About 60 young adults gathered in the lower level of Boland Hall on Thursday, April 16, for the first Wojtyla Night in St. Louis. Louis Grace, who organized similar events while living in Austin, Texas, had never hosted one in a venue as ornate as this. Garrison Brown and his team transformed the hall from its typical cafeteria setup into a club-style venue, complete with mood lighting, ambient scents, and a sound system. The result proved an ideal setting for the artist-centered open mic event.

The evening featured over a dozen artists of varying skill levels from across the St. Louis area. About half of the participants were musicians, many performing original pieces. Mikey Corbalis opened with an original song he wrote several years ago and local music minister Connor Stinehart debuted a composition from his upcoming concept album based on the book "A Severe Mercy." Meanwhile, Andre Plackis performed the Prelude to J.S. Bach’s "Cello Suite No. 6 in D major," which was written in honor of our Lord’s Resurrection.

Non-musical artists also took the stage. Several poets and poetry enthusiasts read a mix of personal work and selections from established writers. Elizabeth Ruda shared an excerpt from her short story featured in the Inkwells and Anvils anthology "Sore Must Be the Storm." Bernadette Lamb showed off a poster she illustrated about the night’s namesake Karol Wojtyla/St. John Paul II. One performer even delivered a short comedy routine.

Louis Grace credits the late Michael Schattle and the Austin Young Adult Catholic community with originating Wojtyla Nights. What began as informal backyard gatherings to build community grew into recurring events at the Austin cathedral, drawing crowds of up to 100 people. Grace was impressed by what he saw in St. Louis.

“My expectations were exceeded by the Catholic Artist Network’s intentionality and execution, along with the support of Anima Christi and Fr. Archer,” Grace said. “I was expecting some hesitation from performers, but I was encouraged to see more sign-ups and growing enthusiasm as the night went on.”

Garrison Brown, president of the Catholic Artist Network, shared, “I thought the night went really well, given that no one knew the name or what to expect!” He was encouraged to see so many different personalities step up to the mic: “There were a few people I thought were more introverted and wouldn’t share, but [I] was surprised and happy that they wanted to share with the crowd.”

The audience showed their appreciation for all the talent and creativity on display. Grace added with a laugh, “My favorite was definitely Logan [Burgette]’s ‘Young Augustine’ rap song,” which poked fun at being raised in a Catholic bubble.

Brown added that his favorite part of the night “was giving people an out-of-the-ordinary experience of art” in “an environment of welcoming and open receptivity regardless of the beginner-level to expert-level of art.”

After the night came to a close, Grace expressed his enthusiasm, saying, “I would love to help facilitate more CAN Wojtyla Nights!”