Chris Wemp, M.T.S. '18, composes liturgical music that he hopes will enliven and inspire.
A spark can start a fire! Such is the case with Jesuit School of Theology alumnus Christopher Wemp, the 28-year-old Director of Liturgy for the San Jose Diocese.
“Going to Mass was pretty boring,” recalls Christopher as he spoke about growing up in Aptos, California. He explained how he didn’t understand the liturgy and how this resulted in weekly fights with his parents over why he had to go to Mass each week. It wasn’t until junior high that things changed for Christopher when the parish music coordinator asked him to play the piano during Sunday liturgy. Having taken lessons for a few years, young Christopher agreed to give it a try.
Playing the piano was an opportunity to actively participate in the liturgy, to give back to the people of the parish using his still-developing skills, and to offer a musical prayer to God. Christopher continued his music ministry through high school when he began writing small pieces of liturgical music.
When it came time to apply for college, he looked for one with a strong music and campus ministry program. He chose Santa Clara University. In his junior year at Santa Clara, Christopher studied abroad at Casa de la Solidaridad in El Salvador. It was a tremendous experience. It was here that he met Salvadoran artist Guillermo Cuéllar, the composer of the Popular Salvadoran Mass and a contemporary of the late Blessed Oscar Romero. Through his interaction with Cuéllar, Christopher realized that he wanted to spend more time abroad, working with liturgical composers in different contexts. He travelled to Lima, Peru, and collaborated with a group of musicians that had known theologian Gustavo Gutierrez. He journeyed to India and then to Kenya, all the while developing his musical skills and learning about how music impacts communities both near and far.
Back in the United States, Christopher graduated from Santa Clara in 2012 with a bachelor's degree in music and continued to develop as a musician with the support of Bob Hurd and Father Jan Michael Joncas (two big names in the contemporary Catholic music world). Christopher returned to Santa Clara for a Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership (2015) and a Master’s of Theological Studies from the Jesuit School of Theology (2018).
Fast forward to his current role as the diocesan director of liturgy. It’s here where Christopher’s talent, hard work, global experience, and openness to God’s call are paying off. He works with liturgists and music leaders at the parish level, encouraging them to grow their skills, build their confidence, and bring vibrancy and hope to their communities.
Because of his childhood experience, Christopher takes a particular interest in today’s youth. “How do we engage with young people and get them involved? How do we get them to care for their communities?” Christopher adds that his own life changed when someone asked him to get involved in the liturgy through his love of music. That sparked an interest that has taken him to different places where people growing in faith, positively changing their communities, and using their God-given skills to put their faith to work.
Christopher continues to do this, too. What he does, where he goes from here — one thing is certain — his life, his music, the way he chooses to praise God are not going to be boring.
To listen to Christopher’s music, visit christopherwemp.bandcamp.com.
Written by Carlos Rodriguez, M.Div. '21