Saint Meinrad Seminary & School of Theology

Formation and Education for the Life of the Church

Faculty

Fr. Columba Kelly, OSB

Faculty

Head shot of Fr. Columba Kelly, OSBTitle: Adjunct Professor of Church Music

Education History

  • AB (Saint Meinrad College, 1956)
  • STL (Pontifical Athenaeum of Sant' Anselmo, Rome, 1959)
  • MusSacD (Pontifical Institute of Sacred Music, Rome, 1963)

Biography

Fr. Columba Kelly, OSB, is a Benedictine monk of Saint Meinrad Archabbey. He is a native of Williamsburg, IA.

In 1964, Fr. Columba was appointed choirmaster for Saint Meinrad Archabbey, where he began his work of composing English-language chants based on the principles used to create the original Gregorian Chant repertory. That same year, he also began teaching at Saint Meinrad College and Saint Meinrad School of Theology.

For 12 years, he taught summer session courses at St. Joseph College's (Rensselear, IN) Liturgical Musical Program. He has led numerous workshops on chant, throughout the United States, at the Abbey of Solesmes in France and for Benedictine communities in Australia. During the summer of 2003 he gave three presentations on chant at the National Pastoral Musicians' National Convention in Cincinnati , OH.

In recent years, he has directed Saint Meinrad's Chant Schola in a program of Latin and English chants produced for CDs-an Advent/Christmas CD and a Lent/Easter CD. In 1999, he directed the Schola in a performance at the Ravinia Festival in Chicago. He has also assisted in a number of special projects and compositions regarding Gregorian Chant.