Clarence Rufus Joseph Rivers Jr. (September 9, 1931 – November 21, 2004) was an American Black Catholic priest and well-known liturgist.
He began to gain notoriety for his music during the Civil Rights Movement, beginning with his "An American Mass Program", which combined Gregorian Chant with the melodic patterns and rhythms of Negro Spirituals.
Camele designed very musical octavo, every book and journal, and original vestments, including Rivers' "Black Spirit Dove" that later became the basis for a set of episcopal pectoral crosses created for all the African American bishops in the 70s and 80s.
Rivers collaborated with many musicians to arrange his music like Edward Stanton Cottle, William Foster McDaniel, Henry Papale, Frank Porto, and Rawn Harbor.
He became the founding director of the National Office for Black Catholics' Office of Culture and Worship during the Black Catholic Movement, and there organized various conferences and workshops in addition to spearheading the NOBC's cultural journal, "Freeing the Spirit" (a motif Rivers would re-use in various other contexts, including as the title of a short memoir).
During this time, he added to his team one Robert Ray, penman of the "Gospel Mass" choral setting sung by choirs worldwide ever since.