“I wanted to humanize him — not make him a saint,” said Marshall, 28. “I feel people canonize the pope, making him into a saint even before he dies as if he’s a deity already. But he’s not — he’s human. I’ve always known the pope is a human being but Pope Leo has made it more real. There have been heads of state throughout history who have said they are a god, and I think people move to making someone who is a head of state into a god, but I wanted to go against that because the Catholic Church goes against that. And who better to talk about (Pope Leo’s) humanity than someone who is closely connected to him through others who grew up with him and can speak to his humanity in a beautiful way," he said.
“I found myself at the perfect space at the perfect time to write this song. There are a lot of people who know the pope who didn’t write a song and there’s a lot of people who might want to write a song who don’t really know him. But I have access to a lot of people who know him so I feel really blessed in that regard.”
‘The perfect person to bring unity to the church’
Robert Francis Prevost, 69, was born and raised in Chicago. He entered the Order of Saint Augustine in 1977 and was ordained a priest in 1982. He has since been known as Father Bob.
On May 8, Pope Leo became the first pope from the United States and the first from the Order of Saint Augustine. Marshall and Pope Leo are two of 60 brothers and priests in the Province of Our Mother of Good Counsel, which is based in Chicago and serves in the Midwest.
“I haven’t met our brother Bob, Pope Leo, personally, (but) I’ve lived with many who have known him quite well,” Marshall said. “Everyone I’ve lived with has his phone number and email. He’s a person who exists with relationships. His blood brother goes to our parish in New Lenox. Pope Leo is part of our community and now he’s head of the church. Pope Leo is one of us being an Augustinian, one of us having been in Chicago, one of us having (served) in Peru and one of us still even in the Vatican bureaucracy.”
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
An estimated 30,000 people attended the celebration at Rate Field, home of the White Sox, Pope Leo’s favorite Chicago baseball team. The sold-out event included a video message from Pope Leo recorded at the Vatican and a Catholic Mass with Cardinal Blase J. Cupich as the celebrant.
Marshall’s song for Pope Leo, which was pre-taped in the Chicago church, was broadcast just before the pope gave his message to the crowds.
“The taping was really nice,” Marshall said. “The Archdiocese brought three filmographers to the church who took a lot of video and audio. I felt like they rolled out the red carpet for me. It was really neat.”
Credit: CONTRIBUTED
Credit: CONTRIBUTED
He also said the promising possibilities surrounding Pope Leo’s leadership fueled the event’s excitement.
“Pope Leo’s motto is ‘In illo uno unum’ (In the One, we are one),’” Marshall said. “We are all one in Christ, one heart and mind intent on God, which is a very Augustinian approach to our faith, and he brings that with him. And I think his selection as pope is the church saying now, in this time, we need the Augustinian care-ism of that unity. Pope Leo has talked about being a bridge-builder and I look forward to seeing how he brings that unification consciousness into fruition. Pope Leo has been with the people, he smells like the sheep that he leads, so he’s the perfect person to bring unity among the church, which is so polarized these days.”
‘The pope is meant to be a leader for everyone’
In 2015 Marshall graduated from Chaminade Julienne where he was deeply involved in the arts, participating in choir, a cappella group, marching band and musical theatre. While at CJ, Marshall honed his composing skills through Debi Schutt’s music composition classes. He wrote, composed and performed a class song at the Class of 2015’s graduation as well.
He first felt called to become a priest during his Kairos retreat during his senior year in high school. He discerned the priesthood and which religious order at the Catholic Newman Center at the University of Rochester, and during his master’s degree program at Notre Dame University. He entered the Order of Saint Augustine in 2021.
Credit: CONTRIBUTED
Credit: CONTRIBUTED
He has a Bachelor of Arts in music from the University of Rochester and a Master of Sacred Music from the University of Notre Dame. He is also the director of a professional vocal quartet for a local Shrine and teaches music at Providence High School, an Augustinian high school in New Lenox.
“God is my world,” Marshall said. “He’s my all in all. He’s the one I want to focus on the rest of my life. I feel like I now have the freedom and structure to engage in that the most fully. I’m also really interested in music about God.”
He hopes “One of Us” continues to strike a chord with listeners worldwide.
“I want people to see Pope Leo as a leader for them in whatever way they might feel inspired,” Marshall said. “The pope is meant to be a leader for everyone, just being a good person as God made him to be a good person. He’s a leader for all of us.”
For more information about Marshall’s music, follow him on YouTube.
Credit: CONTRIBUTED
Credit: CONTRIBUTED
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