Fr. Samuel F. Weber, O.S.B., Composer
The composer of the majority of the English chants found in the Ignatius Pew Missal, including all of the various antiphons for the liturgical year and all of the Responsorial Psalms and Alleluias, Fr. Samuel originally brought up the idea to Fr. Joseph Fessio, S.J. of Ignatius Press of publishing a pew missal with the simple entrance and communion antiphons. He currently teaches at St. Patrick’s Seminary & University, and serves as the Director of the Benedict XVI Institute for Sacred Music & Divine Worship in the Archdiocese of San Francisco.
Prior to his appointment in San Francisco, Fr. Weber has served as the first director of the Institute of Sacred Music in the Archdiocese of St. Louis, and Magister choir of the Cathedral-Basilica of Saint Louis, St. Louis, MO, with teaching duties at Kenrick-Glennon Seminary. Prior to this, Weber also served as a founding member of the Wake Forest University Divinity School, where he held the position of Associate Professor of Early Christianity and Spiritual Formation as well as serving as a faculty member at St. Meinrad’s College in Indiana. Heholds the B.A. from Saint Meinrad College, 1970, the Master of Divinity Degree from Saint Meinrad School of Theology, 1989, the M.A. in Greek and Latin Literature and Ancient Art and Archeology from the University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado, 1991, and received the Licentiate in Sacred Theology with a specialization in sacred liturgy and monastic spirituality from the Pontifi cal Athenaeum “Sant’Anselmo,” Rome, Italy in 1975. From 1973-75 he studied Gregorian Chant with Dom Eugene Cardine at the Institute “Musica sacra” in Rome. From 1963-1966 Weber did special studies in music history and composition at the American Conservatory of Music in Chicago.
In 2011 Weber was commissioned to prepare settings of the new translation of the Roman Missal for Adoremus Hymnal and the Vatican II Hymnal. His settings of the Propers of the Mass for the new translation of the Roman Missal and numerous other compositions of liturgical music for the Mass and Hours are posted (on-going) on the website.
Br. Elias Guadalupe Ford, O.P., Editor
Br. Elias graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music from Ave Maria University in 2009. Since then, he has worked as music director of parishes of St. Raphael’s Catholic Church in Lehigh Acres, FL; Christ the King Catholic Church in Kansas City, MO, and as Director of Music at St. Patrick’s Seminary & University in Menlo Park, CA. He served as interim Director of Music at Star of the Sea Catholic Church in San Francisco beginning in January of 2017 before joining the Order of Preachers in August of that year.
Paul Senz, Pew Missal Sales Manager
Mr. Senz is a graduate of the University of Portland, in Oregon, having earned a Bachelor of Arts with a double major in music and theology, as well as a Master of Arts in Pastoral Ministry. He is a prolific writer, having written on matters of church history, Scriptural reflections, news, liturgy, books, and many other topics. His writing has appeared in such publications as Catholic World Report, the National Catholic Register, the UK’s Catholic Herald, Our Sunday Visitor Newsweekly, The Priest, Homiletic & Pastoral Review, and others. A passion for the liturgy and sacred music led Mr. Senz to work for Oregon Catholic Press, and now that he has joined the team at Ignatius Press, he is excited to help bring the rich heritage of the Church’s sacred music and liturgical traditions back to the pews. Mr. Senz lives in Oklahoma with his family.