St. Louis Jesuits

Made up of Jesuit scholastics at St. Louis University, the group initially used acoustic guitars and contemporary-style melodies and rhythms to set biblical and other religious texts to music sung in English in response to the liturgical reforms of the Second Vatican Council.

John Kavanaugh, also a Jesuit and composer, never worked with the group; however, a few of his compositions were included in the first collection, "Neither Silver Nor Gold," which was produced before the original members decided to further collaborate and record together.

It has since been remastered into a two-CD set by OCP Publications with about half a dozen songs left off the LP/cassette version due to space limitations.

After their fifth album, The Steadfast Love, was recorded in 1985, the members began to release solo collections, as their vocations and interests took them to different parts of the world.

Dan Schutte left the Jesuit order in 1986, but like the others, he continued to compose and publish solo collections of music.

This recording entitled Morning Light was released in 2005 along with an anniversary coffee table book titled The St. Louis Jesuits: Thirty Years (Oregon Catholic Press, 2006).

In November 2018, Dufford, Foley, Manion, and O’Connor appeared at St. Louis University’s “Happy 200th Birthday to SLU” Concert.

[4] On September 29, 2019, the five members gathered in St. Louis, where it all began, for "Coming Home - A Final Celebration," a concert of gratitude at Powell Hall.