MOTHER MARY, PRAY FOR US by OCP’s award-winning artist Sarah Hart is set for release July 29
New original Marian hymn is a prayer for the entire world
OCP announces the release of its newest artist single MOTHER MARY, PRAY FOR US by award-winning artist and Grammy nominee Sarah Hart. The single, an original hymn, will be available to the public on July 29 and can be streamed here.
MOTHER MARY, PRAY FOR US is highly anticipated and comes from an artist who is not only one of the leading figures in contemporary Catholic music today, but is a wife and mother whose life is guided by Mary, the Mother of God. Sarah Hart’s songs are part of the common worship experience of Catholics throughout the U.S. and MOTHER MARY, PRAY FOR US is sure to become a Marian favorite and a classic for years to come.
“I have always wanted to write a Marian hymn, and I’m not sure what took me so long!” said Sarah Hart. “There was a particular week when I was asking for the Blessed Mother’s intercession (a lot), and so I just sat down at the piano and started to sing my heart and my prayer. Our Church right now needs to embrace Mary’s way, to be a place of openness and true welcome for all people.”
MOTHER MARY, PRAY FOR US is a prayer and an encouragement to help approach the mother of Jesus with every manner of prayer and need especially when people struggle the most because that’s when God is the closest. Sarah Hart’s deep abiding faith and heartfelt personal prayer is felt in all her music, and in a particular way, she hopes that this new single will draw audiences closer to Mary who knows the heart of God best and is the greatest witness to the Beatitudes.
“I hope people who hear this hymn will feel that they can ask for Mary’s intercession, that nothing of the heart is too small an ask,” said Sarah Hart. “I also hope they feel closer to the heart of Mary – her loving way, her kindness and compassion – and are unashamed to bring their prayers to her. Mary herself was someone who suffered greatly. I think she has a powerful place in our prayer lives as a person who suffered so much, but remained close to the heart of God even when faced with impossible sorrow.”
ABOUT SARAH HART
Sarah Hart is one of the leading figures in contemporary Catholic music today. Her songs of faith, spirit of joy, and love for teaching and leading workshops have touched the lives of thousands.
Originally from Lancaster, Ohio, Sarah fell in love with both reading and writing poetry in college and created her own degree in Music Theory and Contemporary Composition at Ohio State University. Now based in Nashville, Tennessee, she is on the road a good part of the year leading concerts and events while juggling a busy songwriting, production and recording career.
Many of Sarah’s songs are part of the common worship experience of Catholics in the U.S. She has recorded 12 full-length collections with a signature blend of folk, pop and rock which delight listeners of every age. Sarah’s most recent collection, Love As Never Before, includes four new titles, a psalm and the well-loved Mass of St. Mary Magdalene.
Sarah’s dynamic energy, sense of humor and deep faith make her events unforgettable experiences. She especially enjoys exploring topics around women’s spirituality and leading parish missions. She has written and created five popular retreats, as well as content for intergenerational missions, diocesan conferences, and national events.
In October of 2013, Sarah had the deep honor of performing for Pope Francis and a crowd of 150,000 in St. Peter’s Square.
Sarah is also a Grammy Nominee and BMI Winner (Song of the Year, “Better Than a Hallelujah”), a Mark Award Winner for TV/Film Music Writing (”This Moment”), an ALA Odyssey Award Winner (Excellence in Audiobook Production, Score Writer, “Du Iz Tak”) and an Audie Awards Nominee (Excellence in Audiobooks, Score Writer, “Say Something”).
Her music has been recorded by many artists including Amy Grant, Celtic Women, Matt Maher and The Newsboys.
Sarah lives with her husband and two daughters in Nashville.
Sarah is active on social media. Connect with her @sarahhartmusic on Instagram, @sarahhart on Twitter and on Facebook.
ABOUT OCP
This year, OCP celebrates its 100th anniversary. Founded in 1922 as the Catholic Truth Society of Oregon, OCP started publishing apologetic pamphlets to counter the anti-Catholic misinformation and persecution rampant at the time. Later, OCP published My Sunday Missal booklets to help people participate more fully in the liturgy, a full three decades before the Second Vatican Council. By the later part of the 20th Century, OCP grew from an informative service organization to one of the most trusted publishers of Catholic music and liturgical resources in the world. With 100 years of experience, OCP is equipped and ready to respond to the needs of today’s pastoral musicians and worshiping communities.
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Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Religion News Service or Religion News Foundation.
