St. Michael Hymnal

St. Michael Hymnal The St. Michael Hymnal is published by St. Boniface Catholic Church, Lafayette, IN Originally, in the early 1990’s, St. Fundamentally, the St. Michael Hymnal.

In the decades that have passed since the Second Vatican Council there has been much experimentation in liturgical music, as well as the advancement of various political and ideological agendas. Michael Hymnal aspires first and foremost to be faithful to that original vision of sacred music presented by the Second Vatican Council. Boniface Parish in Lafayette, Indiana, in response to a gradual pol

iticization of traditional hymn texts, searched for a hymnal or missalette that preserved the original language, but could find none; and so the parish began working to produce for its own use a simple supplement with traditional hymns. However, this idea soon took on a life of its own and came to be seen as a tremendous opportunity for a much larger project. Michael Hymnal was the result of this initial desire to promote the musical treasures of the Church’s tradition and to maintain unadulterated language in traditional hymns. The hymnal is unique among most contemporary hymnals precisely because of its concern for authentic texts and its particular promotion of Gregorian chant. At the same time, the hymnal stands out among the smaller collection of more traditional hymnals because of its realistic assessment of the present state of liturgical music and its prudential judgment of how to address this situation. Michael Hymnal is predicated on the belief that what is most useful at the present time is a hymnal which provides for taking a decisive step forward, rather than one which prematurely tries to achieve the final goal. The third edition of the St. Michael Hymnal has proven to be very successful in providing hundreds of parishes throughout the country with a middle ground between the political ideologies of contemporary hymnals and the unhelpful extremism of some of the more traditional hymnals. For over a decade now, pastors and musicians alike have rejoiced in the unique collection of “old and new” offered by the St. This hymnal has indeed made it possible for many parishes to gradually move forward and embrace more deeply the Church’s vision of the sacred liturgy. Now, with the decisive direction set by our Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI, along with the implementation of a new translation of the Roman Missal, the St. Michael Hymnal is very happy to take its next step forward and present a new edition of the already well-loved hymnal. The fourth edition of the hymnal will contain more Latin Gregorian chant mass settings, many new and beautiful settings of the Mass in English, as well as an even better selection of the classic, traditional hymnody that is treasured by parishes across the country. In addition to hymnody, the new edition will contain a complete collection of Entrance Antiphons for Sunday Mass. We are very excited about all that the fourth edition of the St. Michael Hymnal has to offer and we are convinced that it represents a real contribution to the renewal of the sacred liturgy in this country. In the end, our only hope is that the music offered in this hymnal will adorn the Church’s liturgy with grace and beauty and will move hearts and minds to the praise and worship of Almighty God.

Just a reminder for our Colloquium friends to place an order by Sunday at Noon for free shipping!
06/20/2026

Just a reminder for our Colloquium friends to place an order by Sunday at Noon for free shipping!

Are you attending the Church Music Association of America (CMAA) Sacred Music Colloquium this year?We are offering free ...
06/16/2026

Are you attending the Church Music Association of America (CMAA) Sacred Music Colloquium this year?

We are offering free shipping on orders for colloquium attendees through Sunday, June 21 at noon. We will be bringing these orders with us to Champaign!

See you there!
https://www.stmichaelhymnal.com/purchase/

06/12/2026
06/08/2026

Ecce Panis Angelorum (Behold the Bread of Angels)

Sarah K. May (b. 1987) is a choral composer, pianist, conductor, and organist based in Fishers, Indiana. She is a parishioner and an organist at St. Louis de Montfort Catholic Church in Fishers, Indiana. This piece was written for the occasion of Fr. Thomas J. Haan’s 10th ordination anniversary, who is pastor at SLDM, and also a son of the St. Boniface Church Parish.
Sarah is a music teacher and choir director at Guerin Catholic High School in Noblesville, Indiana, where she directs several choirs and also teaches music. Additionally, she serves as an accompanist and educator with the Indianapolis Children’s Choir.

06/07/2026

What a gift to sing this stunning piece for the Solemnity of Corpus Christi this morning! Have you done this?! Will you be adding it to your repertoire?!

06/07/2026

Father, We Thank Thee (RENDEZ À DIEU) for the Solemnity of Corpus Christi. We love singing this hymn! What did you sing this Sunday?!

Our principal organist, Scott M. Kemmer celebrated his 40th anniversary as organist of St. Boniface Catholic Church on t...
06/07/2026

Our principal organist, Scott M. Kemmer celebrated his 40th anniversary as organist of St. Boniface Catholic Church on the Solemnity of Corpus Christi.

At 7:30am Mass on June 7, 1986, Scott Michael Kemmer played for the first Mass at St. Boniface Church.

He began studying organ with Rosemary Funk in 1984 and later studied with Samuel Soria at Holy Name Cathedral, Chicago (1993–2000). Additional instruction includes summer organ study weeks at Baylor University (Texas) and the University of St. Andrews (Scotland, U.K.), as well as master classes with Jacob Benda at the University of St. Thomas (St. Paul, Minnesota). He also studies periodically with Michael Messina at Trinity Episcopal Church in Indianapolis. Scott has performed in recital at venues including Fourth Presbyterian Church, Chicago, and Christ Church Cathedral in Indianapolis. He is a graduate of Purdue University (B.S., Financial Planning) and Keller University (M.S., Accounting and Financial Management), and lives and works in Indianapolis at UBS Financial Services.

Scott is the son of Richard and Janet Kemmer, and grew up in this parish. He has been providing music for the parish’s liturgical life for four decades. His playing has supported thousands of liturgies, feast days, weddings, confirmations, first communions, funerals, recitals, vespers, and celebrations over the years, greatly contributing to the musical continuity of St. Boniface across generations.

The role of the organist extends well beyond technical proficiency. A skilled Catholic organist such as Scott must also be a thoughtful liturgical musician who understands the purpose and sacred nature of the Mass. The selection of repertoire is never arbitrary. It is always selected to reflect the season of the Church year, the liturgical texts, and the atmosphere of reverence and prayer.

As Catholics, we are entrusted with preserving and supporting this sacred heritage. By doing this, we affirm the beauty that stands at the heart of our worship.

We thank Scott Kemmer for you talent, artistry, and dedication to our parish. You are an inspiration to us all!

(Photos: Maggie Schnerre and Matt Haan)

St. Michael Hymnal in the wild! Holy Guardian Angels Church in Cedar Grove, Indiana (built in 1895).
05/31/2026

St. Michael Hymnal in the wild!
Holy Guardian Angels Church in Cedar Grove, Indiana (built in 1895).

05/17/2026

Friends, we know it’s Ascension Sunday. But it was also 1st Communion this afternoon at our home parish, St. Boniface Catholic Church. Here is a snippet one of our favorite new hymns in the 5th Edition of the St. Michael Hymnal, “I Want to Walk as a Child of the Light”. Perfect for the day. Have you used this wonderful hymn yet?

Address

318 N 9th Street
Lafayette, IN
47904

Telephone

(765) 742-7457

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