Holy Cross Music Notes with Chuck

We prepare for our worship service by singing Gather Us Lord, a short contemporary worship chorus that asks God to draw His people together in unity, love, and purpose. Emerging from late‑20th‑century liturgical songwriting, it reflects the era’s focus on simple, communal gathering songs meant to center the congregation at the start of worship.

Our processional hymn is They’ll Know We Are Christians by Our Love. It was written in 1966 by Chicago priest Peter Scholtes for his parish youth choir during a season of ecumenical community-building. Its message centers on Christian unity and witness, declaring that love expressed in action is the clearest sign of faith to the world.

Our sequence hymn is Bind Us Together, a modern worship chorus written in 1977 by British songwriter Bob Gillman for a youth gathering focused on Christian unity. Its message is a simple prayer asking God to hold the church together in love, reflecting the communal worship style of late‑20th‑century praise music.

The offertory is Rosemary Crow’s Weave, a Holy Cross and Cursillo favorite. Its “weave us together” lyrics have been so inspiring and meaningful that Crow has performed the song at political events and in a maximum-security men’s prison. A North Carolina native, Crow currently lives in Asheville, NC.

During communion, we will sing Transfigure Us O Lord, a contemporary hymn by Bob Hurd, written in 2002 for Catholic worship and inspired by the Gospel accounts of the Transfiguration. It prays for Christ to change believers from within, reflecting the song’s scriptural roots and its use in liturgies focused on renewal and discipleship.

Our closing hymn is, I Am the Bread of Life, a beloved communion hymn written in 1966 by Sister Suzanne Toolan of the Sisters of Mercy. Rooted in John 6, it proclaims Jesus as the source of eternal life and has become a staple in Catholic and ecumenical worship for its clear, scripture‑based message of hope and nourishment.