February 2005

The Miracle of Divine Mercy is the newest CD by Kitty Cleveland. Following the success of her Miracle of Love Rosary, Cleveland recorded this CD of the Divine Mercy Chaplet based on the spirituality of Saint Faustina Kowalska. The key revelation to Saint Faustina was that God's mercy is infinite and unfailing. The Divine Mercy message exhorts the faithful to implore God's mercy for the entire world, to be merciful and forgiving towards others, and to trust in God completely.  At the time of Faustina's death in 1938, the Divine Mercy message was little known outside Poland, but today has grown worldwide thanks to promoters of the devotion. One such person was the late Fr. Harold Cohen, to whom The Miracle of Divine Mercy is dedicated. The Miracle of Divine Mercy is really three CDs in one. The first is the prayer section which features Cleveland using her marvelous opera and classically-trained voice with the St. Joseph Children's Choir. Together they sing and pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet set to original music. Cleveland remarks about the recording: “I was brought to tears when I started mixing the project and really listened to the children singing. How could the heart of God not be moved by the voice of a child asking him to have mercy on us and on the whole world? I was also moved to a more childlike humility and trust as I sang it.” The second part of the CD features new songs recorded by Cleveland. The stunning “I Place My Trust In You” starts off the CD with Cleveland giving it all to the Lord. The song features just her vocals and a piano, which work great together. Another new song on the CD is “The Breaking Of The Bread.” This is an awesome song for the Year of the Eucharist. It is based on the scripture reading that tells of the events on the road to Emmaus. In the breaking of the bread they saw that it was Jesus with them. We have that opportunity to see Him at every Mass.  The third part of the CD is Cleveland's testimony of God's Divine Mercy in her life. The testimony includes Cleveland's song "Surrender," which she wrote for her dad while he was wrongfully imprisoned. The Miracle of Divine Mercy will surely touch you.


Classically-trained soprano, Alma DeRojas has just released her debut CD titled I Lift Up My Soul/Levanto mi alma. The CD is a anthology of worship songs that are both old and new. DeRojas has taken these much-loved songs and mixed them with just her beautiful voice and a piano.  It makes the CD a moving classical collection. "I Lift My Soul" is special in other ways as it is a benefit CD for Caritas Cuba, the social service agency of the Catholic Church in Cuba.  As the granddaughter of Cuban exiles, DeRojas has traveled to Cuba several times to conduct research on the Catholic Church there. She says the CD reflects the three central elements of her identity: her faith, her love of music, and her Cuban heritage. The title of the CD comes from the song “To You O Lord,” which is based on Psalm 25.  It’s a wonderful song of giving one's self to God. “The Fragrance Of Christ “ is also based on a Psalm (Psalm 138:1-5).  It talks about how our prayers are like incense in his sight. Songwriter Michael John Poirier’s “In The Light” is also used by DeRojas. “In the light of the Lord, we are healed...” the song tells us. DeRojas also uses classic songs like “Come Unto Him” (Handel), “Ave Maria” (Schubert) and “Panis Angelicus” (Franck). "I Lift Up My Soul/Levanto mi alma" is a beautiful CD for anyone who loves classical-style music.

My church choir teacher always said those that sing pray twice (quoting a famous saint, of course). Lifting your voice to the glory of God in worship is an awesome thing. Martin Doman knows this from being in music ministry not only at his home parish of St. Joseph’s Church, but also all over the country, including many conferences at Franciscan University of Steubenville. Doman has collected many of these worship songs in a collection called Praying Twice II: Open Wide The Door. The title track is the song that he wrote for the Jubilee year. Doman sings that we must open our hearts to Christ and receive Him to have hope anew. Knowing that God see us at our weak and weary time yet giving that time to Him is the idea behind “I Surrender All.” In those times we tend to reach out and cry out for Him. This is what takes place in the gentle song “I Cry Out.” “You're my Glory and the lifter of my head...” In “We’ll Be Together Again” you get the sense that Doman is writing this song for a teacher or spiritual advisor who has gone on to his final reward. It is sad to know that this person is gone but joyful to know that we will be together again in Heaven. The haunting sax of this song makes it one that you will remember. Hearing the song “John (Good Friday Song)” puts you into a true Lenten spirit. We look at the day that Jesus was hung on a cross to die through the eyes of John. How does it feel to see your best friend and Savior die before you? It is a riveting view of this event of our faith. Doman rocks out on a song he sings at many of his youth conferences, “Set Free.” Doman lets us know that the day Jesus overcame death by rising again, he turned the world on it’s head. We have nothing to fear from death because He has given us eternal life. Also, on the CD Doman gives us a quite worship set of just him and an acoustic guitar. The medley of songs includes “Only You,” “Eagles Wings,” and “If I Could Sit With You Awhile.” It’s a wonderful way to end Praying Twice II and will cause you to pray twice yourself.


How can I tell you about the latest offering from Sarah Hart? The CD is called Into These Rooms and it is an intimate self-portrait in song from someone who loves the Lord and doesn’t mind sharing about all the aspects of that love.  A few years back there was a strange, quirky movie about people being able to go into the mind of a famous actor for 15 minutes. With the CD you are given at least an hour into the rooms of Sarah Hart’s life. Hart's joyous, folk-pop style and poetic, introspective lyrics make this a wonderful experience. The first song on the CD sets the pace and is called “Doors Swing Wide.” Hart sings about how life was warm and full of love and then we let it get a little stale and too comfortable by not opening ourselves completely to God. He may have to pull down the blinds and kick down the doors to let His rays of light and love back into our life. How many times did we get knocked on our butts by life only to grow stronger in His love? The music to this song is light and poppy, and Hart’s vocals remind me of a cross between Kate Bush, Tori Amos and Amy Grant. Taken from Psalms 91 is the song “Be With Me Lord.” When there is trouble, who is our shelter and our strength? To whom do we cry out for help in our time of need? God is there. This song was co-written by Catholic singer/songwriter Curtis Stephan, who also sings harmony. Another guest on the CD is legendary guitarist Phil Keaggy, who plays on the song “The Hillside.” Sounding almost ambient, the song tells the story of one who is aiming her life towards her end-journey of the hillside (Heaven). Through this trek they encounter rough winds, shadows and cruel stones.  “Go in Peace” continues with this them, reminding us that all the pains that life throws at you are over as this life-journey ends.  God awaits us at His heavenly banquet. This song is a beautiful send-off for our loved ones that have passed on. Hart captures an insight of what the Blessed Mother must have thought during the first days of saying yes to God in the tune, “His Name Is Joseph.” Was she a little scared about what Joseph would do? Would he quietly divorce her? In the song we see Mary plea to the angel to go and tell Joseph that she had been chosen for God’s plan and that he was chosen as well. It is a peek into the relationship of those charged with care of the Father's Son. Speaking of mothers, one song that will touch anyone who has had a child is “For a Little While.” It is a tender piano ballad/lullaby that captures the bittersweet pain all parents experience while holding their sleeping newborn. You want to take that moment in time and freeze it. Could they not just be babies forever? Hart explains that she did not truly know His love for us until she knew this little life she now holds. The experience of Into These Rooms in not an invasion into Sarah Hart’s private thoughts, but more like a loved one or family member sharing personal moments of life and love of God.