The Catholic Institute of Sacred Music commends the soul of treasured faculty member, Dr. William Mahrt, to the hands and mercy of God. Beloved by students and colleagues alike, he will surely be missed. We are grateful for our time with him, and all he taught us will remain in our souls, minds, and hearts. May he rest in peace!

Read about Dr. Mahrt’s remarkable life and work here in his obituary.

Go to the Summit this Summer!

July 1–4, 2025 | St. Patrick’s Seminary, Menlo Park, California

The Fons et Culmen Sacred Liturgy Summit gathers together Catholics who love Christ, the Church, and the Church’s sacred liturgical tradition for: 

• the solemn celebration of the Mass and Vespers;  
• insightful talks on the sacred liturgy, liturgical formation, and the sacred liturgical arts; 
• and fellowship to build fraternal bonds through which the clergy, religious, and lay faithful can support the Church and one another in their promotion of the sacred liturgy. 

Music at the Fons et Culmen Sacred Liturgy Summit will be provided by a 16-voice professional choir of the Catholic Institute of Sacred Music, under the direction of Prof. Christopher Berry and Dr. Jennifer Donelson-Nowicka, joined by organist Dr. Aaron James. 

Upcoming Lecture – Monday, Jan. 28th at 7 p.m.

Spring 2025 Monday Online Workshop Series

Spring 2025 Public Lecture and Concert Series

A Fantastic Summer 2024!

From Our Director’s Desk

Dear friends of the Catholic Institute of Sacred Music,

It was a tremendous second summer term here at the Catholic Institute of Sacred Music!

From our over 200 applicants, we were able to offer enrollment to over 90 students in our 9 filled-to-capacity courses.

Students in History and Principles of Sacred Music took a deep dive into the Church’s treasury of sacred music, from its roots in Jewish tradition and patristic application of ideas from classical antiquity, through to the modern repertory and legislative documents. Student teachers tackled the first level of the Ward Method in our Teaching Gregorian Chant to Children Course, offering great teaching demos every day of the class. Singers in Introduction to Gregorian Chant received a systematic overview of the spirituality, genres, and rhetorical style of chant, and the elements of a fully sung Mass, while intensively studying neumes and chant modality and the rhythmic approach of Dom Mocquereau. Participants sang and conducted three pieces of chant on their own for the final exam, and the week concluded with the class singing a Votive Mass of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. Dr. William Mahrt presented an insightful overview of the style, structure, and Chants of the Mass Proper, while Dr. Charles Weaver helped students navigate the most important source manuscripts, along with their different styles of notation and implications for rhythm in chant. The 34 singers in our Choral Institute sang daily Lauds, Mass, and Vespers under the direction of Prof. Christopher Berry and Jennifer Donelson-Nowicka, with the week culminating in singing Palestrina’s Missa Æterna Christi Munera and Howells’ Mass in the Dorian Mode, alongside motets from the five composers in Dr. Frank La Rocca’s Composition Seminar. The term finished out with a fruitful dialogue of the chant performance practice approaches of Eugène Cardine (Semiology, taught by Dr. Edward Schaefer) and Dom Mocquereau (Chironomy), including a sung Mass on Thursday morning of the courses featuring singing in both styles.

We can’t wait to share with you some wonderful photographs, audio, and video from the summer, and we’re already looking ahead to Summer 2025!

Please join us this academic year 2024-25 at our workshops, conferences, lectures, and concerts. Spots fill quickly—join our mailing list here so you don’t miss out on anything!

Please remember us, our students, and our work in your prayers! All for the praise of His glory!

In the heart of Our Lady,
Dr. Jennifer Donelson-Nowicka, Director

Missed an Event?

Check out a video archive of our previous events.