Resounding Harmony

St. Louis Jesuits (from left) Fr. Roc O’Connor, SJ, Dan Schutte and Fr. Bob Dufford, SJ, are joined by Fr. O’Connor’s brother, Mike O’Connor (far right), for a Chicago performance in the fall of 2023.

Photo: Steve Donisch

You know these songs by heart because you’ve heard them sung in Mass for the better part of your life, if not all of it.

“City of God.” “All the Ends of the Earth.” “Here I Am, Lord.” “Be Not Afraid.”

There are many more, and they were all written by a group of five men known as the St. Louis Jesuits.

Although they performed their final concert in 2019, in September of 2023 they delivered a one-night encore performance of 16 of their beloved contemporary liturgical songs at Chicago’s Old St. Patrick’s Church.

A Jesuit Friends & Alumni Network (JFAN) Chicago event, in partnership with Bellarmine Jesuit Retreat House in Barrington, Ill., the evening featured three of the men—Fr. Bob Dufford, SJ; Fr. Roc O’Connor, SJ; and Dan Schutte. They were joined by seven instrumentalists, the Old St. Patrick’s Choir and the voices of the hundreds of attendees who were encouraged to sing along.

The fourth and fifth St. Louis Jesuits, Fr. John Foley, SJ, and Tim Manion, were unable to attend but Manion called in via telephone to address the crowd and participate in the celebration.

Pews were filled with both the young and elderly, priests, nuns, laypersons, passionate fans and Bellarmine retreatants.

Sitting on 80 acres of gently rolling meadows and wooded countryside 40 miles northwest of Chicago, Bellarmine offers Ignatian silent retreats for men and women, Kairos retreats for teens, 12-step retreats for people in recovery, and personal and directed retreats. Founded in 1948, the retreat center counts Fr. O’Connor among its current ministry team members.

The St. Louis Jesuits’ musical journey began at Saint Louis University, in the basement of Fusz Memorial Chapel, where their first collection of 58 songs, named Neither Silver nor Gold, was recorded. Originally intended as a personal legacy, this recording set the foundation for their collective identity as the St. Louis Jesuits. Over the years, the group evolved, and the compositions, initially written by individuals, became collaborative. Despite pursuing different vocations and graduate studies, the men reunited several times between 1975 and 1985 to create and record various collections of music. Since 1976, they have received five Grammy nominations.

In 1980, the St. Louis Jesuits made a significant move, relocating to Seattle, where they continued to study and compose new music. Their legacy was further cemented with the 2005 release of Morning Light, a collection of new music that celebrated their 30th anniversary.

The concert at Old St. Patrick’s Church was a continuation of their storied journey—a celebration of resilience, dedication and the enduring impact of their music. The audience reveled in the timeless melodies and lyrics— along with the stories and banter between songs—and by the end of the night a palpable sense of community filled the church.

United in the joyous celebration of their faith, concertgoers from as far away as California and Canada left with hearts full of gratitude and a renewed connection to the hymns that have defined their spiritual celebrations for decades.