Robert J. Dufford, S. J. (born 1943) is a Jesuit

Society of Jesus

The Society of Jesus is a Catholic male religious order that follows the teachings of the Catholic Church. The members are called Jesuits, and are also known colloquially as "God's Army" and as "The Company," these being references to founder Ignatius of Loyola's military background and a...

 priest

Priest

A priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...

, a former member of the St. Louis Jesuits

St. Louis Jesuits

The St. Louis Jesuits, a group of Catholic composers who popularized a contemporary style of church music through their compositions and recordings in the 1970s and 1980s. The group, made up of Jesuit seminarians at St...

 musical group, and a composer of Catholic liturgical music. His most popular song is "Be Not Afraid." His work is included in such hymnals as Glory and Praise and Gather.

Selected works

• "Be Not Afraid" (1975)
• "Sing to the Mountains" (1975)
• "Like a Shepherd" (1976)
• "All the Ends of the Earth" (1981)
• "St. Louis Jesuit Mass - Holy" (1973)

His music in contemporary Catholic culture

Bob Dufford is one of many musicians who compose contemporary Catholic liturgical music

Contemporary Catholic liturgical music

Contemporary Catholic liturgical music encompasses a comprehensive number of styles of music for Catholic liturgy that grew both before and after the reforms of Vatican II...

. This music has enjoyed widespread success throughout the English speaking world. There have also been a number of controversies surrounding this music.

External links

• Oregon Catholic Press Bio