Merry Christmas from PIMS

Wishing you a blessed and joyful Christmas from the Pontifical Institute of Sacred Music in Rome.

Friends of PIMS
December 22, 2025 • Estimated Reading Time: 5 minutes

Dear Friends,

As the year draws to a close, we look back with deep gratitude on all that has been entrusted to us in 2025. The past weeks in Rome have been especially rich: from the Jubilee of Choirs and the celebration of Saint Cecilia, patron saint of sacred music, to our graduation ceremony at the Pontifical Institute of Sacred Music, where 14 international students graduated. These moments remind us how alive and universal the mission of sacred music truly is.

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"For the people of God, song expresses invocation and prayer. It is the new song that the Risen Christ raises to the Father, in which all the baptized participate as one body, animated by the Spirit. In Christ, we become singers of grace, children of the Church, discovering in the Risen One the cause of our prayers. Liturgical music thus becomes a precious instrument through which we carry out our service of praise to God and express the joy of new life in Christ."

Pope Leo XIV

PIMS Choir at St. Peter’s Basilica

COLLABORATION WITH HIGHBRIDGE VOICES

Looking ahead, we are excited to share new initiatives that are already bearing fruit. Among them is our growing collaboration with Highbridge Voices, and the recent Immersive Chant for Children course held at PIMS at the end of November, attended by Michelle Trinidad, Music and Program Director in New York, as well as Ronan Reilly, Director of the Jubilate Deo Program from Sydney —a beautiful sign of how this work is connecting communities across different parts of the world. This program reflects our commitment to passing on chant and sacred music to the next generation. The course concluded beautifully with the PIMS Choir singing at the 9:00 am Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica.

MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM PIMS

At Christmas, we give thanks above all for you. Your prayers, encouragement, and continued support accompany the mission of the Pontifical Institute of Sacred Music as it forms musicians in the service of the Church and safeguards the living tradition of sacred music. As we prepare our hearts for the Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, we wish you and your loved ones a holy, peaceful, and joy filled Christmas, and a New Year filled with hope.

SAVE THE DATE: APRIL 15^th

Join us for a special concert during America Week and experience the rich soundscape of sacred music. From Gregorian chant to newly composed works the program will showcase the talent of a uniquely international student body representing more than forty nations. Register early to secure your place.

May God bless you always,
Fr. Robert Mehlhart OP
Rector of the Pontifical Institute of Sacred Music

Fr. Robert Mehlhart with Pope Leo XIV, November 2025

Discover more

▶ Visit our website

▶ Let’s Sing with the Pope: Learn chant with Fr. Robert on Instagram

▶ PIMS on NBC: Watch our students featured on the Today Show

▶ In the Media:Coverage from EWTN and the National Catholic Register

When liturgical music is inspired by faith and shaped with skill, it engages voice, mind, and heart. It becomes a path to prayer.