Michael Fontana has dedicated the past 30 years of his life to producing and directing pastoral music in the Roman Catholic tradition. He also has a rich background in music as a composer — having published his first piece of organ music at the age of 18 — and has continued to compose, with several pieces published last year.
Most people recognize these as the opening lines of the popular hymn, “The Old Rugged Cross” which was written by George Bennard in 1912 and has since been recorded by hundreds of Christian artists across almost every genre of music.
A magical thing happened in 1968 when The Irish Rovers made the pop chart Top 10 with their recording of “The Unicorn.” And how that came to be is truly a wondrous story.
When Alice von Hildebrand wasn’t promoting her late husband’s work, the Catholic philosopher, professor and author spent most of her life “reminding women of the privilege of femininity and the gift of motherhood,” said Rachel Bulman, a blogger and popular speaker.
When a bus driver in Montgomery, Alabama, demanded that a young Black woman named Rosa Parks give up her seat in the non-Black designated section of the bus, so began the civil rights movement in earnest.
Pope Francis’ music library contains nearly 2,000 CDs and 19 vinyl records, according to the Vatican cardinal who is curating the collection.
Pope Francis took an evening ride in a white Fiat 500 to visit a record store he used to go to when in Rome as a cardinal. Letizia Giostra, the store owner, told the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera that the surprise visit Jan. 11 was “an immense thrill.”
Rarely does an artist’s career span 60 years, but Louis Armstrong was a performer whose musical talent encompassed the entire scope of popular music.
Many of the iconic African American female vocalists of the 20th century endured great hardships before achieving success in the music industry. From Billie Holiday to Etta James, there was a great deal they had to overcome on the road to fame and fortune.
World Youth Day organizers released the winning theme song for the international gathering in Lisbon, Portugal, in 2023.
