Catholic Underground

College students across the nation are gathering in church basements to release pent up energy through rock and hip-hop music, the Chicago Tribune reported. In 2006 New York Franciscan Friars of the Renewal started Catholic Underground, a faith and worship based showcase if musicians, actors, dancers and other rising artists. Since the overnight popularity of the Bronx location, parishes in eight cities across the U.S. and two in Europe have installed Catholic Underground locations, each with their own flavor.
Chicago Tribune reporter Margaret Ramirez visited the Chicago location, which has the feel of a worship-based night club, featuring local rap artists. Catholc Underground was started in Chicago by UIC’s chaplain, Rev. Pat Marshall, who enlisted Rob Kaczmark, director for Spirit Juice Studios, to combine spiritual and social life with an edge. Kaczmark expressed that he observed hesitation among church leaders to implementing contemporary music and advanced multimedia technology in the Catholic Church. The article seems to present the Catholic Church, at least its older and more conservative members, as viewing rap and rock music with a stigma. And while it cannot be argued that the Catholic Church in general in the U.S. has been slower to implement more contemporary styles of worship than many Evangelical traditions, there is no supporting evidence of this negative attitude expect that given by Kaczmark.
The official websites for Catholic Underground in both NY and Chicago are run by leaders of the Church and a simple Google search reveals many articles of Catholic leaders eager to open new locations and continue to grow those already in existence. The Tribune article feeds the widespread connotation with the Catholic Church as being highly conservative and close-minded to popular music, without giving any evidence of this view being actively voiced.