Charismatic
Advent Healing and Hope Mass
December 15, 2025 - 9:33am — Nick AlexanderOn Tuesday evening, I played for a charismatic "Healing and Hope" mass for the Archdiocese of Hartford. For those unfamiliar with such liturgies, it is an opportunity to incorporate the dynamic elements in an informal prayer gathering with a formal Catholic liturgy, oftentimes with tremendous results.
It's always thrilling for me to play these masses, because it gives me the freedom to do what I love to do best--lead congregations with a mixture of contemporary and traditional worship songs. I believe wholeheartedly that the elements from these types of songs complement each other--a traditional liturgy has solemnity and reverence, whereas the music from contemporary praise choruses have a personal, vibrant quality. The former emphasizes God is Holy, and the latter emphasizes God is closer than your best friend. Both are needed.
Being the season of Advent, I focused my song selection with laser-like precision to focus on Advent themes: particularly the expectancy of Jesus' imminent return. Choosing songs that stayed true to the Advent season, while being appropriate for...
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November 18, 2025 - 5:19am — Richard SchlettyCharismatic Music is a form of worship within the Catholic Church through the Catholic Charismatic Renewal movement which began in 1967. It is characterized by emotional singing, spontaneous prayer, and a strong emphasis on the Holy Spirit. It coexists within the broader Catholic tradition, though its style differs from traditional liturgical music. The Vatican has given cautious acceptance to the movement, provided it remains within the bounds of Catholic teaching and complements the faith rather than replacing it.
Above: Spotify playlist by Myles0892
Some leading publishers of charismatic music
Maranatha! Music website: maranathamusic.com
Integrity Music: integritymusic.com
Google AI Overview of charismatic music compared to praise and worship music
Charismatic music is not the same as praise and worship, but they are closely related. Charismatic music is a style of contemporary worship music that emerged from and is characteristic of the charismatic movement, which emphasizes the gifts of the...Catholic Music Genres
November 17, 2025 - 3:28pm — Richard SchlettyThere are many categories and styles of Catholic music. Here is a list which is being fine-tuned as we go along. Some summaries are drawn from Google AI Overviews.
1) Gregorian chant: Church music sung as a monophonic (single vocal line) in free rhythm and a restricted scale (plainsong), in a style developed for the medieval Latin liturgy. Gregorian chant developed mainly in western and central Europe during the 9th and 10th centuries, with later additions and redactions.
2) Medieval, Renaissance and Baroque sacred music: Medieval sacred music, like Gregorian chant, was primarily monophonic and unaccompanied. The Renaissance saw the rise of complex polyphony, with more voices, larger choirs, and new forms like the mass and motet, often supported by the church and the printing press. The Baroque era introduced...
The Folk Mass Revolution
November 16, 2025 - 3:08pm — Richard SchlettyKeep the Fire Burning is the forgotten and untold story of the Folk Mass. The influence of this movement is still felt today in the Catholic liturgical industry and in contemporary Christian music.
Keep the Fire Burning – the book (available from OCP)
ocp.org/en-us/collections/dg/626/keep-the-fire-burning
This fascinating book examines the place of the Folk Mass in Church history. Was it a well-intentioned but failed attempt at updating worship? Or was it a genuine movement of the people?
