Matt Maher and Sarah Kroger lead Lenten worship night
As part of Campus Ministry’s programming for Lent 2025, vocalists Matt Maher and Sarah Kroger led a Lenten Worship Night at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart on Friday, April 11. Tickets were free for all students, and a few hundred students joined for a night of prayer and praise.
Maher is a nine-time Grammy nominee, winning the GMA Dove Award three times. Kroger has previously been nominated for the GMA Dove Award. Maher and Kroger often lead worship nights throughout the country, most recently on their Cathedrals Tour during the Advent season.
At the beginning of the evening, Maher emphasized an atmosphere of reverence to the audience. Stressing that all applause throughout the night should not be given to him and Kroger, he encouraged attendees to instead direct their praise and thanksgiving to the beauty of God.
The pair sang a mix of both familiar and less well-known pieces. Songs included “Your Grace Is Enough,” “Alive & Breathing,” “Belovedness,” “Humbled Heart,” and “Lord, I Need You”—all originals of Maher or Kroger.
Junior Thomas Mazzurana, Notre Dame Folk Choir member, commented to the Rover, “I’ve been a Matt Maher fan for a long time. It was such a pleasant surprise when they played ‘Garden,’ which is my favorite song of his!” Mazzurana continued, “Huge win for Notre Dame to have so many people entering into prayer in such a special way.”
Between sets, Kroger and Maher offered reflections on the songs’ lyrics and delivered personal testimonies about the creation of their music.
Both artists developed their love of music from an early age. Maher grew up playing piano and was a member of different choirs throughout his childhood, but it was only during his college years that a connection between his passion for music and a deepening of his faith coincided. Maher joined a youth group with his cousin at his new Arizona parish and soon discovered how his musical talent could serve God and minister to the spiritual life of Christians.
Similar to Maher, Kroger did not find her own passion for leading worship until she became a young adult. Although her parents were involved with music ministry and Kroger herself sang in church choirs throughout her childhood, she didn’t pursue music for years due to the impact of bullying and her battle with anxiety. Through a powerful experience with Christ at a youth conference, Kroger began to see how the gift she needed to give back to God was her musical talent. This influenced the creation of many of her songs and inspired her to use her gift to bring others closer to the mercy and love of Christ.
Sofia Benigno, the leader of the on-campus worship group Totus Tuus, shared with the Rover, “It was beautiful to see the Basilica full of people with hearts ready to worship on a Friday night. For some, it was their first time; for others, like Totus Tuus—the praise and worship collective of Notre Dame, which I’m blessed to lead—this night was a dream.”
Benigno continued, “Matt Maher and Sarah Kroger did an incredible job of not performing their music, but praying it; and what a beautiful way to join our hearts and voices in song as we prepared for Holy Week, just like the crowds rejoicing in Jerusalem.”
Freshman Maggie Kuka told the Rover, “I really enjoyed the Lenten Praise and Worship night with Matt Maher and Sarah Kroger. I had done Praise and Worship before, but it was just so beautiful to hear music like that in the basilica, a place where I just didn’t associate that music with. It was a great way to enter into Holy Week and wrap up Lent and really just prayerfully reflect on Jesus’ Passion.”
Bridgette Rodgers is a junior from Santa Monica, California studying theology and political science. She recently discovered the goodness of queso, although she has been a harsh critic for most of the year. She credits this discovery to Rover webmaster Will White. Send new dip recommendations to brodger4@nd.edu.
Photo Credit: Matt Cashore/University of Notre Dame
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