Father Rick Manalo of New York City will be performing at Saint Joseph Parish with two local choirs on Friday, May 3 with a presentation to follow on Saturday, May 4.

Ricky Manalo, internationally known Catholic priest, musician, author and composer, will be performing “Tune, Text and Theology: Encountering Christ through Music” at 7 p.m. on Friday, May 3 at the Saint Joseph Parish, located at 600 Pennsylvania Ave.

Manalo will be joined during his performance by the combined choirs of Saint Joseph Parish and the Holy Redeemer Church.

Friday night’s performance by Manalo will be followed up with a presentation entitled “Encounter Christ in the Eucharist,” from 9 a.m. until noon on Saturday, May 4, at the parish.

All individuals are welcomed to attend either or both events at no cost, however an offering will be accepted.

“This is more than just a concert, I like to view this as a prayerful event that leads all those present towards a deeper spiritual renewal,” Manalo said.

Manalo was the recipient of the 2020 Distinguished Catholic Music Composer of the Year Award by the Association of Catholic Publishers. He was also awarded Pastoral Musician of the Year Award by the National Association of Pastoral Musicians in 2018. His music has been utilized during masses presided over by Pope John Paul II, Pope Benedict and Pope Francis.

Fr. Manalo studied composition and piano at the Manhattan School of Music in New York City; theology at the Washington Theological Union in Washington, D.C.; and liturgy, culture and sociology at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, Calif.

This two-part event with Fr. Manalo has been made possible via a grant from the Catholic Foundation of Northwest Pennsylvania.

For additional information about the upcoming concert, contact Pastoral Associate and Advancement Director of Saint Joseph Parish, Betsy Williams, via email at betsy.williams@westpa.net or by calling the parish office during regular business hours Monday through Thursday at 814-723-2090 extension six.

For more information about Fr. Manalo, visit https://www.rickymanalo.org.