The International Federation of Pueri Cantores
Pueri Cantores is an international organization of catholic children and youth choirs. In international choir congresses the young singers join to praise the Lord, to make friends around the world, have fun in music and to promote peace.
The International Federation of Pueri Cantores was founded 1944 in France. Today, the community reaches all around the globe and has more than 40.000 members in over 43 countries.
“He who sings, prays twice as much” – St. Augustine
History
Building on a well-established European tradition of boys’ choirs singing in liturgy, 1907 an association of “The Little Singers of the Wooden Cross” (“Les Petits Chanteurs a la Croix du bois”) was established in France. In the interwar period they were performing in many countries worldwide, propagating the idea of peace.
On approval of the Paris Archbishop Emmanuel Cardinal Suhard, 1944 an international organization of Pueri Cantores was founded by Fr. Fernand Maillet. The first concert of 300 Little Singers conducted by Fr. Maillet took place in Paris on 11th November, which is now considered the founding date of the International Federation. The first international Congress was held 1947 in Paris with 90 European choirs participating, followed by Congresses in Rome 1949 and 1951.
In 1965 the Holy See Secretariat of State endorsed the Pueri Cantores statute, and the Federation was officially recognized as a Church movement. Since 1996 the Federation has been subordinate to the Pontifical Council for the Laity, as from 2019 ‘Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life’.
The changes in the Federation Statutes made after the Second Vatican Council enabled girls’ choirs being admitted to the Federation. At present the Pueri Cantores Federation is composed of about 1000 choirs – children’s, boys’, girls’ and mixed youth choirs. Their main task is liturgical singing, and Christian values form the basis of life and conduct of the members. The Federation is actively present in 43 countries on all continents, including in all about 40.000 youth and children.
Dominic Savio was born 2 April 1842 in Riva di Chieri in the vicinity of Turin. He attended the small school run by the local parish priest, and then the county school Castelnuovo d’Asti. Only at the age of five did he serve as an altar boy. He received the first Holy Communion 8 April 1849. On the occasion of his First Communion he wrote the resolution in his prayer book: I will go to Confession frequently and Communion as often as my confessor allows; I want to make Sundays and feast days holy; My friends will be Jesus and Mary; Death but not sin.
At the age of 12 he was admitted to the Oratory in Valdacco in Turin by St. John Bosco. In the Oratory Dominic let himself known to be an ardent catholic, never missing the occasion to pray. He received the gift of contemplation and spiritual ecstasy. His greatest desire was to become a priest. He obtained good results at school. When once Dominic missed the classes, he was found deep in prayer at the holy tabernacle. Nudged by St. Don Bosco he simply asked the time. It turned out he had been kneeling several hours before the tabernacle. St. John Bosco realised that Dominic had been talking to Jesus Christ. At the end of autumn 1856 Dominic Savio fell ill. The doctor sent for by St. John Bosco diagnosed advanced pulmonary disease. When Dominic was saying goodbye to St. Don Bosco and his friends, he said with tears: I shall not come back here, and it happened so. He was suffering deeply for several months. When dying on 9 March 1857 he cried to Fr. Bosco: “Goodbye, Father! Goodbye! Oh, what wonderful things I see!”
