By: Joshua Stahl

The Dorothy Day Center for Faith and Justice (CFJ) is adding a new liturgical choir that will provide music for the 10 p.m. mass.

“The goal of a liturgical choir is to foster the participation of the assembly while lifting praise and glory to God,” Rachelle Kramer, assistant director of liturgy and music in the CFJ and the choir’s director, said.

Kramer said starting a choir has been a priority for her in her first year at Xavier, and she hopes the group will serve the Xavier community.

“(I hope the choir will) foster a faith community that can help others pray by sharing our love of music and showing our faith,” Kramer said.

In addition to providing music for the 10 p.m. mass in Bellarmine Chapel on Sundays, the group will also sing at larger university masses.

They sang at the Mass of the Holy Spirit earlier this month, and Kramer hopes the group will also provide music for the baccalaureate mass in the spring.

Kramer plans for the choir to sing both the traditional ritual music for mass and more challenging pieces as a form of worship.

“Things that are beautiful point us toward God’s beauty and grandeur,” Kramer said.

All students are welcome to join, regardless of their religious tradition. “(Interested students) don’t have to be Catholic, but they have to know they will be singing for Catholic liturgy,” Kramer said.

The first choir meeting and rehearsal will be from 5 – 6:15 p.m. on Sept. 25 in the CFJ offices in Gallagher Student Center.

“We want the music to be beautiful, but we also want to give praise and reverence to God,” Kramer said.