New song salutes new pope

On April 19, Bill and Maureen Hayes returned to their car from an afternoon outing, switched on the radio and heard that Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger had been elected Pope Benedict XVI.

The musical duo decided to employ their talent to compose and sing a song honoring the new pontiff.

"Pope John Paul II was very much loved, and I've heard other musicians writing songs for him," said Mr. Hayes, music minister at St. Clare's Church in Colonie. "I thought, 'I wonder if anyone will be writing a song for Pope Benedict?'"

He started writing the piece almost immediately, inspired by words taken from Pope Benedict's first apostolic blessing.

"He called himself a 'humble servant in God's vineyard,'" said the musician. "I thought, 'Here is a statement.'

The refrain asks Pope Benedict to "lead us to the Lord," while verses solicit his assistance with helping the Church to "build a sacrament of unity and love," "a spirit of knowledge and love," and "a spirit of kindness and wisdom."

The couple recorded the song in their home studio the night of Benedict's election and posted it on their website. Mr. Hayes plays instrumentals, while Mrs. Hayes, a cantor at St. Clare's, provides the vocals.

In putting the song together, Mr. Hayes said, he tried to balance a "contemporary feel" with a "sense of gentleness. I hope it allows people to soften their approach, so in the event that they might have questions in their minds as to whether Pope Benedict was a good choice or not, they'll take a second look."

(As a husband-and-wife team, the Hayeses received a 2004 Unity Award for Liturgical Song of the Year. Hear "Benedict, Servant of the Lord" at www.maureenandbillhayes.com.)

(4/28/05)