OR YEARS, I’ve heard a familiar refrain from well-meaning pastors, youth ministers, and catechists: “If you want to get the youth into the Church, you have to give them ‘youthful’ music.” The assumption is understandable in a world dominated by digital media and pop culture—surely the only way to reach young hearts is through a contemporary medium, right? I may have even believed this myself at one time or another. But after years of working as a Catholic music director in several parishes, I can confidently say: this is a false claim.
This past June, our parish hosted a week-long Chant Camp for children and teens ages 8 to 17. I was hoping we would have a camp of at least 30 singers, but we welcomed 60 participants (with a waiting list)! The camp was led by the apostolate CANTICLE, based in San Diego, California, under the direction of Mary Ann Wilson (www.canticle.org). CANTICLE specializes in teaching Gregorian Chant to young people, and their approach is both joyful and deeply rooted in tradition.
* Mp3 Download • Live Rec. (Chant Camp Mass)
—“Pánis, quem égo dédero” • Chant Camp Mass, Ave Maria Catholic Church – Ave Maria, FL.
A sense of discovery • From the very first day, the energy was unmistakable. These young people—many of whom are growing up in a culture that rarely pauses for silence—entered into the world of chant with enthusiasm. They learned the fundamentals of solfège, vocal technique, Mass etiquette, liturgical prayer, and the mechanics of singing Gregorian melodies from square notes. They did so not out of obligation or boredom, but out of a sense of discovery and purpose.
As the week progressed, something remarkable began to unfold. The students didn’t just learn to sing these ancient melodies—they began to own them. The chant, far from feeling distant or irrelevant, became a living language of prayer and beauty. On the final day of camp, these 60 young voices filled the church with the sacred sounds of the full Gregorian chant Propers, and the complete Missa Orbis Factor (Mass XI). The reverence in their posture, the clarity of their tone, and the visible joy on their faces gave witness to a truth often ignored in pastoral ministry: Gregorian Chant is not a relic. It is alive.
This isn’t a new idea. The Second Vatican Council’s Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, Sacrosanctum Concilium, clearly states:
“The Church acknowledges Gregorian Chant as especially suited to the Roman liturgy: therefore, other things being equal, it should be given pride of place in liturgical services” (SC, 116).
This isn’t a nostalgic nod to the past; it is a recognition that chant speaks a unique spiritual language—timeless, contemplative, and oriented toward the sacred mysteries.
Far greater than ourselves • We often underestimate the spiritual hunger of our youth. But children and teenagers are drawn to beauty, truth, and transcendence. What they encounter in Gregorian Chant is not just music—it is prayer that transcends time. It is the same sound heard in monasteries a thousand years ago, the same melodies sung by saints. It connects them to something far greater than themselves.
There were no modern gimmicks at our Chant Camp. No fog machines, electric guitars, slogans or themed hashtags. Just children, sacred music, and the Church’s sacred tradition. And it worked. It turns out the wheel has been created, and there’s no pressing need to reinvent it.
Don’t underestimate! • We must stop underestimating our youth. They do not need us to dilute the Church’s treasury of sacred music in order to make it accessible. They need us to lift them into it. The real “youthful music” of the Church is the music that lifts the soul, teaches discipline, cultivates wonder, and draws one deeper into the mystery of the Eucharist.
Let us take seriously the words of Pope Benedict XVI, who once said:
“The liturgy is not a theatrical text, and the altar is not a stage. The music of the Church must always express the holy, and the true artist must humble himself before the majesty of God.” (The Spirit of the Liturgy)
At our Chant Camp, the youth did not perform—they prayed. And in doing so, they discovered what the Church has always known: Gregorian Chant is not merely music. It is the song of the Church, the voice of the Bride singing to her Bridegroom. And it still speaks—clearly, powerfully, and beautifully—to the hearts of the youth.
