St. Patrick’s Seminary, Menlo Park, California
Catholic Institute
of Sacred Music
NEW Degree and Certificate Programs!
Apply by February 15th!
John A. McInnes Choral Fellowship
A paid choral fellowship for 12 outstanding singers in CISM’s Summer Graduate Choral Institute
The John A. McInnes Choral Fellowship was established to encourage twelve outstanding Catholic singers to exercise their musical gifts for the glory of God in the context of the sacred liturgy.
Fellows will serve as section leaders for the CISM Choral Institute, an intensive week-long graduate course held July 20–24, 2026, under the direction of CISM faculty Prof. Christopher Berry and Dr. Jennifer Donelson-Nowicka.
During the Institute, participants sing daily Lauds, Mass, and Vespers, immersing themselves in the Church’s living tradition of sacred music.
In addition to their liturgical leadership, the 2026 Choral Fellows will participate in a professional recording session featuring one new work from each of the five composers enrolled in the concurrent Composition Seminar under the direction of Dr. Frank La Rocca.
Each Fellow receives:
- A $1,000 stipend
- Up to $600 in travel allowance
- Room and board for the duration of the program
Application Deadline: Sunday, February 15th
Spring 2026 Monday Online Workshop Series
Join us online for helpful topics, taught by experts, at an affordable price
Topics:
- Singing the Readings of the Mass
- The Requiem through the Ages
- Playing Bach through the Liturgical Year
- General Instruction of the Roman Missal: Directed Reading Group
Online Lenten Retreat with Archbishop Cordileone
Sometimes, preaching to the choir is necessary!
Join Archbishop Cordileone as he leads church musicians and supporters of sacred music in a Lenten reflection and time of prayer together online.
“He said to them, ‘Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while.’ For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat.”
– Mark 6:31
Free event, donations to support the work of CISM are welcomed.
Join us for Chant Camp 2026!
August 3–7, 2026
St. Patrick’s Seminary, Menlo Park
Early-bird pricing through April 15!
How Listening to Music with Friends Points Us to Beatitude – Lecture by Dr. Margaret Hughes
Listening in Leisure and Love: How Listening to Music with Friends Points Us to Beatitude
4th Annual Public Lecture and Concert Series
Date: Thursday, April 16th
Time: 6:30 p.m. Pacific
Location: Sancta Maria Hall at St. Patrick’s Seminary and online via livestream
Tickets: Free, or suggested donation of $20
Dr. Margaret Hughes discusses the place of music in leisure, in light of the writings of Josef Pieper.
A reception follows the in-person event.
An Amazing Summer 2025!
Wonderful students, fantastic speakers, excellent faculty, hundreds of guests
Praying, learning, singing—all for the glory of God!
From the Director’s Desk
Feast of Sts. Anne and Joachim, 2025
Dear friends of the Catholic Institute of Sacred Music,
Thank you for being part of an amazing summer 2025 here at the Catholic Institute of Sacred Music. It’s not yet over, but I wanted to write to you with an update.
We welcomed hundreds of guests here at the beginning of the month for the inaugural Fons et Culmen Sacred Liturgy Summit. Anchored by the celebration of solemn pontifical Masses and Vespers, celebrated by Cardinals Sarah and O’Malley, Archbishop Cordileone, Bishops Fernandes and Barber, and Abbots Benedict Nivakoff and Marc Crilly, participants encountered God’s presence in sacred liturgies celebrated with utmost care, reverence, and beauty. CISM provided music for each of the liturgies with its all-professional choir, drawn from students and colleagues across the U.S. and directed by Prof. Berry and Dr. Donelson-Nowicka. We heard fantastic talks from over a dozen leading prelates, theologians, and artists, and we developed friendships and collegiality over meals and working sessions. Stay tuned for the book-format publication of the Summit’s addresses!
Missed an Event?
Check out a video archive of our previous events.
Our Mission
Founded in 2022, the mission of the Catholic Institute of Sacred Music is to draw souls to Jesus Christ through the beauty of sacred music and the liturgy.
The Institute offers a substantial program of accredited, graduate-level coursework and, beginning in the summer session of 2026 pending WSCUC approval, a Masters of Sacred Music and Post-baccalaureate certificates in Gregorian Chant and Sacred Choral Music. All of the Institute’s coursework and public outreach are designed to help church musicians and clergy better to know and love the Church’s treasury of sacred music and her teachings on sacred music. Our goal is to equip students with the theological, philosophical, and historical knowledge, as well as the practical skills (singing, playing, conducting, composing, organizing, fundraising) necessary to build excellent sacred music programs in parishes and schools. We aim to help others revitalize the faith of Catholics and instill vitality in parish and school life through a vibrant sacred music program.
We are committed to a faithful and generous service of the Church. We cultivate fidelity, resiliency, a healthy sense of creativity, and selflessness within our student body and faculty as characteristics of our service as we labor together in the vineyard of the Lord to bring in a rich harvest.
St. Patrick’s Seminary, in Menlo Park, California
News
Dr. Donelson-Nowicka at Inaugural Oregon Sacred Music Colloquium.
The first annual Oregon Sacred Music Colloquium, January 30–31, 2026, drew over 100 singers to Mt Angel Abbey for two beautiful days of singing, learning, and praying. Participants learned a...
Martin Baker Joins CISM Summer Faculty
The Catholic Institute of Sacred Music is pleased to announce that Martin Baker is joining its faculty and will serve as instructor for the Institute’s Organ Improvisation course this summer. Martin...
Seminary Music Directors’ Meeting
Seminary music directors from around the country gathered for a second annual meeting to discuss the role of music in formation. This year's meeting was hosted by St. Mary's Seminary in Houston, and...
2025 – Deo Gratias! From the Director’s Desk
January 3, 2026 Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus Dear friends of the Catholic Institute of Sacred Music, Fall 2025 wrapped up a banner year for the Catholic Institute of Sacred Music. Thank you for...
Deus in Adjutorium Meum Intende! Online Conference on the Sung Divine Office
The Catholic Institute of Sacred Music invites you to an online conference, February 6 and 7, 2026, on the singing of the Divine Office. Featuring 13 talks from 12 top scholars from around the...
Inaugural Sacred Music Study Day in Spanish
A happy (belated) feast of St. Cecilia to the friends of the Catholic institute of Sacred Music! Here at CISM we celebrated with a Mass offered by Archbishop Cordileone...