MUSIC MINISTRY

The Cathedral Music Ministry officially began in 1984 under the leadership and support of Bishop Rene H. Gracida, Bishop Emeritus of Corpus Christi, and Msgr. Richard Shirley, former Cathedral Rector. Lee Gwozdz and Gregory Labus were hired as Co-Directors with the task of the formation of a Cathedral Music Ministry program and the initiation of a Cathedral Concert Series. Now in its 27^th Season, the Cathedral Music Ministry continues to serve the Cathedral Parish, Concert Series, Diocese, Television Ministry and Worldwide Web broadcasts with over 7 Choirs with memberships of over 250 talented volunteers from throughout the Coastal Bend.  A graded program, choirs begin as early as Grade 1-3 (Cherub Choir), Grade 4-7 (Choristers), Grade 8-12, Jr. College (Youth Chorale), Sr. College-Adult (Pontifical Chorale), Adult Men’s Chant Choir (Schola Cantorum) and a Cathedral Handbell Choir.
All the choirs have developed an international and nationally known reputation of one of the finest Cathedral Music programs in the United States.  The Pontifical Chorale served His Holiness Pope John Paul II in the Papal Masses in San Antonio in 1987, The Feast of Corpus Christi in Rome 1993, World Youth Day in Denver 1993 and a sold-out Basilica Fund-raising Concert featuring Mozart’s Requiem at St. John Lateran in Rome in 2004.  The Youth Chorale and Choristers recently served as the Lead Choir from the USA for the International Congress of Pueri Cantores at the Papal Mass on New Years Day 2011 at St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome Italy celebrated by His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI. They have sung at many National Pastoral Musicians Conventions in Washington D.C., Orlando, Los Angeles and Dallas.  They were the first Catholic Youth Choir to be featured on Robert Schullers’ “Hour of Power” at Crystal Cathedral in Garden Grove, CA.  They opened our Nations Capitols July 4^th Parade in the Summer of 2009 with a performance in front of the White House.  Both choirs have numerous performances with the Corpus Christi Symphony Orchestra and have recorded many CD’s that are available on Amazon.com. A Cathedral Christms, A Time for Rejoicing; Upon A Calm and Quiet Night and Corpus Christi Carols. The Men’s Chant Choir – the Schola Cantorum’ s Chant Corpus Christi is one of the top sellers of CD recordings in the United States.

Music Ministry Staff :

Lee Gwozdz