Magnificat Institute of Sacred Music was founded in 2017 to promote the renewal of sacred liturgical music in the Roman Rite of the Catholic Church, in harmony with Church teaching and her great traditions of sacred music.

This mission has three vitally important dimensions:

1.) To facilitate a more widespread rediscovery of the beauty, genius, and importance of our great traditions, especially among those for whom they have effectively become a “foreign language.”

2.) To cultivate the composition and use of new liturgical music which resonates with holiness and beauty in people of good will today.

3.) To provide educational opportunities for clergy, church musicians, and laity to understand the vital principles which have been the basis for the development of Catholic sacred music throughout Church history, and which open up fresh new vistas for growth today.

Offering Practical Assistance to the Church

New Repertoire Infused with Sacred Beauty

Radiant models of how our liturgical music can faithfully and skillfully integrate tradition with new inspired compositions: through beautiful sung Liturgies with our Cor Unum Chorale, through CD and other digital recordings, through televised sung Masses, and through a variety of other audio and video presentations.

Inspirational Music Modeling

Magnificat Institute provides a large repertoire of new, fresh liturgical compositions by our founder, Paul Jernberg, which continues to grow each year to meet the broad-ranging needs of parishes, communities, schools, and seminaries. Of these compositions, the late Thomas Howard has written: “The liturgical music which Paul Jernberg is composing can take its place with dignity and grace in the Church’s venerable tradition...”

Formation in Sacred Liturgical Music

Educational opportunities for individuals, parishes, and communities to learn more about the philosophical basis and practical application of the Church’s teaching on sacred music, geared particularly for parishes who might not yet have been served by other organizations. These opportunities include workshops, seminars, and talks, as well as regular blogs and podcasts available to all.

Magnificat Academy was founded in 2005 as a Choir School in Warren, Massachusetts, with a full academic curriculum for boys and girls in grades 4-12. From 2005 to 2008, the school flourished and its Choir brought joy and inspiration to many through its Liturgies, Concerts, and recordings. In 2008, Magnificat was invited to the Cathedral of St. Paul in Worcester, where it served as the Cathedral Choir School until 2011. From 2011 until 2017, the work of the Academy focused on the support of various sacred music projects, in collaboration with other schools and institutions.

In 2018, Magnificat entered an exciting new phase of its mission, as a full-fledged Institute dedicated to the renewal of sacred music in the Roman Rite of the Catholic Church. Thus the new name: Magnificat Institute of Sacred Music. Based in Lancaster, Massachusetts, and led by its founding director, Paul Jernberg, we are grateful to have the opportunity to serve Parishes, Communities, and Dioceses throughout the United States and abroad.

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.