“St. Francis’s Salutation to the Virgin”
Fr. Longenecker takes the Latin song penned by St. Francis himself and adapts it as a carol in English, set to music by the gifted Catholic composer William J. Fritz.
“Chesterton’s Carol”
“Chesterton’s Carol“ by Mark Nowakowski has become an instant Christmas classic, gaining over 26,000 YouTube views.
“Our Lady Expectant”
“Our Lady Expectant” is based on a poem by Roseanne T. Sullivan set to music by Wilhelmina Pariseau. The hymn uses language from the O Antiphons to express Mary’s longing to see her child and the whole world’s longing for a Savior.
“Our Lady’s Lullaby”
Fr. Dwight Longenecker has put new words to a traditional Welsh lullaby “Suo Gân.”
“St. Francis & the Christmas Creche”
“St. Francis and the Christmas Creche” celebrates the founding of the Christmas creche tradition by St. Francis who staged the first nativity scene on Christmas Eve in 1223.
“While All The Earth in Darkness Sleeps”
Frank La Rocca and James Matthew Wilson, our composer and poet-in-residence respectively, team up to create a gorgeous new setting of the 6th century Akathist Hymn.
Christmas and Advent Carols
Each year, the Benedict XVI Institute sponsors a Very Marian Advent Prayer Service: singing, praying and reflecting on the powerful theme of waiting with Mary that last difficult month for the birth of our Lord and Savior. Each year we bring together two great poets and two great composers to commission a new Christmas/Advent carol with a Marian focus: Because Catholics and the culture need some beautiful new Christmas carols.