Pasadena’s St. Andrew School Choir to Perform at Vatican’s Epiphany Festival and Papal Service with Pope Francis

St. Andrew’s School and Parish’s Children’s Choir, led by Patrick Flahive, has been chosen to participate in the Epiphany Festival Choir in Italy. The choir, comprising students from St. Andrew’s School in Pasadena, will make a special appearance alongside Pope Francis on Jan. 6 at St. Peter’s Basilica.

Featuring choirs from St. Mary’s Cathedral in San Francisco, Christ Cathedral in Orange County, and Pueri Cantores San Gabriel Valley, the Epiphany Festival Choir, will also sing Vespers with the Pope on Dec. 31. They will also participate in concerts at the Church of the Holy Apostles in Rome and a mass at St. Francis Basilica in Assisi before culminating the series of events by singing at the Papal Mass on Epiphany.

For the St. Andrew’s School and Parish’s Children’s Choir, the honor follows meticulous preparation since last spring and marks a remarkable milestone for the choir, especially post-pandemic, solidifying their growing acclaim within the choral community. Patrick Flahive, music teacher and Choir Director at St. Andrew’s School, has been the choir director integral to the festival since its inception. 

“The Epiphany Festival choir began in 2015, and every year they gathered choirs of children together to sing in the Vatican,” Flahive said. “I was one of the two co-directors for the first Epiphany Choir Festival, and the directors, the people that managed the festival, called me again and asked if I would bring my choir to this coming festival.” 

The selection process began last spring with several directors involved. Flahive said other choirs come from St. Mary’s Cathedral in San Francisco, and Christ Cathedral in Garden Grove, Orange County, aside from Pueri Cantores San Gabriel Valley, which he also directs, and the Parish Children’s Choir at St. Andrew’s Parish. 

“The directors got together and we made suggestions with one another,” he said. “Dr. Jennifer Pascual, music director and organist at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York, was the one who was able to get this wonderful invitation for us all to join and sing Vespers with Pope Francis on Dec. 31. So we will be in St. Peter’s Basilica with the Pope and the other people who are in attendance, and we’ll be singing alongside the Sistine Chapel Choir for that service and will be part of the guiding choir.” 

Principal Jae Kim of St. Andrew School said this will mark the first time the St. Andrew School Choir performs for a Pope, a testament to their rapid ascendancy. He emphasized the school’s commitment to a holistic education, nurturing talents through arts programs. 

“We have a pretty dynamic choir,” Principal Kim said. “They’ve sung for the LA Opera and the English Tallis Scholars Ensemble, and we thought that this would be a wonderful culmination of the hard work as well.” 

Kim said some parents of choir members will be joining the trip to the Vatican. 

While not all choir members could participate due to financial constraints, Flahive expressed hope that the attention garnered from this performance will support future efforts. He mentioned the possibility of the choir participating in non-competitive festivals in the future and plans for a May festival in Orange County.

Though specific details on live streaming or broadcasting the performances remain uncertain, Flahive said the Epiphany has regularly been aired live on Eurovision and on the Vatican News YouTube channel.

To learn more about the St. Andrew’s School and Parish’s Children’s Choir, visit saspasadena.com.