DIRECTING music for an American Catholic parish drove a Christian musician down a 25-year journey as a contributor to the Church’s liturgical music.
Marty Haugen, a former Lutheran who now belongs to the Uniting Church of Christ, took what he thought was a temporary job as music director for the Catholic Church in Minnesota in 1973.
Inspired by the shift in liturgical music following the Second Vatican Council, which included works by the St Louis Jesuits, Mr Haugen created his own repertoire and shared them with the Catholic Church.
Many parishes have added his compositions to the Sunday Mass song list, including We Remember and Gather Us In.
“About 80 per cent of the work I do is with the Roman Catholics,” he said.
Mr Haugen, 65, visited Brisbane to speak at the national conference from October 1 to 3 for the Australian Pastoral Musicians Network, a non-profit organisation promoting liturgical, catechetical and religious music.
The conference presenters included Australian liturgical composer Monica O’Brien, religious musician Michael Mangan, and composer and Verbum Dei missionary Dr Maeve Heaney.
Mr Haugen said he studied various Church documents to prepare for writing for the Catholic Church.
“I had been writing all along but not liturgical or even Christian music, I’d just been writing music,” Mr Haugen said.
“I went and got a Masters in pastoral studies.
“The important thing for me was knowing the Scriptural texts and the Liturgical texts of the liturgy, the words.
“This is part of my Lutheran background – words are really important.
“In the Catholic Church there are two issues – one to be theologically correct, and second if it’s the words of the Mass, you have to use what the words are.
“So it was more or less informing myself about the preparations, knowing what you need to write and trying to be faithful to Scripture.”
Despite being “criticised” for supposedly disrespecting Catholic tradition, Mr Haugen said he had “a great respect” for the traditions of the Church.
“Catholics have a very deep love of tradition and how that has formed faith over the centuries,” he said.
“I’ve really respected how the Catholic Church has given this corpus of tradition to help guide people in how you prepare music, and worship.
“Now of course Catholic music is all over the map.
“Anywhere you go you hear all kinds of things from the most traditional chant to worship and praise music with a rock band.”
Mr Haugen’s latest CD Here Among Us, which was released two weeks before his visit to Australia, includes a song inspired by Pope Francis’ announcement for a Year of Mercy.
“I wanted to write a song that really focuses on Mercy, because the world doesn’t need another Holy, Holy,” he said.
– Emilie Ng
