The quality of music at Mass can have a profound impact on our experience. Mediocre music can leave us feeling uninspired, or worse, disconnect us from our experience. Good music can lift us up, connecting us to something greater than ourselves. My vision for St. Ben’s has always been that we should be a home for good music, inspiring music, transcendent music…
Read MoreJEREMY KIOLBASSA explores the organ works of composers that are Polish or of Polish descent. As you might have guessed by his last name, Jeremy is of Polish-American heritage. The Kiolbassa family first arrived in the U.S. in the early 1800s in Panna Maria, TX. The most interesting and notable member of the family from this time period is Peter Kiolbassa, who, after the American Civil War, moved to Chicago and became city treasurer. Peter was also an advocate for Polish-Catholic immigrants and helped to bring the first Polish-speaking priest to Chicago. He helped found Chicago’s first Polish parish, St. Stanislaus Kostka, and was the church’s first organist. It is his family’s heritage that has inspired Jeremy to explore this music and present this concert series.
Read MoreI’ve had a few people ask me about the ‘new’ candles on the altar. There is a two-fold answer as to why we’ve decided to do this. The first part comes from The General Instruction of the Roman Missal, commonly referred to as the “GIRM”. This instruction can be found in the beginning of The Roman Missal, aka that big book that a priest uses to celebrate Mass. In the section where it lists things to be prepared for Mass…
Read MoreThe choir is back safe and sound from their pilgrimage to Ireland. Click here to see a recap of our journey through this magnificent country…
Read MoreStewardship can take many forms, and there are many different ways to get involved. Looking to get more out of you experience? Check out some of the ways to be a part of our parish…
Read MoreYou may have noticed that at most of our Masses we have replaced the offertory hymn with instrumental music. I have had many parishioners approach me, curios about the change, so I feel compelled to write an explanation...
Read MoreWe are excited to offer Children's Choir for religious education students this year! RE Choir will be made up of students in grades 3-6. The choir will rehearse and sing on the third Sunday of each month. We will meet 9:45am to practice for about 30 minutes, and then sing at the 10:30am Mass immediately following practice…
Read MoreThere are no formal auditions. Rehearsals take place every Wednesday from 7pm to 9pm in church…
Read MoreOur liturgy team has been working diligently, and we are excited to roll out our next set of revisions. You’ll probably notice that we have made some changes to the layout of the church. The server chairs and credence have been moved to the opposite side. This frees up space for the procession to leave the sacristy, and also eliminates the need for the servers to walk up the stairs with a heavy tray…
Read MoreSince my dad was up front playing music, my mom was left to keep us kids in line. At this point, all she had to worry about from us teenagers was the odd sarcastic remark, so her focus was almost entirely on keeping my little sister out of trouble. From what I remember, she was actually pretty well behaved, and aside from the odd sprint up and down the aisle, or a loud question about what was going on, she did pretty well. Still, all it took was one little noise or burst of energy for one lady to turn around..
Read MoreWe are pleased to once again offer Benedictine Children's Chorus for SBPS students in grades 3-5. In the coming season, the children will have numerous opportunities to perform for their peers as well as around Chicagoland. Some highlights include a performance of John Rutter's "Mass of the Children" with the Ravenswood Symphony, as well as a performance at a Chicago Wolves hockey game…
Read MoreJoin us for our 5th annual Fall Concert Spectacular! Featuring the talents of Akiko Konishi (concert pianist), Jeremy Kiolbassa (piano), John Eckhardt (violin), Sarah Draffen (soprano), Kaitlin Galetti (mezzo), and Daniel Beatty (tenor)…
Read MoreJoin us for our first no-pressure, no-obligation rehearsal. Spend the evening rehearsing choral music with our wonderful St. Benedict Adult Choir, and enjoy some adult refreshments afterward! Learn about becoming a choir member in a fun and relaxed atmosphere…
Read MoreWe are pleased to offer a choir an afternoon "choir intensive" to all SBPS students in grades 3-8. This session is recommended for all students that will be participating in Children's Chorus and Middle School Chorus in the upcoming school year. We will introduce some of the choral repertoire for the upcoming performance season, including John Rutter's "Mass of the Children" which will be performed this December in collaboration with the Ravenswood Symphony Orchestra…
Read MoreYou might have noticed that from time to time the music that we sing at Mass does not line up with the notes on the page, but somehow, the words still work. The concept of singing a text to different tunes is not new, in fact, this practice can be traced back hundreds of years to medieval times in Europe…
Read MoreToday we celebrate the feast of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, also known as Corpus Christi. All of today’s hymns help u reflect upon the great mystery that is the Eucharist.
Read MoreIt can be a challenge to try and find time to commit to joining choir on a weekly basis, and even more difficult to sneak away in the evenings, so we have tried to create a new group that makes it easy for the whole family….
Read MoreThe concept of the Trinity is one of the great mysteries of our faith. I have personally struggled to grasp the concept over the years, and I still can’t say I have a great understanding of it. But, perhaps, that is the point.
Read MoreAll of the music today is centered around the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. The text of our opening hymn reminds us that though Jesus, the Son, has Ascended into heaven, his spirit is still very much among us, and therefore he, as a member of the Trinity, is still with us.
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