St. Michael Parish in Brookville in the Connersville Deanery, was a member of the 200-member Mass choir.

“It was a wonderful, uplifting day,” Marino said. “The whole day was beautiful. … I hadn’t been in a choir for probably about 10 years. I had actually forgotten how uplifting that was to be with that kind of group. But it was so beyond the choir.”

Marino said she was impressed by the messages shared by Archbishop Daniel M. Buechlein and Cardinal Francis E. George of Chicago, and the various multicultural aspects of the Mass.

“It was a day that I will never forget,” she said.

Jose Ochoa played the mandolin and was part of St. Monica’s Spanish Choir that sang before and during the Mass.

“It was a new experience. It was great,” he said. “I’m proud to share the music from Mexico with all the people that are from different countries that gathered here today.”

After the Mass, Gardner reflected on the fact that he helped lead the music ministry 25 years ago at the archdiocese’s 150th anniversary Mass.

“What is also special is to see how we’ve grown,” Gardner said.

Later, he smiled and said, “I was here 25 years ago. In 25 more years, someone else can do it.”

Sitting near Gardner after the Mass was a young man who wasn’t even born at the time of the 150th anniversary Mass.

Diamond Price is a 17-year-old percussionist in Holy Angels’ Gospel Choir and is a junior at Cardinal Ritter.

“It was amazing,” Diamond said. “I’ve never been in front of this many people. I was doing it for God, and I was doing it for the people and I was doing it for Archbishop Daniel. It was really a great experience.” †

 

(Related: Purchase photo reprints of the choirs and musicians from the Mass)