A Ministry Born in Song

For adult leaders Patrick Ku and Louis Lee, music was the doorway to faith. Growing up, Patrick shared how he encountered Christianity through a Protestant youth group where lively praise songs first drew him in. “The fast, upbeat songs were fun and catchy, and the reflective, meditative songs expressed my budding spirituality,” he recalled.

Patrick grew up playing viola, and by high school, he was playing bass guitar. Later, as a Catholic cantor, he discovered how even a single quiet reflection song after Communion could help a congregation “simply be with Jesus.”

Louis Lee knows firsthand how music can shift from performance to prayer. His first loves, he admits, were the Beatles, Beach Boys, and even Metallica. Eventually, that love of music shifted toward church music, and something changed. He reflected, “Serving as a music minister was and is when I feel the strongest presence of the Holy Spirit within me and around me.”

For Louis, music ministry is always about pointing back to Christ. “The band is never the center. The crucifix is always the center.” He explains that this is why, “Praise Nights often move seamlessly from booming choruses into Eucharistic adoration, where silence speaks louder than any song.” Youth attending the praise night have told him that the moment of kneeling before the Blessed Sacrament is the most powerful part of the night.

Youth Leaders: Discovering the Music Early

High school student JP Lee feels he has already sensed God’s call to music ministry. He confessed that he is certain that “God has made my calling clear: to bring my peers together to glorify Him.” Fellow teen music leader Alexis Kim’s own ministry also began early, in childhood wonder. She remembers singing Mass songs around the house and replaying Vacation Bible Camp CDs repeatedly. Eventually, she joined the youth praise team.

Regarding her role as youth praise minister, she believes, “It is about making youth feel safe and encouraged to lift their voices, no matter how they sound.” She described how she has seen teens who arrive stressed or shy leave renewed and confident after making music together. “Music opens hearts in a way words alone cannot,” Alexis explained. “Making space for music is making space for grace.” Alexis shared that she now prays before every rehearsal to be “a vessel of God’s praise.”

Similarly, JP shares that he’s experienced how praise made a difference for him personally, as a young person: “I have struggled with prayer my whole life. But praise is a direct connection to God because it acknowledges His glory.” JP acknowledges how important it is for his teen peers to see someone their age invite them to praise, as it opens a doorway to encounter God.

A Conglomeration of Cultures in Silicon Valley, Rooted in the Eucharist

Though rooted in three distinct cultural Catholic communities in Silicon Valley — Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese — all come together to practice throughout the year and during the praise night. Patrick also notes that second-generation immigrants and beyond share common ground in having English as their first language.

It is a cultural expression that finds unity in song. For example, the worship song Yeshua is stretched into a multilingual chorus, sung in English, Korean, and Vietnamese. In many ways, it is a sound that embodies the image of the local Church itself, uniting diverse cultures under the common umbrella of faith and music.

Transcending culture, Louis also attests to watching generations of youth musicians grow, regardless of background. Louis shared that, "Last month, a recently graduated high school senior reached out to let me know she was continuing her ministry at her university’s weekly Mass. This was music to my ears.”

“Singing is for the One who Loves” - Saint Augustine

In a culture where many young Catholics drift away, music – specifically praise –has become for some a tether of belonging and love. Patrick shared how he has grown deeper in spirituality, “by laying down my own desires for adulation and instead partnering with God in this ministry.” Louis also finds a specific quote attributed to Saint Augustine as personally affirming of his ministry. “Worshiping together with music, whether in Mass, at a retreat, or at praise night, is one place where they can feel the true presence of Christ’s love. As Saint Augustine said, ‘Singing is for the one who loves.’”

One fruit of both Louis’ and Patrick's, as well as JP’s and Alexis’ love and care for youth, is the growing faith through praise, which is the promise faith already present in the next generation. For JP, “Without my journey of playing in our youth band and subsequently leading it, I may have never realized God's calling to use this unique position to uphold the fantastic youth music ministry program at my parish." For Alexis, it transformed her understanding of the role of music. “It built my sense of confidence, belonging, and joy. For all of us, it helps us encounter God more completely and to pray not just with words but with our whole selves.”

This is the whole point, as Louis succinctly puts it, “If a song holds true to doctrine, is composed with the truth of the Mystery, and brings our youth closer to Christ, let’s sing it!”