Photo submitted to the Times Observer Members of the St. Joseph’s Catholic School liturgical choir are pictured with David A. Zubik, bishop of Pittsburgh, during a past gathering of Catholic school choirs. The choir will travel to Pittsburgh for this year’s gathering on Saturday.

Students from St Joseph Catholic School traveled to Pittsburgh this weekend to take part in a major regional gathering of Catholic school choirs.

Under the direction of music teacher Joseph Glarner, the school’s liturgical choir participated in the 2026 Pittsburgh Youth Choral Festival hosted by the American Federation Pueri Cantores at St. Paul Cathedral.

The event is often described as a “singing marathon,” bringing together hundreds of young singers from Catholic schools across Pennsylvania and Ohio. Throughout the day, students rehearsed sacred choral music with fellow choirs before joining together for a concluding Mass celebrated by David A. Zubik, Bishop of Pittsburgh.

This year’s festival featured James Kennerley, guest conductor and respected church musician, who led the combined choir during the day’s rehearsals and final liturgy. Under his direction, the singers united as one large choir, filling the cathedral with sacred music from the Church’s rich choral tradition.

The festival holds special significance this year as the international Pueri Cantores movement celebrates its 75th anniversary.

For decades, the organization’s mission has remained the same: to form young people in faith, leadership, and excellence through sacred music.

For Glarner and his students, the experience represented both a musical and spiritual opportunity. The festival allows young singers to experience the power of large-scale choral singing while joining peers from Catholic schools across the region.

“Events like this help students see that sacred music connects them to the wider Church,” Glarner said. “When hundreds of young voices sing together in a cathedral, it becomes a powerful experience of faith, unity, and beauty.”

The day culminated with a solemn Mass at St. Paul Cathedral, where the combined choir will lead the music for the liturgy.