Sister Helen Prejean is known around the world for her tireless work against the death penalty. She has been instrumental in sparking national dialogue on capital punishment and in shaping the Catholic Church’s vigorous opposition to all executions. Born on April 21, 1939, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, she joined the Sisters of St. Joseph in 1957. She worked as a high school teacher and served as the Religious Education Director at St. Frances Cabrini Parish in New Orleans before moving into the St. Thomas Housing Project in the early ’80s. In 1982, Sister Helen began corresponding with Patrick Sonnier, who had been sentenced to death for the murder of two teenagers. Two years later, when Patrick Sonnier was put to death in the electric chair, Sister Helen was there to witness his execution. In the following months, she became spiritual advisor to another death row inmate, Robert Lee Willie, who was to meet the same fate as Sonnier. After witnessing these executions, Sister Helen realized that this lethal ritual would remain unchallenged unless its secrecy was stripped away, and so she sat down and wrote a book, Dead Man Walking: An Eyewitness Account of the Death Penalty in the United States. That book ignited a national debate on capital punishment and spawned an Academy Award winning movie, a play, and an opera. Sister Helen’s second book, The Death of Innocents: An Eyewitness Account of Wrongful Executions, was published in 2004; and her third book, River of Fire: My Spiritual Journey, in August, 2019.

Blessed Sacrament Father Lane currently pastors his home parish, Saint Paschal Baylon, Highland Heights, Ohio. He has degrees in music, education, divinity and liturgy. He has served as a diocesan director of worship (Salt Lake City), the SWLC and FDLC boards and also in vocation ministry. Since 1998, he is a columnist for Emmanuel Magazine. He authored Guide for Celebrating Worship of the Eucharist Outside of Mass, Daily Prayer 2019, and was a collaborator with Sourcebook for Seasons (2012, 2013 & 2017) by LTP as well as other periodical articles over the years. Father Lane professed religious vows in 1988 and ordained as presbyter in 1992.

John F. Baldovin is Professor of Historical and Liturgical Theology at the Boston College School of Theology and Ministry. He is a priest of the New York Province of the Society of Jesus. He received his BA from the College of the Holy Cross, an MDiv from Weston School of Theology, an MA, MPhil and PhD from Yale University. Fr. Baldovin has taught at Fordham University, the Jesuit School of Theology at Berkeley, and, since 1999 at Weston and now BC’s STM. He has also been visiting professor at The University of Notre Dame and St. John Vianney National Seminary in Pretoria, South Africa. He served on the advisory committee for the Bishops’ Committee on the Liturgy of the USCCB (1989-1993) as well as the advisory committee of the International Commission on English in the Liturgy (ICEL) from 1994-2002. His fields of expertise are the history and theology of the liturgy, sacramental theology and the theology of ministry ordained and lay. Fr. Baldovin has a number of presentations with Now You Know Media, the latest of which, The History of the Mass, has recently been released as a DVD. His latest books are Living Bread, Saving Cup: Understanding the Mass (Rowman and Littlefield, 2003), Reforming the Liturgy: A Response to the Critics (Liturgical Press, 2008) and Catholic Sacraments, edited with David Turnbloom (Paulist Press, 2015). He has also co-edited a commentary on the revised Order of Mass with Mary Collins, Edward Foley, and Joanne Pierce (2009).

Michael Ruzicki is the director of music ministry at St. John Berchmans Parish in Chicago and serves as the training and events manager at Liturgy Training Publications. He is the coordinator and emcee of the National Gathering on Christian Initiation and frequent presenter on the topics of liturgy, catechumenal ministry, music, and evangelization. Prior to these roles, he served as a parish pastoral associate, the diocesan director of music ministry in the Archdiocese of Baltimore, and a team member on the North American Forum on the Catechumenate. Michael is the author and composer of A Light for My Path: Praying the Psalms on the Way of the Cross (LTP, 2015) and the author of Guide for Training Initiation Ministers: An Introduction to the RCIA (LTP, 2018). Michael studied at The Catholic University of America and the Washington Theological Union.

A highly regarded inspirational/catechetical speaker, singer, composer and recording artist. She is also a college professor, a leader of worship and prayer, and a workshop presenter at conferences across the US and abroad.

Rev. Ricky Manalo, CSP, Ph.D. is a Paulist priest, a composer, theologian, and author. He is the recipient of the 2020 Distinguished Catholic Music Composer of the Year Award by the Association of Catholic Publishers, and the 2018 Pastoral Musician of the Year Award by the National Association of Pastoral Musicians. He studied composition and piano at the Manhattan School of Music, theology at the Washington Theological Union (WTU), and liturgy, culture, and sociology at the Graduate Theological Union (GTU), Berkeley, CA. Fr. Manalo is a theological consultor for the USCCB and a co-author of the national pastoral plan for U.S. Asian Pacific Catholics, Encountering Christ in Harmony (2018), as well as the recent USCCB statement on Racism and Xenophobia (May 5, 2020). He remains an advisor to the U.S. Bishops’ Committee on Cultural Diversity in the Church and the Committee on Divine Worship. As a missionary priest, Fr. Manalo has been to 6 of the 7 continents to do a variety of presentations, from academic lectures, keynotes, and pastoral workshops, to preaching, presiding, and giving concerts. In addition to 48 U.S. states, he has been invited to the following international cities: Abu Dhabi, Al-Ayn, Amsterdam, Auckland and Wellington (New Zealand), Beijing, Dubai, Guam, Hong Kong, Honolulu, Hua Hin (Thailand), London (UK), London (Ontario, Canada), Manila and Malolos (The Philippines), Nairobi (Kenya), Niagara Falls (Canada), Sidney, Singapore, Seoul, Tokyo, and Wurzburg (Germany). When he is not traveling throughout the world, he resides at St. Paul the Apostle Church in New York City.

Tim Sharp is Executive Director of the American Choral Directors Association, the world’s largest association of choral conductors, teachers, students, scholars, composers, and choral industry representatives. Dr. Sharp has pursued an aggressive agenda of strategic planning and progressive and innovative initiatives to keep the American Choral Directors Association energized and relevant in the 21st century. He represents choral activity in the United States as a member of the Board of the International Federation for Choral Music, and is Vice-President of Musica International. Sharp appears regularly as guest conductor and clinician throughout the world, with recent performances in Austria, Thailand, Greece, Italy, Ireland, England, and China. Tim is approaching his ninth season as Artistic Director of the Tulsa Oratorio Chorus, Tulsa, OK, where critics characterize his performances as “impressively polished”, and having “stunning power” and “great passion and precision”. In a recent review of the Tulsa Oratorio Chorus’ performance of Mozart’s Requiem, arts critic James Watts stated, “The Tulsa Oratorio Chorus, prepared by its artistic director Tim Sharp, was in excellent form, summoning up rafter-shaking power…and showing great sensitivity ….” In the summer of 2016, Sharp conducted the Tulsa Oratorio Chorus as the Festival Choir for the 28th International Haydn Festival in Eisenstadt, Austria. In 2011, Sharp served as Principal Guest Conductor at the International Festival of the Aegean in Syros, Greece, where TOC was the featured chorus in the production of Verdi’s La Traviata, and performed Rachmaninov’s All Night Vigil at St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church. He made his New York City Alice Tully Hall debut in 2014 conducting Handel's Messiah. Tim returned to Carnegie Hall in May of 2015 for the seventh time conducting his own composition Come Away to the Skies: A High Lonesome Bluegrass Mass resulting it what one critic called a “dynamic, crowd-pleasing performance”, and characterized the composition as “…unfailingly true to itself, lacking in pretense, simple, direct, and heartfelt.” In 2016 Tim conducted the work at the historic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, TN. Before coming to ACDA, Sharp was Dean of Fine Arts at Rhodes College, Memphis, TN, where he conducted the Rhodes Singers and MasterSingers Chorale. In 2003, Sharp’s production of Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi won an Ostrander Award, Memphis’ annual award for excellence in theater. Prior to his position in Memphis, he conducted the Belmont University Chorale and Oratorio Chorus, Nashville, TN, where he received choral credits on the Grammy Nominated and Dove Award winning recording, A Glen Campbell Christmas. Dr. Sharp’s publications include Mentoring in the Ensemble Arts, Precision Conducting, Up Front! Becoming the Complete Choral Conductor, Achieving Choral Blend and Balance, Memphis Music Before the Blues, Nashville Music Before Country, Jubilate! Amen!, The German Songbook in the 19th Century, A Short History of the American Choral Directors Association, Collaborative Creativity, and a wide variety of published articles, essays, and CD liner notes for recordings by Helmuth Rilling, Iona Brown, Neville Marriner, and The King’s Singers. His most recent book publications include the historical-critical edition Johannes Herbst: Hymns to be Sung at the Pianoforte, published by Steglein, and Collaborating in the Ensemble Arts: Working and Playing Well With Others, published by GIA. In 2017, GIA released Tim’s third book in his ensemble series, Innovation in the Ensemble Arts: Sustaining Creativity.

Bishop Fernand Cheri is the Auxiliary Bishop of New Orleans. A Franciscan Friar of the St. Louis Province for 25 years, he has been ordained for 39 years. He served at Our Lady of Lourdes, NO; St. Joseph the Worker, Marrero, LA; St. Francis de Sales, NO; and St. Vincent de Paul, Nashville, TN. He taught at St. Augustine High School, NO; Hales Franciscan HS, Chicago; and at Althoff Catholic High, Belleville, IL. He was a Campus Minister at Xavier University and at Quincy University, Quincy, IL. He is the Episcopal Moderator for the Catholic Campus Ministry Association; the Episcopal Liaison for the Black & Indian Mission Office African American Newsletter; and the convener of the African American Bishops. He received his M. Div from Notre Dame Seminary, and a M.Th from Xavier University. He is an archivist of Black religious music with over 6,000 recordings of gospel music with books and files of gospel music. He wrote "Songs of the Soul and the Soil: the History of Black Religious Music;" compiled two 9-volume Gospel Music Discographies; wrote "Black Catholic Liturgy" in the book TELL IT LIKE IT IS; "Mass of Thanksgiving" in FREEING THE SPIRIT magazine; and the contributing author to SWEET, SWEET SPIRIT: Prayer Services from the Black Catholic Church. Due to his great interest in liturgy, Bishop Cheri served on the Bishops' Subcommittee on Black Catholic Worship. He works with the Archbishop James P. Lyke Liturgical Conferences; and is a member of the Lyke Foundation, dedicated to the development of Black Catholic Worship. He began the Youth Gospel Choirs at Our Lady of Lourdes; St. Joseph the Worker; the Althoff Gospel Crusaders, and at St. Augustine of Hippo, East St. Louis, IL. He served as a member of the Diocesan Liturgical Commissions of Nashville, TN and of Belleville, IL. He is the convener of Go Down Moses Retreats for African American Young Men and worked with KUJENGA Youth Leadership in Chicago and the St. Louis/Belleville area. He is a revivalist and preacher, whose testimony is, "My grace is enough for you, for in weakness power reaches perfection" (2Cor 12:9).

Author and liturgical composer Kathleen M. Basi is mother to three active boys (read that: always breaking something) and one chromosomally-gifted daughter. Because she doesn’t have enough to do in COVID world, this year she published her debut novel, A SONG FOR THE ROAD, which follows a pastoral musician on a road trip across America. Her books on faith formation are available from Liguori and Our Sunday Visitor, and her music for Catholic worship is available through WLP/GIA and Simply Liturgical Music. She is the founder of intentional-catholic.com, a web-based ministry seeking to connect our Catholic faith to the real, practical situations of daily life. If, after attending her presentations, you still think she has her act together, invite her to share an evening of prayer, reflection, and song at your parish. www.kathleenbasi.com/

Paul Inwood is an internationally known composer and workshop presenter. After working for 14 years at the St. Thomas More Centre for Pastoral Liturgy in England, Paul served five years as a cathedral organist, and another five years as a diocesan director of music. From 1991 to 1995 he called Southern California home, but returned to England as director of music for the cathedral in the Diocese of Portsmouth, England. He graduated summa cum laude from the Royal Academy of Music in London. Many of his compositions, including “Center of My Life,” were originally published by OCP in the St. Thomas More Group collections. In 2015 Paul was invited to participate in an international competition. Composers were asked to provide a hymn setting of a text by Eugenio Costa, SJ, for the Holy Year of Mercy. Paul’s submission was selected as the winning entry for the worldwide Church. Paul is the author of the hymn book Come, Praise the Lord, A Collection of James Quinn Hymns, released in 2018. Paul has extensive liturgical knowledge and experience, dynamic musical skills, and a commitment to a wide range of styles in liturgy and liturgical music. He offers events exploring many aspects of music and liturgical ministry in the parish. In addition to his workshops, he is available for choir festivals. Paul lives in England with his wife, Catherine Christmas, an accomplished organist and choir director.

A New Orleans native, Trish has served in music ministry for the Archdiocese of NO for 35 years and counting. Currently, she serves as Director of Music at St. Ann Church and National Shrine in Metairie, La where she serves as cantor and directs the Festival Choir. Most notably, she has also served as Cantor at St. Louis Cathedral and Director of Music at Immaculate Conception Jesuit Church in NOLA. She began recording 20 years ago with 7 national releases. God willing number 8 is on the way! She has enjoyed sharing her gift at many national conventions including LA Religious Congress and NPM. Trish is also the go to vocal coach for movies in the New Orleans area working for Warner Bros, Fox, Disney and many others. She also maintains an active voice studio. She is happily married to her husband and best friend Matthew de Blanc they share four grown children and a beautiful grandson. More info at Trishfoti.com.

Yuridia Ramírez is a Ford Foundation Fellow and Assistant Professor of history at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Ramírez earned her PhD in history from Duke University with a certificate in Latin American Studies. She also holds a BA in history and journalism from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, and an MA in history from Duke University. Currently, Ramírez is working on her book manuscript, tentatively titled Indigeneity on the Move: Transborder Politics from Michoacán to North Carolina, a historic and interdisciplinary analysis of a diasporic indigenous community and their transforming sense of indigeneity.

Meredith is the Director of Music at the Church of St. Francis of Assisi in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. A native of Morgantown, West Virginia, currently residing in Brooklyn, New York, she holds a Master of Science degree in Rehabilitation Counseling from West Virginia University.

Since his 2008 major label debut, Matt Maher has become a staple in the artistic and songwriting community. An eight time-GRAMMY nominee, he has garnered multiple radio successes writing and recording songs like 'Lord, I Need You,' 'Hold Us Together,' 'Christ Is Risen,' 'Because He Lives (Amen)' and 'Your Grace Is Enough.' Maher has penned songs recorded by Chris Tomlin, Crowder, Third Day, Matt Redman, Hillsong, Casting Crowns, Jesus Culture and Bethel among others. Matt has written or co-written five No. 1 radio singles. In 2013, Maher had a career highlight performing in Rio in front of Pope Francis and a crowd of 3 million people, as well as performing in 2015 in downtown Philadelphia as part of the World Meeting of Families with The Fray, Aretha Franklin, Juanes, Jim Gaffigan, among others. In 2015, Maher was awarded his first RIAA Gold certification for his popular single 'Lord, I Need You.'

Julio De León is a member of the Liturgical Commission of the Archdiocese of our Lady of the Angels. He has extensive experience as a music educator, music director and workshop presenter in different Catholic institutions and parishes in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. He is a composer of Spanish liturgical music with OCP, holds a bachelor’s degree in Music Performance, and is currently studying a master’s degree in Pastoral Theology at the University of Loyola Marymount. His thesis work is focused on the Role of Music in Eucharistic Celebrations within the U.S. Hispanic Community and its theological implications. Julio has been awarded the NPM academic scholarship La Beca Juan XXIII, for three consecutive years since 2018.

Julio De León is a member of the Liturgical Commission of the Archdiocese of our Lady of the Angels. He has extensive experience as a music educator, music director and workshop presenter in different Catholic institutions and parishes in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. He is a composer of Spanish liturgical music with OCP, holds a bachelor’s degree in Music Performance, and is currently studying a master’s degree in Pastoral Theology at the University of Loyola Marymount. His thesis work is focused on the Role of Music in Eucharistic Celebrations within the U.S. Hispanic Community and its theological implications. Julio has been awarded the NPM academic scholarship La Beca Juan XXIII, for three consecutive years since 2018.

Rita Thiron is the Executive Director of the Federation of Diocesan Liturgical Commissions in Washington, DC. Prior to arriving at the FDLC, she served for twenty years as the Director of the Office of Worship for the Diocese of Lansing (Michigan). She also served for a decade as the Director of Adult Education and the Catechumenate at Holy Family Parish and as an adjunct professor at Siena Heights University. She holds a Master’s Degree in Theology with a Concentration in Liturgical Studies from the University of Notre Dame (Notre Dame, IN) and a Bachelor’s Degree in History from Xavier University (Cincinnati, Ohio). She is the author of seven books and countless articles. She is a frequent presenter in dioceses across the United States.Rita serves as a consultant to the Bishops’ Committee on Divine Worship of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. She and her husband have two grown children and three exceptional grandchildren.

Rita Thiron is the Executive Director of the Federation of Diocesan Liturgical Commissions in Washington, DC. Prior to arriving at the FDLC, she served for twenty years as the Director of the Office of Worship for the Diocese of Lansing (Michigan). She also served for a decade as the Director of Adult Education and the Catechumenate at Holy Family Parish and as an adjunct professor at Siena Heights University. She holds a Master’s Degree in Theology with a Concentration in Liturgical Studies from the University of Notre Dame (Notre Dame, IN) and a Bachelor’s Degree in History from Xavier University (Cincinnati, Ohio). She is the author of seven books and countless articles. She is a frequent presenter in dioceses across the United States.Rita serves as a consultant to the Bishops’ Committee on Divine Worship of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. She and her husband have two grown children and three exceptional grandchildren.

Steven Janco is Liturgy Resources Specialist at World Library Publications. He served as Director of Liturgy and Music at St. Alphonsus Liguori Church in Prospect Heights, Illinois, from 1995 to 2005. In addition to his full-time work, Janco also serves as interim director of the Rensselaer Program of Church Music and Liturgy, the graduate program of Saint Joseph's College in Rensselaer, Indiana. The Rensselaer Program offers MA degrees in church music and pastoral liturgy that can be completed in four or five summers. Janco also has been an institute faculty member for the North American Forum on the Catechumenate since 1998 and serves on the music staff of the Chicago Office for Divine Worship. He is a clinician at conferences and workshops around the country. Janco is a well-known composer of liturgical music. Mass of the Angels and Saints, published by GIA in 1996, and Mass of Redemption, published by World Library Publications in 2000, are sung widely in the United States and beyond. He has had articles and reviews published in Pastoral Music, AIM, Modern Liturgy, New Theology Review, and GIA Quarterly. Janco earned master's degrees in theology and church music and recently completed the doctor of ministry degree at the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago. He lives in Forest Park, Illinois.

A church musician since the age of 12, David Sievers is the Pastoral Associate of Music and Liturgy at St. Luke the Evangelist Parish in Beavercreek, Ohio. He has been a member of NPM (and the DMMD) since 1997. Prior to working at St. Luke, he served at St. Rose of Lima Parish in Franklin, Indiana, and St. Joseph Parish in his hometown of Kennewick, Washington. Dr. Sievers is also an Artist-in-Residence in the Department of Music at the University of Dayton. At UD, he teaches private voice, English and German diction and literature for singers, voice pedagogy, and other related courses, including a course on the intersection of faith traditions and music. He also conducts the UD Opera Workshop. An active tenor, Dr. Sievers has performed in recital and onstage in Italy and Germany as well as in the Midwest and Pacific Northwest. He has sung many of the character tenor roles in the operatic canon and is equally comfortable on the musical theater stage. He is also a member of the National Association of Teachers of Singing, the New York Singing Teachers Association, the National Federation of Music Clubs, the National Opera Association (where he is a member of the Sacred in Opera Initiative Task Force), and Phi Beta Kappa. He earned the Doctor of Music degree (Voice Performance and Literature) from the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University, the Master of Music degree (Voice Performance and Pedagogy) from Boise State University, and the Bachelor of Music degree (Voice Performance) from Washington State University. What is the importance of music in sharing Christ to a broken world? For me, Aldous Huxley said it best: “After silence that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible is music.” Our world needs Christ now more than ever, and music helps lead us closer to Christ and his redeeming sacrifice when words simply are not enough.

Christopher Ferraro is the Director of Music at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church, Lindenhurst, NY and directs the Liturgical Music Institute at the Seminary of the Immaculate Conception, Huntington, NY. Chris has served NPM in many capacities. He was the director of the Rockville Centre Chapter for four years and has been as an at-large member of the NPM Council, member of the National Committee for Chapters, chair of the Pastoral Liturgy Interest Section and recently chaired the NPM 2.0 committee that redesigned NPM’s Structure and Governance. He is also a frequent presenter at NPM conventions. Chris also serves as Vice-Chair of the Board of Directors for the Federation of Diocesan Liturgical Commissions where he also represents Region 2, New York State.

Anthony Sievert is the Director of Music Ministry at Our Lady of the Rosary Church in Land O' Lakes, Florida. In addition to coordinating the liturgical music for a 3000+ family parish, Anthony is also active with the Tampa AGO chapter and the Diocesan NPM chapter. He's a graduate of the Rensselaer Program of Liturgy and Music at St. Joseph's College. He and his wife live in Land O' Lakes with their three children.

Christopher Ferraro is the Director of Music at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church, Lindenhurst, NY and directs the Liturgical Music Institute at the Seminary of the Immaculate Conception, Huntington, NY. Chris has served NPM in many capacities. He was the director of the Rockville Centre Chapter for four years and has been as an at-large member of the NPM Council, member of the National Committee for Chapters, chair of the Pastoral Liturgy Interest Section and recently chaired the NPM 2.0 committee that redesigned NPM’s Structure and Governance. He is also a frequent presenter at NPM conventions. Chris also serves as Vice-Chair of the Board of Directors for the Federation of Diocesan Liturgical Commissions where he also represents Region 2, New York State.

Janèt Sullivan Whitaker is a lifelong music minister for the Diocese of Oakland. In addition to her work as a composer and recording artist, Janèt is a dynamic cantor, pianist, arranger, percussionist, workshop presenter and retreat leader. For almost two decades, she has served on the catechetical music staff for the One Bread, One Cup Summer Liturgical Leadership Conferences at St. Meinrad Archabbey in Southern Indiana. She holds a BA in music from California State University, Hayward (CSUEB), and a master of theological studies from the Jesuit School of Theology at Berkeley. Her most beloved songs are “In Every Age,” “Here at This Table,” “The Least of These,” “Christ Before Us” and “Day of Peace.” She has three solo collections of liturgical music, including Tryin’ to Get Ready (for Advent), These Forty Days (for Lent) and Land of the Living. This Place of Perfect Peace, features music from her years with One Bread, One Cup. Her most recent collection Plenty brings a message of hope to people struggling with depression or anxiety and allows us all to celebrate God’s many graces. She recently collaborated with fellow composers on Our Common Home, a collection inspired by Pope Francis’ Laudato Si’ encyclical, offering timely music touching on themes of care for creation, poverty and solidarity. Janèt presents workshops on cantor dynamics, lector formation, parish repertoire, song of the assembly and keyboard improvisation. Currently residing in Hayward, California, Janèt serves as full-time director of music and liturgy at St. Joan of Arc Catholic Church in San Ramon.

For over three decades PAUL FRENCH has worked in parishes throughout the Archdiocese of Chicago, and since 2001 he has been the Director of Music at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church where he leads a thriving choral program of adult and children's voices. He served as Music Director of the William Ferris Chorale from 2005-2016, in that time establishing it on the professional choral scene as the premier ensemble for breathing life into works of lesser-known and living composers. His 2015 performances of the early 20th century Requiem Masses of Ildebrando Pizzetti and Bonventura Somma were hailed as one of the Top Ten Performances of the Year by the Chicago Classical Review, with critic Lawrence Johnson proclaiming. "French and his singers provided glowing and deeply felt advocacy to these beautiful, neglected works". Mr. French studied composition, conducting, chant and organ at St. John’s University, Northwestern University, the Pontificio Istituto di Musica Sacra in Rome, and privately with William Ferris. A composer of more than 200 instrumental and choral works, he was the Director of Choral Recordings for World Library Publications for 20 years and is also the editor of a series of choral works for children’s choirs, under the distinguished banner of the American Federation Pueri Cantores and published by GIA-WLP). Mr. French also serves as the President of the Board of Directors of the American Federation Pueri Cantores, the official student-choral organization of the Roman Catholic Church. For over ten years he served as a faculty member of the National Association of Pastoral Musicians Choir Director Institutes. Stepping in at the last moment for an indisposed Christopher Bell, Mr. French conducted a concert of the Grant Park Apprentice Chorale, a program which was webcast world-wide by radio station WFMT on their Dame Myra Hess Concert Series. Mr. French was commissioned to create Fanfares and Alleluias for the recent papal visit of Pope Francis to the U. S. in 2015. Another of his works, Concertato on Grosser Gott, was performed for the papal visits of both Pope Francis (2015) and Pope Benedict XVI in 2008. Mr. French’s published music is available through MorningStar Music, Paraclete Press, Santa Barbara Music Publishing, CanticaNOVA Publications, World Library Publications, GIA Publications, and Oregon Catholic Press.

For over three decades PAUL FRENCH has worked in parishes throughout the Archdiocese of Chicago, and since 2001 he has been the Director of Music at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church where he leads a thriving choral program of adult and children's voices. He served as Music Director of the William Ferris Chorale from 2005-2016, in that time establishing it on the professional choral scene as the premier ensemble for breathing life into works of lesser-known and living composers. His 2015 performances of the early 20th century Requiem Masses of Ildebrando Pizzetti and Bonventura Somma were hailed as one of the Top Ten Performances of the Year by the Chicago Classical Review, with critic Lawrence Johnson proclaiming. "French and his singers provided glowing and deeply felt advocacy to these beautiful, neglected works". Mr. French studied composition, conducting, chant and organ at St. John’s University, Northwestern University, the Pontificio Istituto di Musica Sacra in Rome, and privately with William Ferris. A composer of more than 200 instrumental and choral works, he was the Director of Choral Recordings for World Library Publications for 20 years and is also the editor of a series of choral works for children’s choirs, under the distinguished banner of the American Federation Pueri Cantores and published by GIA-WLP). Mr. French also serves as the President of the Board of Directors of the American Federation Pueri Cantores, the official student-choral organization of the Roman Catholic Church. For over ten years he served as a faculty member of the National Association of Pastoral Musicians Choir Director Institutes. Stepping in at the last moment for an indisposed Christopher Bell, Mr. French conducted a concert of the Grant Park Apprentice Chorale, a program which was webcast world-wide by radio station WFMT on their Dame Myra Hess Concert Series. Mr. French was commissioned to create Fanfares and Alleluias for the recent papal visit of Pope Francis to the U. S. in 2015. Another of his works, Concertato on Grosser Gott, was performed for the papal visits of both Pope Francis (2015) and Pope Benedict XVI in 2008. Mr. French’s published music is available through MorningStar Music, Paraclete Press, Santa Barbara Music Publishing, CanticaNOVA Publications, World Library Publications, GIA Publications, and Oregon Catholic Press.

Emily Strand is author of Mass 101: Liturgy and Life (Liguori, 2013), Your Baby’s Baptism (Liguori, 2014) and numerous articles on pastoral liturgy. She served as Campus Minister and Director of Liturgy at the University of Dayton from 2004-2011 and has taught religion and liturgy on the collegiate level for over 15 years. She speaks at parishes, conferences and festivals about liturgy, sacraments, and the theology of popular entertainment. Emily serves NPM as Chair for the Forum on Communication, her diocese of Columbus, Ohio as a Master Catechist and her parish as a lector, cantor and ensemble director.

John Angotti is a full time music missionary who travels throughout many parts of the world providing inspirational music and faith witness to all ages through concerts, workshops, retreats, missions, conferences, and worship. He is originally from Clarksburg, West Virginia, and now resides in Nashville, Tennessee. He is a graduate of West Virginia University and the U.S. Military School of Music, where he was a member of the U.S. Navy Band as lead vocalist. John received his Master's Degree in Pastoral Studies from Catholic Theological Union in Chicago in 2013.

Janèt Sullivan Whitaker is a lifelong music minister for the Diocese of Oakland. In addition to her work as a composer and recording artist, Janèt is a dynamic cantor, pianist, arranger, percussionist, workshop presenter and retreat leader. For almost two decades, she has served on the catechetical music staff for the One Bread, One Cup Summer Liturgical Leadership Conferences at St. Meinrad Archabbey in Southern Indiana. She holds a BA in music from California State University, Hayward (CSUEB), and a master of theological studies from the Jesuit School of Theology at Berkeley. Her most beloved songs are “In Every Age,” “Here at This Table,” “The Least of These,” “Christ Before Us” and “Day of Peace.” She has three solo collections of liturgical music, including Tryin’ to Get Ready (for Advent), These Forty Days (for Lent) and Land of the Living. This Place of Perfect Peace, features music from her years with One Bread, One Cup. Her most recent collection Plenty brings a message of hope to people struggling with depression or anxiety and allows us all to celebrate God’s many graces. She recently collaborated with fellow composers on Our Common Home, a collection inspired by Pope Francis’ Laudato Si’ encyclical, offering timely music touching on themes of care for creation, poverty and solidarity. Janèt presents workshops on cantor dynamics, lector formation, parish repertoire, song of the assembly and keyboard improvisation. Currently residing in Hayward, California, Janèt serves as full-time director of music and liturgy at St. Joan of Arc Catholic Church in San Ramon.

Author and liturgical composer Kathleen M. Basi is mother to three active boys (read that: always breaking something) and one chromosomally-gifted daughter. Because she doesn’t have enough to do in COVID world, this year she published her debut novel, A SONG FOR THE ROAD, which follows a pastoral musician on a road trip across America. Her books on faith formation are available from Liguori and Our Sunday Visitor, and her music for Catholic worship is available through WLP/GIA and Simply Liturgical Music. She is the founder of intentional-catholic.com, a web-based ministry seeking to connect our Catholic faith to the real, practical situations of daily life. If, after attending her presentations, you still think she has her act together, invite her to share an evening of prayer, reflection, and song at your parish. www.kathleenbasi.com/

A church musician since the age of 12, David Sievers is the Pastoral Associate of Music and Liturgy at St. Luke the Evangelist Parish in Beavercreek, Ohio. He has been a member of NPM (and the DMMD) since 1997. Prior to working at St. Luke, he served at St. Rose of Lima Parish in Franklin, Indiana, and St. Joseph Parish in his hometown of Kennewick, Washington. Dr. Sievers is also an Artist-in-Residence in the Department of Music at the University of Dayton. At UD, he teaches private voice, English and German diction and literature for singers, voice pedagogy, and other related courses, including a course on the intersection of faith traditions and music. He also conducts the UD Opera Workshop. An active tenor, Dr. Sievers has performed in recital and onstage in Italy and Germany as well as in the Midwest and Pacific Northwest. He has sung many of the character tenor roles in the operatic canon and is equally comfortable on the musical theater stage. He is also a member of the National Association of Teachers of Singing, the New York Singing Teachers Association, the National Federation of Music Clubs, the National Opera Association (where he is a member of the Sacred in Opera Initiative Task Force), and Phi Beta Kappa. He earned the Doctor of Music degree (Voice Performance and Literature) from the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University, the Master of Music degree (Voice Performance and Pedagogy) from Boise State University, and the Bachelor of Music degree (Voice Performance) from Washington State University. What is the importance of music in sharing Christ to a broken world? For me, Aldous Huxley said it best: “After silence that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible is music.” Our world needs Christ now more than ever, and music helps lead us closer to Christ and his redeeming sacrifice when words simply are not enough.

Paul Inwood is an internationally known composer and workshop presenter. After working for 14 years at the St. Thomas More Centre for Pastoral Liturgy in England, Paul served five years as a cathedral organist, and another five years as a diocesan director of music. From 1991 to 1995 he called Southern California home, but returned to England as director of music for the cathedral in the Diocese of Portsmouth, England. He graduated summa cum laude from the Royal Academy of Music in London. Many of his compositions, including “Center of My Life,” were originally published by OCP in the St. Thomas More Group collections. In 2015 Paul was invited to participate in an international competition. Composers were asked to provide a hymn setting of a text by Eugenio Costa, SJ, for the Holy Year of Mercy. Paul’s submission was selected as the winning entry for the worldwide Church. Paul is the author of the hymn book Come, Praise the Lord, A Collection of James Quinn Hymns, released in 2018. Paul has extensive liturgical knowledge and experience, dynamic musical skills, and a commitment to a wide range of styles in liturgy and liturgical music. He offers events exploring many aspects of music and liturgical ministry in the parish. In addition to his workshops, he is available for choir festivals. Paul lives in England with his wife, Catherine Christmas, an accomplished organist and choir director.

Teresa Cobarrubia Yoder was born in Virginia where she pursued studies in Music Composition and Theory. She taught AP Music Theory, Chorus and Madrigals at the high school level at Walsingham Academy, Williamsburg, VA and is the soon to-be retired director of music ministries (May 2021) at Immaculate Conception Church, Hampton, VA. Her choruses performed internationally - including China, Canada, Vatican City, Italy, Ireland and England. She served on boards in a number of music professional organizations and the Diocese of Richmond Liturgical Commission. Ms. Yoder’s compositions reflect an eclectic range of musical styles and levels. She incorporates her expansive pedagogical knowledge as a teacher and pastoral musician to compose music promoting the works of love, mercy, peace, justice and the environment. She and her husband, Gene, live in Williamsburg, in their home they built together. Upon retirement, they will begin an extensive road trip in their RV of many of the national and state parks in the USA. Ms. Yoder is published with GIA/WLP, Oregon Catholic Press, and Paraclete Publications. Additionally, she has a number of self-published works for pianists, string quartets/orchestras and brass ensembles. Her hymns, Mass of the Chesapeake and Mass of Divine Love are available for assembly reprint on One License.

Lorraine Hess is a nationally published Catholic singer, songwriter, and recording artist with World Library Publications, a division of GIA Publications. Born and raised in New Orleans, she grew up in an environment of Jazz, Cajun, Gospel, and Classical musicians, and her writing is strongly influenced by her eclectic background. She has a BS from Louisiana State University, and her Masters in Pastoral Studies from Loyola University, New Orleans. She has served the church in music since age 16, and she is the Director of Music Ministry at St. Catherine of Siena Parish in the Archdiocese of New Orleans. She has released six solo albums of original liturgical and sacred music, and she has performed at multiple national Catholic conferences and events. Lorraine has also performed in John Angotti’s original musical, JOB, The NOW Testament, and has appeared on the nationally televised shows The Power of Love hosted by the late Fr. Michael Manning, SVD and Live With Passion with Fr. Cedric Pisegna, C.P. Lorraine and her husband, Rob, have been married since 1990, and are proud parents of four sons, her greatest vocation. lorrainehess.com.

Dr. Barbara Stahl Leyden recently retired as Director of Music Ministry for St. Joseph Catholic Church, a large parish in the Kansas City metropolitan area. She began playing the organ every Sunday at her small rural church as a teen, and has since played keyboards, sung, or directed liturgical music in nearly every conceivable setting. In addition to her broad experience in Catholic and other Christian music, Dr. Leyden has lived and taught music from ages preschool through college in places as varied as Lenexa, Kansas, an inner-city school outside Washington, DC; Arizona, Hawaii, Korea and Germany. She has taught in public and private schools, colleges, universities, community education programs, workshops, state music conventions and in her own private studio. While working, she also sang in community amateur and semi-professional groups of varied sizes, musical styles and location, ranging from symphony choruses to a vocal jazz ensemble. She has earned a Doctor of Musical Arts in Sacred Music Conducting from the American Conservatory, a Master of Music degree from the University of Arizona and a BS in Music Education degree from North Dakota State University. Her doctoral conducting included a well-received series of five concerts featuring classical choral works sung in a liturgical setting using singers recruited from the entire Kansas City metro area. Her doctoral paper is a complete reference guide to music in Catholic liturgy, including hymn and choral suggestions for the entire 3-year scriptural cycle. Her master’s paper on the child voice is one of the most complete references to be found on that topic. Her husband is COL Richard Leyden, U.S. Army (Retired) and Dr Leyden is retired as a LTC in the U. S. Army Reserve. They have three adult children, Cassandra, Brianna and Nicholas.

A highly regarded inspirational/catechetical speaker, singer, composer and recording artist. She is also a college professor, a leader of worship and prayer, and a workshop presenter at conferences across the US and abroad.

Angela has served in pastoral ministry at multiple parishes in eastern North Carolina. She holds a master’s degree in Pastoral Liturgy from the Rensselaer Program of Church Music and Liturgy and had the opportunity to learn from Sr. Marilyn Schauble, OSB, Fr. Anthony Ruff, OSB, Fr. Richard Fragomeni, and Dr. Richard McCarron, to name a few. Angela has extensively studied the history and data surrounding the restored order of the sacraments of initiation, and her research on the topic has been included as recommended reading at the annual conference of the Federation of Diocesan Liturgical Commissions and has been published in Catechumenate: a Journal of Christian Initiation. She has written for NC Catholics and Pastoral Liturgy and hosted or been presenter at various conferences and gatherings. Angela has served alongside Franciscan friars of Holy Name Province in the bilingual community of Immaculate Conception Church in Durham, NC for 11 years, where she is Director of Liturgy and Music. She first studied Spanish in high school, continuing in college and then as an adult learner, but she credits the community as her primary source of formation and is blessed to have friends from across Central and South America as well as Spain. She feels her gap in perfect Spanish fluency, but her communication motto is: “si me comprenden, todo está bien!”

Dr. Barbara Stahl Leyden recently retired as Director of Music Ministry for St. Joseph Catholic Church, a large parish in the Kansas City metropolitan area. She began playing the organ every Sunday at her small rural church as a teen, and has since played keyboards, sung, or directed liturgical music in nearly every conceivable setting. In addition to her broad experience in Catholic and other Christian music, Dr. Leyden has lived and taught music from ages preschool through college in places as varied as Lenexa, Kansas, an inner-city school outside Washington, DC; Arizona, Hawaii, Korea and Germany. She has taught in public and private schools, colleges, universities, community education programs, workshops, state music conventions and in her own private studio. While working, she also sang in community amateur and semi-professional groups of varied sizes, musical styles and location, ranging from symphony choruses to a vocal jazz ensemble. She has earned a Doctor of Musical Arts in Sacred Music Conducting from the American Conservatory, a Master of Music degree from the University of Arizona and a BS in Music Education degree from North Dakota State University. Her doctoral conducting included a well-received series of five concerts featuring classical choral works sung in a liturgical setting using singers recruited from the entire Kansas City metro area. Her doctoral paper is a complete reference guide to music in Catholic liturgy, including hymn and choral suggestions for the entire 3-year scriptural cycle. Her master’s paper on the child voice is one of the most complete references to be found on that topic. Her husband is COL Richard Leyden, U.S. Army (Retired) and Dr Leyden is retired as a LTC in the U. S. Army Reserve. They have three adult children, Cassandra, Brianna and Nicholas.

Rev. Ricky Manalo, CSP, Ph.D. is a Paulist priest, a composer, theologian, and author. He is the recipient of the 2020 Distinguished Catholic Music Composer of the Year Award by the Association of Catholic Publishers, and the 2018 Pastoral Musician of the Year Award by the National Association of Pastoral Musicians. He studied composition and piano at the Manhattan School of Music, theology at the Washington Theological Union (WTU), and liturgy, culture, and sociology at the Graduate Theological Union (GTU), Berkeley, CA. Fr. Manalo is a theological consultor for the USCCB and a co-author of the national pastoral plan for U.S. Asian Pacific Catholics, Encountering Christ in Harmony (2018), as well as the recent USCCB statement on Racism and Xenophobia (May 5, 2020). He remains an advisor to the U.S. Bishops’ Committee on Cultural Diversity in the Church and the Committee on Divine Worship. As a missionary priest, Fr. Manalo has been to 6 of the 7 continents to do a variety of presentations, from academic lectures, keynotes, and pastoral workshops, to preaching, presiding, and giving concerts. In addition to 48 U.S. states, he has been invited to the following international cities: Abu Dhabi, Al-Ayn, Amsterdam, Auckland and Wellington (New Zealand), Beijing, Dubai, Guam, Hong Kong, Honolulu, Hua Hin (Thailand), London (UK), London (Ontario, Canada), Manila and Malolos (The Philippines), Nairobi (Kenya), Niagara Falls (Canada), Sidney, Singapore, Seoul, Tokyo, and Wurzburg (Germany). When he is not traveling throughout the world, he resides at St. Paul the Apostle Church in New York City.

Lorraine Hess is a nationally published Catholic singer, songwriter, and recording artist with World Library Publications, a division of GIA Publications. Born and raised in New Orleans, she grew up in an environment of Jazz, Cajun, Gospel, and Classical musicians, and her writing is strongly influenced by her eclectic background. She has a BS from Louisiana State University, and her Masters in Pastoral Studies from Loyola University, New Orleans. She has served the church in music since age 16, and she is the Director of Music Ministry at St. Catherine of Siena Parish in the Archdiocese of New Orleans. She has released six solo albums of original liturgical and sacred music, and she has performed at multiple national Catholic conferences and events. Lorraine has also performed in John Angotti’s original musical, JOB, The NOW Testament, and has appeared on the nationally televised shows The Power of Love hosted by the late Fr. Michael Manning, SVD and Live With Passion with Fr. Cedric Pisegna, C.P. Lorraine and her husband, Rob, have been married since 1990, and are proud parents of four sons, her greatest vocation. lorrainehess.com.

Michael Ruzicki is the director of music ministry at St. John Berchmans Parish in Chicago and serves as the training and events manager at Liturgy Training Publications. He is the coordinator and emcee of the National Gathering on Christian Initiation and frequent presenter on the topics of liturgy, catechumenal ministry, music, and evangelization. Prior to these roles, he served as a parish pastoral associate, the diocesan director of music ministry in the Archdiocese of Baltimore, and a team member on the North American Forum on the Catechumenate. Michael is the author and composer of A Light for My Path: Praying the Psalms on the Way of the Cross (LTP, 2015) and the author of Guide for Training Initiation Ministers: An Introduction to the RCIA (LTP, 2018). Michael studied at The Catholic University of America and the Washington Theological Union.

Editor and Liturgical Training Consultant for Liturgy Training Publications. Former Worship office Director and national workshop presenter.