Mission Statement

The mission of Caritas Chamber Chorale is fourfold: musical, evangelical, charitable and community-building. The Chorale is dedicated to promoting the art of sacred choral music as well as spreading the Christian message through its music. By performing benefit concerts, the Chorale serves those in need around the world. Further, the Chorale seeks to bring people together, both its members and its audiences, for the purpose of sharing in the beauty of the music and the message, as well as each other’s lives. The group's ultimate goal is to emulate, through its art, the greatest of the Christian virtues: love.

About Caritas

Based in central New Jersey, Caritas Chamber Chorale was founded by Barbara Sanderman in 2005 for the purpose of presenting a series of concerts of a cappella sacred music to raise funds for the Adorno Fathers' St. Francis Caracciolo Mission, Democratic Republic of Congo, Africa.

The name Caritas Chamber Chorale was chosen to reflect the group’s desire to emulate the greatest of the Christian virtues: love. (The Latin term caritas is translated "charity" or "love.") The singers, who come from various communities and faith traditions, are united in their shared love of choral singing and their desire to aid those in need.

The founder and director of the group, Barbara Sanderman, has a long history of supporting the African Mission through music and in other ways. Ms. Sanderman was assisted in developing the Chorale by Wayne Dietterick and Stan Szalewicz. Mr. Dietterick also serves as Composer in Residence for Caritas.

In June of 2005 the Chorale gave its first series of three concerts in Central New Jersey, benefiting the Malnutrition Center of the African Mission.

Since then the members of the Chorale have expressed a desire to continue to sing together for the love of the art of sacred choral music and for those in need.