News > March 27, 2008

By Katie Phillips | Staff writer

Associate Professor of Divinity, Samuel Weber, was invited to compose original chant settings that will be preformed during a visit of the Pope in Washington D.C. Pope Benedict XVI will be in the country from April 15 through 20.

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Associate professor of divinity Samuel Weber has composed chants that will be sung by the Pope during his upcoming American visit. (Andrew Imboden/Old Gold & Black)

This is the Pope’s first official visit to the United States since the papal elections three years ago. This visit also coincides with his 81 birthday.

Weber’s chants will be sung during evening prayer at 5:30 p.m. on April 16.

Weber is a Roman Catholic priest and a Benedictine monk, he is also the associate professor of early Christianity and spiritual formation at the university.

He is the first Roman Catholic priest on full-time faculty at the university.

Before starting at the university in 1999, Weber taught early and medieval church history, liturgy and spirituality at the St. Meinrad School of Theology in St. Meinrad, Ind.

In addition, Weber studied at the American Conservatory of Music in Chicago from 1964 to 1966 and served as an organist at St. Meinrad Archabbey from 1963-1996.

Weber received his BA from St. Meinrad College, a Masters in Divinity from St. Meinrad’s School of Theology, a MA from Colorado University, and a STL from Pontifical Athenaeum in Rome.

The performance will take place at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington D.C.

The Pope will preside over the public service during the evening of April 16.

The following morning he will also preside over a private mass at the Papal Embassy, also called the Apostolic Nunciature.

“I am deeply honored to have even a small part to play in the preparation of this vesper service,” Weber said of the composition.

Weber has composed original chant melodies for the antiphons.

Antiphons are the scriptural verses sung before and after the Psalms and Canticles of Vespers.

The Basilica of the National Shrine’s director of music, Peter Latona, invited Weber to compose the chants and has created polyphonic settings based on the chants Weber has now composed.

“Historically, sacred compositions were based on the chant melodies which formed the core of liturgical music,” Weber said.

The antiphons will be sung by a 24 member Choir of the Basilica in plain chant during the reading of the Psalms and Canticles of Vespers, later being repeated in full harmony. The evening service containing compositions by Weber is expected to be viewed by a large, international audience, as it will be televised worldwide, giving a professor an opportunity to serve in his field, and the university a chance to give back to the community.