MADISON A driving electronic beat pushes the strumming of mid-tempo acoustic guitars. Over top, Dan Ferrari, minister to young adults, ages 23-39 at St. Paul Inside the Walls: the Diocesan Center for Evangelization at Bayley-Ellard here, sings with a powerful voice a song about the simple, everyday experiences that demonstrate God’s loving presence in our lives — even if we do not recognize it.
“You ever have a moment that took your breath away? Well, that’s God speaking straight to you,” sings Ferrari in the modern pop gem, “This Is God Lovin’ You,” from his new CD “Unrepeatable” — his first collection of faith-oriented songs. “It’s a sweet sunset that you’ll never forget. It’s a random smile that you didn’t expect…It’s a crazy view from a mountaintop. It’s hearing you’re forgiven and giving things another shot. It’s joy. It’s grace. It’s peace like you never knew. This is God lovin’ you,” he sings in the chorus.
The new release features 10 accessible songs that range from driving rockers, to bright modern pop tunes powered by angular beats to softer, acoustic-guitar ballads about the intersection of life and faith. These tracks also cross time — from some written in 2010 for music compilations by St. Paul’s Music Ministry; others written while he was previously in the seminary; and still others written recently, since becoming engaged to Caitlin Fitzgerald, St. Paul’s communications and information coordinator, last year.
“Even though these songs were written at different times in my life, they all have a central theme about God’s love for us, his reaching out to us, his presence in our lives and our being open to that,” said 34-year-old Ferrari, who in 2015, left his priestly studies in Rome — where he played for Pope Francis — to pursue his calling to family life and evangelizing though music ministry. “God’s love sustains us. We love him by giving back to others,” he said.
A few months ago, Ferrari started acting on his desire to evangelize far and wide through an entire CD of his own original faith-based songs, when he entered Engine Sound in New York City. There, he recorded a few new tunes with producer and studio owner, Matt Anthony, with whom he “clicked creatively.” They recorded and mixed the title track in nine hours, after receiving a recent burst of inspiration: an insight from Cindy Costello, diocesan marriage ministry coordinator, during a pre-Cana marriage-prep session that Fitzgerald and he attended at Our Lady of Valley Church, Wayne, in January.
“Cindy talked about how each of us is unrepeatable. We each have a place and a purpose, which is a testament to God’s love for us. He gives us gifts and talents, so we can offer them to the world,” said Ferrari, who memorialized those sentiments in the pop song “Unrepeatable”: “There’s never gonna be another way that God can speak his love quite the same as he can through your life. You’re one of a kind. There’s no one like you in the history of time. So let your light shine…You are unrepeatable.”
One of the older songs on album, the power-pop confection, “Listen to the Lord,” speaks about the real-life struggles of people, including a woman, who knows that she cannot find the answers to her challenges in the opinions of others.
“She knows just what to do to put her mind at ease. She opens up her heart and breathes in deep. She listens to the Lord to hear his voice. She listens to the Lord through all the noise,” Ferrari sings. “Because every night and day when he calls her name, she don’t want to miss a thing. She listens to the Lord in the toughest times, hears him saying it’s gonna be alright. Lot of sound ring out, but she knows there’s something more, so she listens to the Lord,” he sings.
Ferrari wrote some of older songs, such as “Listen to the Lord,” with star-power musical collaborators. They include Scott Krippayne, who worked with the contemporary Christian group. Kutless, and pop star Jordin Sparks and Bryan Todd, who has worked with Christian artist Danny Gokey and country stars Rascal Flatts. Some of the older songs feature the talents of members of St. Paul’s Music Ministry, Ferrari said.
Since writing his first song in 2000, Ferrari has been honing his musical talents — taking voice lessons, attending songwriting workshops and taking classes in music theory. Ferrari has also been working to expand his ministry as a worship leader. So far, he has been hired to provide music for youth rallies, holy hours and other events and he hopes to be asked to lead more faith-filled events at parishes.
“I want to use my musical gifts to evangelize. I feel a call to use my talents in ministry in the Church — to help people to recognize God in their lives and draw them back to the Church,” said Ferrari, who admitted that his relationship with Fitzgerald has influenced his more recent songs. “God is loving me through Caitlin. She is a clear expression of his presence in my life. He tells me that I’m a precious through her,” he said.
Ferrari plans to bring some of his new music to a performance to benefit Imprint Hope — a charity for African children with disabilities, established by Clare Byrne of St. Paul’s — on Wednesday, March 22 from 7 to 10 p.m. at Mexicali Live, Teaneck. Visit its web site, mexicalilive.com, for tickets or information.
Ferrari’s new CD, “Unrepeatable,” is available through streaming services, such as Spotify; retailers, such as CD Baby and iTunes; and his web site, danferrarimusic.com. To schedule him to lead a spiritual event in a parish, email [email protected].