A Grammy-nominated and Catholic Music Awards winner exuded her love for performing and her faith at a benefit concert in her hometown last month.
Lancaster native Sarah Hart, an internationally acclaimed Catholic singer-songwriter, delighted an audience at the Basilica of St. Mary of the Assumption, Emerald Campus (former St. Mark Church) on Saturday, Aug. 16 during a concert in collaboration with Bridges Ministry that blended worship, prayer and fellowship.
All proceeds went to Bridges Ministry, which began in 2012 at the former St. Mark and is now part of the Basilica of St. Mary of the Assumption. Its mission is to connect the local church to Catholic ministries around the globe. Some of its past and current projects include BioSand water filtration with Catholic missions in Vietnam and a water well, classroom and boarding house with the Sisters of Notre Dame in Tanzania.
A common theme throughout the evening was the power of God’s love and the call that everyone has to love God and their neighbor more. “We need to find the ways people around you bring you joy,” she shared, and added, “We think so little of so many.”
The concert opened with a prayer from Msgr. Craig Eilerman, rector the Basilica of St. Mary of the Assumption, followed by Hart’s opening song based on St. Francis of Assisi’s prayer, “Lord, Make Me an Instrument of Your Peace.”
Along with her deep love for the Church and the Eucharist, she also has a passion for “living and loving as Jesus did.” She expressed that passion in “There’s Only Love” and “All Shall Be Well,” inspired by St. Julian of Norwich.
Hart, a graduate of Fisher Catholic High School and the Ohio State University, expressed her love for the saints, which she said often inspires her songwriting. She quoted St. Augustine, who said, “to sing is to pray twice,” and encouraged the audience to sing along to her original songs such as “Drawn to You” and “Mother Mary, Pray for Us.”
Throughout the evening, she kept the audience more than entertained — whether singing and playing the keyboard or guitar or performing heartfelt duets with her mother, who has been a huge part of her love for music. She concluded her performance with “Give Us Your Peace.”
The Catholic artist is truly a testament to what it means to worship God with “all her heart, soul, and mind,” and to bring others into that powerful and beautiful place of worship, as Mark 12:30 declares.
To learn more about Sarah Hart or to listen to her music, visit sarahhart.com. To learn more about Bridges Ministry, visit Bridges Ministry.
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