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VATICAN CITY, Rome — A unique moment in time has occurred for a number of Utahns visiting the Vatican.
Sunday, a gifted group of young people from Salt Lake performed there.
The angelic tones of the members of the Madeleine Choir school filled the stunningly beautiful Gesu, Church of the Jesuits, completed in 1584.
80 students, grades 5-8, participated in this year’s 10-day Pilgrimage and Performance Tour of Italy. Twenty-two chaperones, made largely of faculty and staff from the school, accompanied the choir.
This, their very proud bishop said, is how they worship God.
“As St. Augustine said, ‘To sing is to pray twice.’ So, the music of the choristers really enhances our liturgy, it’s an integral part of our liturgy,” said Bishop John C. Wester.
The choir members joined Bishop Wester, the leader of Utah’s Catholics earlier in the day as he celebrated Mass at San Giovanni, the chapel of the Pope.
“Here we are in Utah, living the faith. And here we are in Rome, the Vatican, and we also are able to profess that same faith with a sense of unity, a sense of communion, that I think is very important,” Wester said.
Luke Stager, an adult choir member describes performing at the Vatican as belonging.
Here we are in Utah, living the faith. And here we are in Rome, the Vatican, and we also are able to profess that same faith with a sense of unity, a sense of communion, that I think is very important.
–Bishop John C. Wester
"It really feels like coming home, in a way, like this is not a foreign place," said Stager. "This is where we are supposed to be.”
The choir is under the direction of Gregory A. Glenn, Founder and Pastoral Administrator of the Madeleine Choir School, and Melanie Malinka, Director of Music. Their organist, Gabriele Terrone is originally from Rome and has been with the choir since April.
The choir performed in Venice, Florence, Assisi and Rome.
Jan Maria Michelini, an Italian film director sat in the audience and was quite impressed with the children.
“How clean their voices are and how they look like they take it seriously and they love it, really much,” said Michelini.
Several parents and other family members shadowed the choir during their tour, but traveled separately.
Peter Corroon and his family were part of that group.
“I have three children in the Madeleine Choir School so we thought this would be a wonderful occasion to come with them," Corroon said.
His wife carries the burden, he said, of getting the children to balance their homework and choir practice but tours like this are a blessing.
“Living in Utah, we feel the importance of religion amongst the Latter-day Saints and so, our religion is very important to us, as well as Catholics," said Corroon's wife. "Having our children sing in the choir at the Cathedral of the Madeleine is very important to us and coming here to Rome is just a wonderful occasion with the ability to sing in these beautiful, amazing churches, that you see throughout Italy.”
He, too, realizes the timing of so many from Salt Lake, converging on the Eternal City.
“I think it is an amazing coincidence that we have both the Madeleine Choir School and the leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Rome at the same time,” Corroon said.
Tomorrow, Pope Francis will officially open a three-day conference on marriage.
Representatives from 14 faiths and 23 nations will participate.
President Henry B. Eyring, First Counselor in the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will speak on Tuesday.
