“It was truly a spiritual moment unlike anything I have experienced before,” Joey Chancey, the director of music for the Church of St. Paul the Apostle in New York City, said.
On Sept. 24, the St. Paul Choir performed in St. Peter’s Square as Pope Leo XIV greeted Catholics before his general audience. As the popemobile wove through throngs of excited attendees, the words of St. Paul’s composer-in-residence J. Oconer Navarro’s original piece, “Love More,” rang through the Vatican.
Singing in English and under the direction of Mr. Chancey and St. Paul’s pastor Father Eric Andrews, C.S.P., the choir provided a beautiful backdrop for the pontiff’s morning greeting. And for the members of St. Paul’s music ministry, who were in Rome for a Jubilee Year pilgrimage, their once-in-a-lifetime experience was unexpected.
Mr. Chancey explained that Vatican officials coordinating special offerings at the general audience learned about “Love More” and the choir’s visit through connections with St. Paul’s parishioners and clergy. The choir knew that they would receive special seats at the morning gathering, but they did not know where those seats would be.
In fact, they were unaware of their pending performance until right before the audience. “It was not until the choir was escorted to the foot of the steps of St. Peter’s Basilica, directly in front of Pope Leo, that we realized what had been arranged for us,” Mr. Chancey said.
“It was a complete surprise to our entire group of 46 pilgrims,” Mr. Navarro said over email. “We entered St. Peter’s Square with just the hope that he might hear what we’ve done with his powerful words. When it became evident that we were in fact going to be accompanying the Holy Father as he gave blessings from the iconic popemobile, it was truly surreal.”
“None of us imagined that we would have such an opportunity to bring Pope Leo’s strong message of love and unity to a musical life for so many people, and it was an honor and a blessing for our entire community,” he continued.
The original composition, “Love More,” features quotes from Pope Leo’s first speech as pontiff and his inaugural homily address. Mr. Navarro shared that he “wanted to highlight [Pope Leo’s] clear message of peace, unity, and love.”
Mr. Chancey noted how special it was to sing the pope’s words back to him: “The specific words J. used for the song resonate deeply in the hearts of our choir.” He continued, “Singing his words back to him felt like an affirmation of our commitment to live out his mission.”
Mr. Navarro wrote the song in the wake of the Annunciation church shooting and in preparation for the pilgrimage. In this moment, Mr. Navarro noted Pope Leo’s phrase, “a peace that is unarmed and disarming,” as especially inspirational.
“[Those words] struck me right away. As I prepared for the pilgrimage, the shooting at Annunciation Church in Minneapolis occurred and broke my heart, and the words ‘unarmed’ and ‘disarming’ carried a new, haunting weight…. I was able to dedicate the compositional and emotional energy into the text for inspiration.”
“This was a great and humbling opportunity for St. Paul’s to share the music that has been written for our congregation,” Father Andrews, who was in Rome with his parishioners for the pilgrimage, said.
The performance was the culmination of a pilgrimage for the music ministry that included three concert performances in Rome. After the papal audience, the choir performed the piece again as the recessional hymn for a Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica.
Father Andrews also shared that he understood their performance to be a testament to a spirit of welcome in the church: “We were very clear about the very diverse and inclusive makeup of our group, including members of the L.G.B.T.Q. community. Perhaps the choir was a concrete example of Pope Leo’s vision of a church that welcomes all?”
“I thought so,” he continued.
Asked about what he hopes others will take away from the performance, Mr. Navarro said: “Pope Leo’s message is clear. He tasks us to love more and build bridges, build a church that walks, and build a new world where peace reigns.”
“I think that everyone has their own specific bridges they need to build,” he continued, “and the notion of building a church that walks reminds us that the process of healing, of building community and harmony, might be a slow and arduous one, but if we lead with humility and joy, we can achieve peace.”
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