And now today we feature a replay from the 2020 National Convention in our “Black Lives Matter” series. Today’s replay was one of four sessions at last year’s convention addressing the sin of racism head-on. While this episode is late to celebrating the social progress we’ve made in light of Juneteenth being an official federal holiday, we hope that it reminds us of the work we still have to do in our society to treat each other with kindness, true acceptance and equality.

This month Ministry Monday is offering a 3-part series about Taizé music. We began the series with reflections by David Anderson, Editor-at-Large for GIA Publications and Director of Music and Liturgy at Ascension Catholic Church in Oak Park, Illinois. Last week we featured a conversation Brother John Glasenapp, a Benedictine monk of Saint Meinrad Archabbey in southern Indiana, about the psychological and historical reasons as to why simple, repeated music including Taizé is so successful.

Today we widen the stage and re-frame the conversation. I spoke with Lauren and Dave Moore this week about the power behind simple refrains repeated consistently over time. You see, Lauren and Dave are the minds behind the Catholic Music Initiative, a sacred music collaboration based in the Dallas area. The Catholic Music Initiative’s goal is to compose beautiful liturgical music; to create a collaborative platform that leavens the heritage of our Faith through the formation of dedicated composers and musicians giving glory to God; and to bring the focus back to Jesus in the Eucharist with nights of Adoration, solid Catholic hymns, and education in our history and Tradition.

Today we consider the likeness between contemporary Catholic (and just Christian) music and Taizé music. How are they similar? Can we embrace the idea of simple music altogether to unify our communities, especially in a time when congregational singing is only just returning to our churches?

This month Ministry Monday is offering a 3-part series about Taizé music. We began the series with reflections by David Anderson, Editor-at-Large for GIA Publications and Director of Music and Liturgy at Ascension Catholic Church in Oak Park, Illinois. If you didn’t listen to that episode, you can tune in later wherever you listen to podcasts, and at ministrymonday.org.

Today's episode features Brother John Glasenapp, a Benedictine monk of Saint Meinrad Archabbey in southern Indiana, where he currently serves as the Director of the newly-formed Saint Meinrad Institute for Sacred Music.

Last week we set the stage for our conversation by sharing a personal experience about both Taizé itself and the music that stems from it. Today offers a musicological and practical analysis of why Taizé music is so effective to unify a worshipping congregation, and how its historical and global roots are deeper than we may realize.