Dr. M. Roger Holland II, a renowned Black Catholic composer whose work is used in hundreds of African-American churches around the country, has been named a Pastoral Musician of the Year by the National Association of Pastoral Musicians.
The NPM announced the news last fall and presented the award at its 50th anniversary convention, held July 19-24 at the Catholic University of America in Washington.
“I don't think that any of us who serve in music ministry as pastoral musicians do it for the fame to be seen, for glory, or for the money. We do it because we love God. We love God's people and we want to serve.” Holland said in his acceptance speech for the award.
“I do what I do because I love God. And because I love God, I wish to be of service to God and to God's people.”
Holland, an associate professor and director of The Spirituals Project at the University of Denver, was one of several musicians to receive the national honor from NPM this year, alongside Dr. Peter Latona, Rodolfo “Rudy” López and Estela García-López.
A native of New York, Holland holds degrees from Westminster Choir College, the Manhattan School of Music, Union Theological Seminary, and Perkins School of Theology at Southern Methodist University. He completed his doctorate in pastoral music at Perkins last fall.
Holland’s career has spanned a number of musical avenues, including early work on Broadway and touring with national productions. A childhood convert to the Catholic faith, he later served for 13 years as the director of liturgical music at St. Aloysius Church in Harlem, where he honed his approach to Black Catholic liturgy.
While in New York, Holland was a musical consultant for the Archdiocese of New York's Office of Black Ministry and composed works for the local community, as well as for the Archdiocese of Newark and the National Black Catholic Congress.
Holland’s national footprint was cemented with his 2010 Mass setting “The Sound of My People,” which blends Black gospel music with the Catholic liturgy and has been adopted throughout the Black Catholic community of the United States. The same year, Holland collaborated with Kim R. Harris on “Welcome Table: A Mass of Spirituals,” which similarly combines Black sacred music with the ordinaries and propers of the Mass.
Holland has also released several studio recordings with GIA Publications, including “Building Up the Kingdom” in 2014, “Honey from the Rock (Volumes 1 & 2)” in 2016, “Honey from the Rock (Vols. 3 & 4)” in 2017, and “We R The Church” in 2023. He collaborated on the 2023 “Mass of the Next Generation” and his latest solo Mass setting, “Voice of My People,” was released in 2025.
A dedicated instructor even beyond his university, Holland has frequently traveled to lead workshops, clinics, and other events to promote the knowledge of Black sacred musical traditions and the inculturation of Catholic liturgy.
Among his various awards, Holland was named the Distinguished Catholic Composer of the Year in 2012 by the Association of Catholic Publishers, and received the Pierre Toussaint Medallion from the Archdiocese of New York's Office of Black Ministry in 2023. The same year, his single “All of Me: Ode to Sr. Thea”—honoring Servant of God Thea Bowman—was named the ACP’s Song of the Year, and Holland also won for Composer of the Year. He received the Trailblazers Distinguished Alumni Award from Union Theological Seminary in 2025.
At the 2026 NPM convention, Holland headlined a concert featuring his music, including his newest Mass setting, which features influences from an international array of Black music genres. Holland conducted the mass choir at the performance, which featured musicians and singers from around the country.
He is only the latest African-American musician to receive the Pastoral Musician of the Year award from NPM, with previous winners including Rawn Harbor, Grayson Warren Brown, and Richard Cheri.
Nate Tinner-Williams is co-founder and editor of Black Catholic Messenger.
