DAVID HAAS - David Haas is from Eagan, Minnesota where he is the Director of The Emmaus Center for Music, Prayer and Ministry and Campus Minister/Artist in Residence at Benilde-St. Margaret’s High School in St. Louis Park, Minnesota, where he teaches in the theology and music departments. Highly regarded as one of the preeminent liturgical music composers in the English-speaking world, he has produced over 40 original collections and recordings of liturgical music. David’s music is sung and prayed throughout the world and appears in many hymnals of various denominations and languages. David’s most recent music and liturgical projects with GIA include a new communal version of the stations of the cross based in scripture, The Biblical Way of the Cross; a book on liturgical preparation entitled To Worship in Spirit and Truth: A Liturgical Preparation Process for Pastoral Musicians and Liturgical Leaders; A Time to Pray With the New Testament and Old Testament (a two volume set of biblical prayer services for teens); and his most recent recorded and printed collection of liturgical music, God Is Here. Other recent liturgical music projects include Table Songs II: Music for Communion (with Tony Alonso, Kate Cuddy, Rob Glover and Lori True); Reach Toward Heaven; and Do This In Memory of Me (a new setting of Holy Communion for Lutheran communities). His live recording and video Glory Day, continues to receive international acclaim and he was nominated for a Grammy Award in 1991 for the recording of I Shall See God. A native of Bridgeport, Michigan and the Diocese of Saginaw, David is a 1975 graduate of Bridgeport High School and studied vocal music performance, piano, and conducting at Central Michigan University and completed his studies in music performance, liturgy and theology at The University of St. Thomas in St. Paul. Presently an active member of St. Cecilia Church in St. Paul, he formerly served as Director of Music, Liturgy and Youth Ministry at Immaculate Heart of Mary Church in Ankeny, Iowa; as Director of Music and Liturgy at The Church of St. Thomas Aquinas in St. Paul Park, Minnesota; and as composer-in-residence at St. Thomas the Apostle Church in Minneapolis. From 1985 to 1988 he was adjunct instructor and composer-in-residence at the St. Paul Seminary School of Divinity in St. Paul, during which time he was very active internationally in writing, composing and presenting workshops and seminars on the implementation of The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults. For over 25 years, David has been active as a workshop and keynote speaker, author, retreat leader, liturgical musician, concert performer and recording artist, and has performed and presented at various conventions, workshops and conferences throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, The British Isles, Ireland, Australia, The Bahamas, Israel and Greece. He has been a regular speaker at various national and international conferences for The National Association of Pastoral Musicians, The National Catholic Education Association, The Irish Church Music Association, The National Federation for Catholic Youth Ministry, The National Conference for Catechetical Leadership, The North American Forum on the Catechumenate, The National Center for Pastoral Leadership/East Coast Conference for Religious Education, The Los Angeles Religious Education Congress and the annual Big Island Liturgy and Arts Conference in Hilo, Hawaii. In addition to his work at Benilde-St. Margaret’s High School, David has been an international advocate for the role of young people in the life of the church, and is the founder and executive director of “Music Ministry Alive!”, a national liturgical music formation program for high school and college age youth. He serves on the national advisory council for the National Association of Pastoral Musicians, and has also been a guest instructor and presenter at several colleges and universities, including The College of St. Catherine, The St. Paul Seminary School of Divinity, The University of St. Thomas, St. John’s University, Boston College, Georgetown University, Loyola College in Maryland, Clarke College and Loras College in Dubuque, St. Ambrose University in Davenport, Iowa, The University of Dayton, Xavier University, The University of Scranton, The College of St. Benedict, St. Louis University, Fontbonne College, Concordia College, Mt. St. Mary’s College in Los Angeles, St. Patrick’s College in Meynooth, Ireland, and The North American College in Rome. As an author, David has written over 15 books in the areas of liturgy, liturgical music, youth ministry, catechesis, prayer and spirituality, and is a Senior Advisor for Harcourt Religion Publishers. He continues to write a monthly column, “Sung Prayer” for Ministry and Liturgy magazine, and has been a consultant for various hymnal and music projects for GIA Publications. Most recently, David has been a national leader, teacher, author, and consultant for many parishes, diocesan groups and professional ministry organizations in the development and implementation of Whole Community Catechesis, and his series of prayer resources for whole community catechesis, entitled Increase Our Faith, is published by Twenty-Third Publications. His articles have appeared in Pastoral Music, Ministry and Liturgy, Catechumenate, Connect, and The GIA Quarterly. David served as the host and collaborated with Sr. Helen Prejean on a video education program on the death penalty, Death No More (Harcourt Religion Publishers), and is featured on a video program on the Psalms, Teach Us To Pray: Praying the Psalms (Saint Anthony Messenger Press). His book, The Ministry and Mission of Sung Prayer (Saint Anthony Messenger Press) received the outstanding professional book award from the Catholic Press Association in 2003, and along with Michael Joncas and Marty Haugen, he was the recipient of the Distinguished Alumni Award in 1995 from the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul. In 2004 David was named “Pastoral Musician of the Year” from The National Association of Pastoral Musicians, and received the 2004 Crosier Award for Outstanding Service in Ministry. David is available for conferences, parish and diocesan events, and speaks on a wide variety of topics in liturgy, liturgical music, religious education, sacramental practice, whole community catechesis, the RCIA, youth ministry, prayer and spirituality.

LEON ROBERTS - On December 12, 1998, the Lord called your mother, Thelma Elizabeth Roberts to join Him. "Your job on earth has been completed" is what she heard. You were saddened by her loss yet overjoyed because you knew she was in a better place. On the evening of January 22, 1999, you too heard the same calling from above. As you lay resting, you said to the angels, "'Lead Me, Guide Me' to my mother." And so they did... Leon began his piano studies at the age of six with a local teacher he knew as "Mr. Ben." His grandmother, Mrs. Mary Bookman, became a religious mentor in the musical growth of her grandson. Being from a family of devout Baptists, Methodists and Pentecostals, he gained an integrated understanding of faith. He first learned skills of directing congregational worship at his mother's church, the First Apostolic Fire Baptized Holiness Church of Coatesville. It was there that he also had a deep personal encounter with Jesus Christ. His talents and strong faith in God were reflected in the musical groups that he formed and directed such as the "Voices of Love" and the "Jubali Movement of Southern Pennsylvania." Leon was equally talented during his years in the Coatesville Area School District as a member of the various choral groups such as the Meistersingers and the many theatrical and musical productions. In 1968, Leon came to Washington, DC, to attend Howard University where he received a Bachelor's degree in Music Education. Later, he completed course work for the Liturgical Studies Certificate from Georgetown University. While at Howard University, he was a co-founder, pianist and composer for the 100-member Howard University Gospel Choir. Additionally, during this period, he directed the Mount Zion Baptist Church Young Adult Choir and the Library of Congress Gospel Choir. The defining event of Leon's career and life came in April 1977 when he was invited to direct the struggling Gospel choir of Saints Paul and Augustine Catholic Church in Washington, DC. Embraced and mentored by the church community, he converted to Catholicism and made his life's work the integration of the energy and emotion of African-American Gospel music with the traditions and rituals of the Catholic liturgy. From 1977 until 1994, he was the Director of Liturgical Music at the Saint Augustine Catholic Church and an instructor of choir and music appreciation at the Saint Augustine Elementary School. From 1978 until 1983, he directed the Mackin Catholic High School Choir and the Archdiocesan-wide Gospel Choir at Saint James Cathedral in Brooklyn, New York. In 1982, he founded and directed the Archdiocesan Mass Choir for the Archdiocese of Washington, DC. He also was music director of the Bishop McNamara Senior High School Gospel Choir. Leon was the co-founder and music chairperson of the REJOICE! Conference on Black Catholic Liturgy. In 1989, the REJOICE! Conference was held in Rome, Italy, and the Vatican where he spoke on "The Development of African-American Liturgical Music Since Vatican II." He was an internationally recognized African-American composer, arranger, liturgist and recording artist. The following are among his works: "Mass of Saint Augustine," published by the Gregorian Institute of America and dedicated to his late sister, Claudette Shatteen; "I Call Upon You God!-The Mass of Saint Martin de Porres," published by Leon C. Roberts and Associates of which he was president; "He Has the Power" and "Deliver the Word," recorded by the Saint Augustine Gospel Choir; "God Has Done Marvelous Things," an artistic collaboration with David Haas and Roberts' Revival; "The Coming," recorded by Roberts' Revival and published by Oregon Catholic Press; and his most recent recording, "Come Bless the Lord," a live concert recording to be released in March 1999. He was a major contributor to the first African-American Catholic hymnal, "Lead Me, Guide Me," which included twenty liturgical settings and was distributed nationally in 1987. In 1993, his psalm settings were published in the African-American hymnal of the Episcopal Church entitled "Lift Every Voice and Sing." And, he also worked with the late Sister Thea Bowman to produce her "Songs of My People" and "Round the Glory Manger." Leon's liturgical music and seminars are famous around the world. He toured with various choirs throughout the United States, Italy, Japan and the Caribbean Islands. During his tour of Rome, Italy, he directed the Saint Augustine Choir at a special audience with Pope John Paul II. In 1990, his concert tour of Japan with Roberts' Revival received critical acclaim and resulted in appearances on ABC-TV, FOX-TV and a number of radio stations. On Christmas Eve 1991, he directed the Saint Augustine Gospel Choir in a special program on "The History of Gospel Music" on ABC's Nightline. From 1994 through 1996, he and Roberts' Revival performed annually in Hawaii at the BILAC, Big Island Liturgical and Arts Conference. He was a clinician and lecturer for many organizations including the National Office of Black Catholics, the National Pastoral Musicians Conventions, the East Coast Conference for Religious Education, Notre Dame University, the Catholic University of America's Liturgical Studies program and many dioceses and archdioceses. In 1994, Leon moved to Brooklyn, New York, to become the Florence Van Keuren Artist-in-Residence at the Concord Baptist Church of Christ. He served as the director for Concord's Gospel Chorus and the Male Chorus. He also was music director of the Union Theological Seminary Gospel Choir in Manhattan. In 1998, he was honored by the Office of Black Ministry of the Archdiocese of New York. During that ceremony at Saint Patrick's Cathedral, New York's Archbishop John Cardinal O'Connor presented him with the "Special Achievement Award" for his many contributions to Black Catholic worship and the development of liturgical music. Then on Friday evening, January 22, 1999, at Providence Hospital, Leon left his earthly home to be with his heavenly Father, after being diagnosed with stomach cancer just two weeks earlier. Leon is survived by his loving father, John Arthur Roberts, Sr., of Coatesville Pennsylvania; four brothers, John Clinton Roberts of Detroit, Michigan, John Arthur Roberts, Jr., of Midway, Georgia, Henry Roberts of Bronx, New York, and David Roberts of Petersburg, Virginia; one sister, Denise Lewis of Coatesville, Pennsylvania; many loving aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, nephews and friends. We have all been truly blessed by his marvelous musical and spiritual gifts.