by John Sorce
Special to The Leaven
LENEXA — Holy Trinity Parish here will host Matt Maher and Sarah Kroger as part of their CATHEDRALS Tour on Oct. 22.
“We are going to have two of arguably the best songwriters and worship leaders that are Catholic doing this around the world right now,” said Jeremy Heinen, Holy Trinity’s director of adult faith formation and evangelization.
“It’s going to be a special time,” he added.
The opportunity came about when local artist Mikey Needleman pitched the location to Dom Quaglia, who handles booking and management for the tour.
“We had been to Kansas City before, so I called Mikey and he was able to connect me with the parish,” said Quaglia. “The people there were super eager and excited, so that made it an easy fit.”
The tour will begin Oct. 14 in San Francisco and work its way east.
The timing could not have worked better for Heinen.
“I jumped at the chance, because we like to host bigger name events at our parish to draw people in from the fringes and sometimes across denominational lines,” Heinen said.
Both Maher and Kroger are Catholic artists who also make music for the broader Christian music industry.
“Matt has been the foremost Catholic worship artist in the industry,” Heinen said. “But he’s grown so much and might be more recognized now in the modern worship industry, and that’s given him a wide appeal.
“I think the beauty of him is that he has a foot in both worlds and is not ashamed about sharing his Catholic beliefs.”
Heinen believes Kroger also has a bright future in the industry.
“She has a great voice, her songwriting is amazing and she’s going to grow into a widely known recording artist,” he said.
The CATHEDRALS tour was designed to take place in various churches.
“The idea was to gather people in these sacred spaces that were built not only to amplify the human voice, but to literally lift our eyes upward towards heaven,” Quaglia said. “For many generations, the cathedral was the only place to hear certain types of music be performed.
“Music has a special place in that story, and cathedrals have a special place in the story of music.”
The event is open to people of all ages. Tickets are tiered and can be purchased on the tour’s website at: cathedrals.live.
Holy Trinity is also seeking volunteers to help with the event. Those interested in learning more can reach out to Heinen at: JHeinen@htlenexa.org or (913) 895-0646.
Both Quaglia and Heinen hope to see a strong turnout.
“Matt and Sarah will use their own songs and stories to proclaim that the Kingdom of God not only is coming, but is here and is among us,” Quaglia said. “This will be a joyful, celebratory, family-friendly night of faith and music.”
