Dominican friars play bluegrass music to joyfully share faith at National Eucharistic Congress
The Hillbilly Thomists play a concert on July 19 during the National Eucharistic Congress at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis. They are, from left, drummer Dominican Father Joseph Hagan, guitarist Dominican Father Justin Bolger and fiddle player Dominican Father Simon Teller. (Photo by Sean Gallagher)
By Sean Gallagher
Music was a big part of the National Eucharistic Congress from July 17-21 in Indianapolis—in large general sessions in Lucas Oil Stadium, at liturgies and on stages in a large exhibition hall in the Indiana Convention Center and on Georgia Street next to St. John the Evangelist Church.
And as the word “catholic” is rooted in the Greek word for “universal,” it’s not surprising the music played at the congress had tremendous variety: Gregorian chant, Renaissance polyphony, classical music and a broad spectrum of more contemporary styles.
That includes bluegrass music deeply rooted in Catholic theology played by The Hillbilly Thomists.
A group of Dominican friars from the order’s St. Joseph Province based in Washington, D.C., they have several members. Only three played at the congress.
Wearing the order’s distinctive habit of a white tunic and scapular, along with a black leather belt, they played guitar, fiddle and drums, including a washboard for one song.
Dominican Father Justin Bolger played guitar and added vocals to the songs. His full-time ministry outside of playing in the band is serving as chaplain of Brown University in Providence, R.I.
He and his fellow Dominicans have a broad taste in music, recording albums of chant and other sacred music in addition to bluegrass songs, which he noted “is kind of based on themes from Scripture.”
Father Justin also noted that this genre is just enjoyable to play.
“We have fun together doing it,” he said. “It’s part of our fraternity. Music is fraternal. It brings people together, especially this kind of music. It’s front-porch music. Just us jamming.”
The word “Thomists” in the band’s name describes people who study the writings of St. Thomas Aquinas, a medieval Dominican theologian and philosopher.
The overall title of the band was drawn from a letter written by 20th-century fiction writer Flannery O’Connor, whom Father Justin described as the band’s “unofficial patron saint.”
Born in Georgia in 1925, O’Connor wrote novels and short stories that take place in the South. While having deep theological themes, they are also marked by dark humor and violence.
O’Connor, a devout Catholic who died of lupus in 1964, noted in a letter that many who read her novel Wise Blood “think that I’m a hillbilly nihilist, whereas I’m a hillbilly Thomist.”
Father Justin said that many of the band’s songs follow the faith and life of O’Connor, who wrote that “all human nature vigorously resists grace because grace changes us and the change is painful.”
“It plays out in our lyrics, exploring narratives of broken lives and how grace is still there,” Father Justin said.
That was heard in “Holy Ghost Power,” the finale of the band’s concert in the congress’ exhibition hall on July 19.
The song is told in the voice of a man who’s had a broken relationship and finds contemporary culture absurd, but who had discovered meaning in Christ, who is described in its refrain:
“He makes a rich man poor. He makes a weak man strong. No more going wrong just to get along. I felt the force of the truth when they pierced his side. I saw the war eagle dive and I could not hide. Just when I faced the capital hour, that’s when I found the Holy Ghost power.”
Because many of the hundreds of people who crowded around the stage for the concert were enthusiastic fans of the band, the group stopped singing when it reached the final line of the refrain, allowing the crowd to add their voice to the performance.
One of them was Carlie Seely-Hacker of Tulsa, Okla., who attended the concert with her infant son John.
“Their songs are super fun,” she said. “But the content is really rich. I feel like I hear something new every time I listen to them. They’re so joyful.
“And I was amazed at the crowd. Everyone knew the choruses and were singing along, filling in lines.”
The songs also got some people out of their seats, with lines of girls off to one side of the stage having fun doing a line dance.
The Hillbilly Thomists aren’t just popular with a Catholic crowd, though. Their self-titled debut album in 2017 reached #3 on the Billboard bluegrass chart while their third album, “Holy Ghost Power,” recorded in 2022, reached #5.
Father Justin was happy to play at the congress.
“It’s awesome,” he said. “I love the focus on the Eucharist. It simplifies things. This is what brings us together. It’s the sacrament of Communion, union with one another. People are very joyful here. They’re very prayerful. And then we have our fans.”
