Gwozdz elected President of the Federation of Pueri Cantores

The Board of Directors of the American Federation of Pueri Cantores recently announced the election of Lee Gwozdz as its president, a longstanding leader of AFPC. He is the director of sacred music for the Diocese of Corpus Christi and the Cathedral music director.

"I'm really honored that my colleagues chose me to do this. They feel I represent the country in the area of youth choirs in the United States. It's my goal to have dioceses across the United States be active in Pueri Cantores," Gwozdz said.

For more than 40 years of his ministry, Gwozdz has served as a clinician and conductor for choirs of youth and teens in the Diocese of Corpus Christi and in more than 100 cities around the United States. "My goal has been to instill in youth the importance of singing the great treasures of the Church. That's what the goal is of Pueri Cantores –we are trying to instill that in the United States," he said.

Nationally known for his expertise and innovative approach with youth choirs, Gwozdz incorporates a relatable manner with meticulous musicianship to create a high impact offering of liturgical music, said a news release from the AFPC.

He will be representing the United States at the meetings of the International Federation of Pueri Cantores. The next meeting will take place in Krakow, Poland in August.

Renowned Children’s Choral Clinician Helen Kemp said, “Lee has become one of our country’s leading church musicians. His exceptional work at Corpus Christi Cathedral is exemplary. His expertise, enthusiasm, wit and imagination will help children want to 'sing a new song' with accuracy, beauty and joy.”

The AFPC was formed in 1953 to accomplish the same mission in the United States. At the time, choirs proliferated in Catholic churches and schools across the country and took a significant and inspirational leadership role in worship and education-related events.

Reflecting general lack of support of the arts, however and reacting to worship guidelines set forth in Vatican II, nearly all of those groups disappeared during the late 1900s. Now, many communities are once again committed to establishing and developing new choirs of young singers throughout America. Sharing this expanded vision, these choirs create opportunities for children, families, schools, churches and organizations locally, nationally and throughout the world.

The organization brings together youth choirs to raise the profile of choral music in churches, schools, community and artistic venues. A choir's membership in Pueri Cantores creates opportunities to sing in local, national or international settings.

In addition to music selected by conductors for individual choirs, choirs throughout the world sing a shared repertoire. On even numbered years, all choirs are invited to participate in an International congress held in major cities of the world.

Each year, American choirs are invited to a national or regional congress. Students who travel with their choirs have a chance to meet singers from other cities and states. They establish friendships, learn about different cultures, and bring Christ's message of peace and joy. Choir directors exchange musical ideas, traditions and performance practice information with other musicians throughout the nation and world.

Pueri Cantores singers learn music of faith, hope and love; they grow in musicianship, spirituality, liturgical understanding and community. The current objective of the AFPC is to build the number of member choirs significantly during the next two years to 400 choirs, reaching more than 10,000 student singers nationwide.

Pueri Cantores provides a public face to the Catholic Church in America, attracting tens of thousands of young singers from every corner of the country. It encourages involvement of hundreds of thousands of family members, teachers, clergy, audience participants and volunteers and focuses a bright spotlight on the ability of children to lead our nation in celebrating Christ's message of love and peace.

Gwozdz will be travelling with all the United States choirs to the International Pueri Cantores Festival on Jan. 1, 2016 for the New Years Day Mass at St. Peter's Basilica. " I am so proud this year that we are going to be the largest country in attendance of over 2000 singers from the United States to sing for the pope," he said.

He will "have the honor" to meet personally with Pope Francis in Rome.