The Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist was nearly filled on Dec. 8 as an enthusiastic crowd enjoyed the final Cathedrals Tour concert featuring Christian musicians, singers and songwriters Matt Maher and Sarah Kroger. The concert series included stops at cathedrals in Chicago, Illinois, Dec. 3; Detroit, Michigan, Dec. 4; Toledo, Dec. 5; Brooklyn, New York, Dec. 7, before heading to Cleveland.
Billed as an Advent night of worship, the concert included sacred and secular music and had attendees on their feet singing along for portions of the program.
Father Damian Ference, vicar for evangelization, welcomed the audience and introduced Christy Cabaniss, diocesan director of missionary discipleship, who coordinated the event. She also greeted the crowd and expressed appreciation for the opportunity to host the concert before introducing Bishop Edward Malesic.
(See photo gallery above.)
“I am so happy you all are here,” the bishop told attendees. He also noted the concert was an ideal evangelization opportunity. Faithful from around the eight-county Diocese of Cleveland were encouraged to invite someone who was not an active Catholic or someone they thought might be interested in learning more about the faith. The audience included people of all ages from young children to senior citizens, with a majority being young adults and teenagers, what the bishop often refers to as “the young Church.”
Maher and Kroger took the stage next, along with three accompanying musicians. He took time to interact with the crowd before beginning the musical part of the program.
“I hope you find something inspiring tonight,” he said.
Red, blue, green and purple lights along with special effects helped set the mood for the concert. The musicians and singers performed in front of the main altar. The audience was seated in both narthexes and the main body of the cathedral, with many opting for folding chairs that were set up alongside the pews and in the back of the Sacred Heart narthex. On the Blessed Virgin side, there was a section of reserved seating for invited guests of the Catholic Community Foundation. They enjoyed a short reception with the bishop prior to the concert where they were offered opportunities as sponsors for the Alleluia Ball, a major fundraiser for Catholic education that will take place on Oct. 25, 2025. These guests also had an opportunity for a brief meet-and-greet session and photo opp with Maher and Kroger.
Several priests, deacons, diocesan, parish and school employees and some seminarians also attended the concert.
The faithful in Cleveland have had opportunities to see Maher perform at The FEST, a daylong celebration of faith, family and fun that takes place in August at the Center for Pastoral Leadership in Wickliffe. The event will mark its 25th anniversary this summer.
Kroger addressed the crowd, speaking about the Blessed Virgin Mary and her key role in salvation as the mother of Jesus. She also talked about the meaning of Ave Maria, pointing out “ave” means hail. She invited the crowd to sing along as she performed songs in honor of the Blessed Mother. “My soul doth magnify the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God, my savior,” she said, echoing the Magnificat. Kroger also reminded the crowd of the power of Jesus’ name, the name above all others.
Maher said there were many thing they never thought about when planning the concert tour, including the reopening last weekend of the newly rebuilt Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. The reopening came five years after a fire caused massive damage to the historic cathedral.
Maher said as he visited the various cathedrals on the Advent tour, he wondered what the voice of the various cathedrals would sound like. “That voice is the faithful responding to God. Here in Cleveland, it would sound like it was built as a legacy to last. This is so much bigger than anything else.”
That segued into a song, as Maher repeated “What a beautiful name it is, the name of Jesus Christ, the king. Nothing compares. What a beautiful name it is, the name of Jesus.”
At one point, the audience was encouraged to turn on the flashlights on their cell phones and raise them, providing a powerful image of light in the darkness.
Maher and Kroger told attendees they were advocates for fighting human trafficking and noted that “Together, we will make a difference.” He said before the Cathedrals Tour began, a donor offered to match (double) donations to the cause. Literature was available that evening for those inclined to help.
The second part of the concert included some Christmas music – secular and sacred – and an encore. The audience sang along to familiar songs including “Go, Tell it on the Mountain” and they locked arms and swayed while singing “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.”
When the concert ended and the lights were turned on, the excitement remained as many people mingled and visited the merchandise tables in the cathedral lobby before heading home.