Co-Cathedral Music empowers people of all ages to engage their baptismal dignity at the heart of the Church’s life.
Through music we celebrate the Sacred Liturgy—embodying and exemplifying full, conscious, and active participation.
Through music, we worship, teach, and inspire.
The mission of the Church is the identity of Christ. In baptism every Christian shares in Christ’s offices of priest, prophet, and king. As we journey toward the fullness of his kingdom Christ calls every Christian to sanctify, teach, and govern in one’s unique vocation. Christian life is a life of worship, proclamation, and service.
Until the consummation of the kingdom the Church gathers to meet our Lord in the Sacred Liturgy. Although present in all creation, our God meets us in a special way when we gather together—most intensely in the Eucharist. By Christ’s sacrifice we find healing, strength, and food for our journey. By communal celebration, this feast is indeed a family meal—the focal point of our weeks and years.
Gathered at the Eucharistic banquet we celebrate, remember and enter into the mystery of our redemption. We respond in our hearts and we respond with our voices: Amen! Alleluia! …And with your Spirit!
“Cantare amantis est” (Singing belongs to one who loves)
Although we differ in our gifts and talents we all have a voice to sing. In our love we voice our belief in praise, adoration, and petition: Kyrie eleison! Holy, holy, holy Lord! Lord, hear our prayer!
Throughout history our Christian family has sung its prayers to the living God—offering music in excellence and sincerity. A choir draws on the assembly of the local Church to support its participation and amplify its conviction as a vocal delegation. Through rehearsal and careful preparation groups of singers share their gifts for the glory of God and the edification of his gathered people.
Heart of Christ; Heart of the City
We are a diverse and rapidly growing community at the heart of Houston, Texas. Each week a wide variety of visitors, commuters, and local residents pass through our doors. Our parish population reflects the beautiful cultural richness of our metropolitan area and its 1.3 million Catholics. Every weekend our choirs pray their liturgical song in the parish’s three primary living languages: English, Vietnamese, and Spanish
Communion of Saints
Learning family
As a Catholic Christian community in union with Rome we pray with the whole communion of saints—those living and those who have gone before us “marked with the sign of faith.” The Latin language binds us as a symbol of that universality. According to occasion our choirs sing in other languages as well, highlighting the breadth of sacred music created by other communities. Celebrating the music of various times and places forms us in solidarity with our Church and human families.
We are a parish whose life flows intentionally from the Sunday liturgy as celebrated throughout the weekend. These Eucharistic liturgies (i.e. Masses) typically follow the principal of “progressive solemnity.” Highlighting this activity as the pinnacle of weekly cycle, our parish sings the Mass ordinary, chant propers, and lectionary-based hymnody. Our Opus XIX Pasi & Associates organ, installed in 2010, not only supports the sung texts of the liturgy but also offers its own vocal commentary in the spirit of the Church’s times and seasons. Both organ and choral voices resound in our nave.
Mother and Model
We are a cathedral parish. Along with the venerable St. Mary Cathedral Basilica in Galveston, we are the seat of the local metropolitan, the Cardinal Archbishop. Gathered around one table and united under one shepherd the local Church frequently celebrates episcopal and other Archdiocesan liturgies at the Co-Cathedral. In and through our great local diversity the Church charges us as a cathedral with a liturgical leadership role. Although our liturgical music ministry shares much with other parish practice, our distinctive identity also calls us to model, share, and exhort to excellence. The artful celebration of the sacred liturgy within our tradition draws on those resources that can awaken the Catholic imagination—music both old and new, familiar and forgotten.
From Cultus to Culture—Building Community Together
Just as Co-Cathedral Music fosters the unity of our faith community we likewise serve as a nexus of wider communal unity. As a landmark in downtown Houston the Co-Cathedral builds upon an ancient cathedral tradition that celebrates local culture, engages the public, and enriches civic life. The Co-Cathedral hosts concerts and partners with local arts and educational institutions to stir up the spirit with the power of great art in an inspiring space. In the midst of frenetic urban life Co-Cathedral Music offers a reflective place—fertile soil for human flourishing. Through both worship and outreach we celebrate the rich cultures that have been handed on to us. Through both worship and outreach we ensure their vitality for generations to come.
…and make a joyful duty
our sacrifice of praise.
God gifts us the sacred liturgy. Our song is our service in this “sacrifice of praise.” Our song builds the bond between liturgy and life outside our walls. This worshiping response to God forms us for the kingdom work of justice and peace. The Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart Music Ministry participates in this ongoing work according to our unique identity as Roman Catholic cathedral parish at the heart of Houston. The challenge and promise of music ministry is the challenge and promise of the Church itself: “ever ancient, ever new.”