"Those who sing pray twice." Fifth century St. Augustine's words reveal the importance hymns and hymnals have in our prayer experience and the strong connection between us and God made possible through song. Hymns and hymnals are actually theological texts and the use of them enriches our liturgical experience. In her presentation, "Singing Our Faith, Singing Our Theology," Sister Delores Dufner, OSB, invites us to consider how hymns are chosen for worship. Her talk is at 1:30 p.m. Oct. 5 at St. Benedict's Monastery, St. Joseph, Minn., and is free and open to the public. It will be held in the monastery dining room, located just below Sacred Heart Chapel. A reception will follow.

Sister Dufner is a noted hymn-writer and the author of “Come to Me, All Pilgrims Thirsty and Sing a New Church” among other well-known hymns. She holds master's degrees in liturgical music and liturgical studies. She was director of the Office of Worship for the Diocese of St. Cloud from 1979-1989, and subsequently worked as a liturgical music consultant for the Diocese of Ballarat in Victoria, Australia. Since her return to Saint Benedict's Monastery, she has been writing hymn and motet texts with ecumenical appeal. Her work is distributed by 34 publishers in North America, Great Britain, Australia and China.