INSPIRATIONAL MODELS
“I plead with you--never, ever give up on hope, never doubt, never tire, and never become discouraged...” -St. John Paul II
“All methods are empty without the foundation of prayer. The word of the announcement must always be drenched in an intense life of prayer. … Theocentrism is fundamental in the message of Jesus and must also be at the heart of new evangelization..”
Photo by Jeffrey Bruno http://www.jeffreybruno.com/
The Fire of Your Love
Watch our filmed sung Mass with music composed and conducted by Paul Jernberg. The singing congregation is from St. John the Guardian of Our Lady Parish in Clinton, Massachusetts, and the choir is our Cor Unum Chorale with over 130 members from throughout New England. We presently (for the 2021-2022 academic year) have such fully sung Masses once per month at St. John's! We are grateful for the way in which these sung Masses are facilitating a rediscovery of our living sacred music tradition, combining works of the past with new liturgical music which resonates with holiness and beauty in people of good will today.
Cor Unum Chorale
The Cor Unum Chorale presently brings together over one hundred singers from throughout New England, who play an important role in the mission of the Magnificat Institute. We sing for Masses, Vespers, and Concerts, and participate in recordings of these events.
The words cor unum mean “of one heart” in Latin and are taken from Acts 4:32, in which it is said that the “company of those who believed were of one heart and one soul.” Our aspiration is to reflect this same unity today – a unity flowing from the heart of Christ and embracing all people of good will, especially those in greatest need. Our first concerts raised funds for the benefit of persecuted
Christians and other religious minorities in the Middle East (see poster below.)
Our present focus is to help parishes and communities in their quest for a deep and authentic renewal of sacred liturgical music, as a vitally important component in a greater renewal of Faith, Liturgy, and Culture.
The Cor Unum Chorale generally rehearses once a month, and sometimes more often when preparing for special scheduled Liturgies and concerts. For further information and/or to audition, click the button below.
Related Projects and Ministries
Here we share links to the inspirational work being done by our friends, in the fields of Sacred Music and Art, as well as other related fields. We hope it will inspire you to see ordinary people “doing something beautiful for God,” as St. Teresa of Calcutta loved to say. If you have videos or photos you’d like to share, please let us know!
Sacred Music and Art
The Way of Beauty
This is the website of my friend and colleague David Clayton - artist, educator, and author - who is now also the Provost of Pontifex University. He never ceases to provide new insights and inspiration through his books, talks, blog, podcasts, etc. Our ongoing conversations on sacred music are now available on Youtube and podcasts!
Square Notes: The Sacred Music Podcast
These podcasts are presented by my colleague Dr. Jennifer Donelson along with church musician Peter Carter. Dr. Donelson is an Associate Professor and the Director of Sacred Music at St. Joseph’s Seminary (Dunwoodie) in New York, where she also teaches sacred music courses in the St. Cecilia Academy for Pastoral Musicians. She is a dynamic force in the renewal of sacred music today, in organizing events, leading choirs, and giving lectures around the U.S. and beyond. These podcasts educate and inspire through interviews with clergy, composers, and others who are making important contributions to this renewal.
Roman Hurko
Over the past years, it has been a joy for me to discover the sacred music of Roman Hurko, a Ukrainian-Canadian composer who lives in NYC. He has composed most of his music for the Liturgies of the Eastern Catholic and Orthodox Churches. In 2016 our Cor Unum Chorale performed his entire Liturgy No. 3 (English) for a series of Benefit concerts to help Christians and other religious minorities who were suffering intense persecution in the Middle East. The following link gives a taste of this magnificent composition: Liturgy No. 3.
On another note...
While the focus of this website is on sacred liturgical music and its renewal, we would like to also share here some amazing and inspiring things that are happening in other related fields (lest anyone think that our only sphere of interest is music for the Liturgy!) We are just beginning the list...
Franciscan Friars of the Renewal
The Franciscan Friars of the Renewal were founded in the Bronx by Fr. Benedict Groeschel in 1987, to serve the poor and to be a living witness to the Gospel of Christ. The Jernberg family has been blessed by their friendships with the Friars throughout the years, beginning in the late 1990's. We have been encouraged and inspired by their radical, loving commitment to the Faith and their amazingly creative ministries. What is the connection between the vocation of these Friars, and our own work for the renewal of sacred music? Is it not the same blazing fire of God's love, which draws us out of our comfort zones and inspires us to serve God and neighbor, wherever we are called, with great humility and joy?
For more music and resources, visit Paul’s Website: