Pope Francis hears them at his last Mass in Mexico
By Elise Harris (CNA)
JUAREZ, Mexico

After taking the Internet by storm last fall with their hit “Confia en Dios,” this group of singing sisters was invited to perform at Pope Francis’s U.S.-Mexico border Mass in Juarez earlier this week.

“We are very happy … we never imagined that we would receive an invitation,” Sister Monica Nobl told CNA Feb. 17.

One of the leaders of the musical group “The Siervas,” meaning “Servants,” Sister Nobl said the invitation to sing at the papal Mass was something none of them expected, but came through Facebook.

After checking out their Facebook page and seeing the viral video for their song “Confia en Dios,” a priest from Mexico wrote to them asking if they wanted to sing at the Pope’s final Mass in Juarez.

The immediate reaction was “Of course! How can we not participate in this great event?” Sister Nobl said, adding that they were “very, very happy and very excited to participate.”

The 12 sisters in the group are all part of the community of the Servants of the Plan of God. Founded Aug. 15, 1998, in Peru, the community lives a life of full apostolic availability, evangelizing in the areas of youth, the family, and culture, with a special emphasis on the fragile, ill, poor, and suffering.

Some of the more musical members of the community banded together last fall in order to put their musical talents to use in spreading the message of the Gospel.

In September 2015 “The Siervas” released their first CD in Spanish, “Ansias que queman,” which a month later was presented on a tour in Ecuador, Colombia, Chile, and Peru.

The biggest hit on the album is a song called “Confia en Dios,” or “Trust in God.” Since it was posted to YouTube in October, the music video for the song has been viewed over 365,000 times.

It shows the sisters playing classical instruments as well as the drums and the electric and bass guitars while singing the catchy tune in their religious habits from a rooftop helipad.

Nobl explained that “The Siervas” composed the music and lyrics for the songs themselves, and that they chose a selection of different types of songs to perform for the Pope’s Mass.

“We prepared a variety of songs to encourage people,” she said, adding that “our rhythms are well motivated,” since they are a mix of pop, rock, and Latin pop genres.

The blend of rock with religious hymns has gained popularity among Catholics and non-Catholics.

Of the many non-Catholic and non-religious people who have commented on the “Confia en Dios” music video, the majority say that despite not sharing the sisters’ faith, they are big fans of the song and think it touches people on a human level.

What the group hopes to demonstrate is that even Catholic music “can be composed with the highest musical standards,” Sister Nobl said.

Because of this, the group is already recording its second album in collaboration with renowned musical producers in Peru and the United States.

Although their community was founded in Peru, members of “The Siervas” hail from countries all over the world, including Argentina, China, the Philippines, Chile, Venezuela, Ecuador, and Japan.

In addition to their gig in Juarez, the sisters will play in several other Mexican cities as part of a mini tour that includes stops in Chihuahua, San Juan del Rio, and Mexico City.

As part of their Mexican tour, “The Siervas” will also be performing charity work throughout the trip in soup kitchens and schools in the cities they visit.

Of all the stops they will make, Sister Nobl said, their performance in Juarez was especially significant not just because they played for the Pope, but also because of the suffering those who live in the city face daily.

To perform in a place like the violent border between Mexico and the United States “excites us a lot because this is why we do music, so that the message of the faith arrives at and crosses borders, and comes above all to those who suffer most,” she said.

“Our mission is to help those in need. We assist poor people, those who suffer, so it is very meaningful and very symbolic for us to be in Ciudad Juarez, which suffers a lot.”

With communities throughout the Americas, Europe, Asia, and Africa, the sisters run numerous projects assisting marginalized groups such as the homeless and those who live in extreme poverty, and they have a school for disabled children.