As we spoke over the phone, I knew that Daniel Oberreuter would go down in the history of Catholic musicians as one of the most rousing and driven. “All of us are thirsting for God, and God is thirsting for us,” he expressed in an ardently reverent voice. “Everyone has thirst.” It was this simple revelation to Daniel during a discussion with his friends that began what can only be described as revolutionary to Catholic music. Hailing from the U.S. Pacific Northwest, Daniel and his band mates, now known as The Thirsting, have simply exploded since the release of their first recording less than a year ago. From the time when the No Greater Love EP hit the hands and eardrums of audiences, the band has boldly called for musical and spiritual renewal.
As the music worship leader for Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church in Vancouver, Washington, Daniel Oberreuter worked closely with parish youth, including the youth band. During his ministry, he began to compare the youth band at his parish with music ministry elsewhere.
“I’d go to other nondenominational churches and would just be blown away by the response by youth and young adults. [It was] so attractive to go and listen to music, seeing kids accepting Christ for the first time, seeing that music was an outreach tool. There were very few professional bands doing that in Catholic churches.”
Even beyond the church setting, Daniel sensed what was lacking among professional Christian musicians.
“I’d go to their shows and say, ‘This is great, but there’s no Eucharist.’ We need Catholic musicians to sing about Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament.” Daniel began to recruit members of his parish youth band and other young musicians to share his ever-growing vision. The band, then named Thirst, spent under two months in pre-production before a week of recording at Crossroads Studio, owned by a local Christian church.
The three-song EP No Greater Love has gained popularity for its unique, high-quality blend of rock, rap, melody, and unashamedly Catholic lyrics. Songs explore the sacramental life, using lyrics as a teaching tool for listeners who are both devoted to and not familiar with Catholicism. In fact, Daniel notes that bassist Chelsea Gentry joined the band as a non-Catholic, and is now “very excited about the Faith.” He explains, “The textbook version of our mission statement is to inspire Catholics to love and to follow Jesus in the Eucharist, Mary our Blessed Mother, and all of the teachings of the Catholic Church.” He adds, “I want to create a generation of Catholics on fire for the Faith, in love with the Blessed Sacrament and the teachings of the Church.”
Behind each song on No Greater Love lies a story. Here is a small sampling of the stories that Daniel wished to share with GrapeVine readers.
- “In This Sacrament”: I knew I wanted to write a song about the Sacrament of Reconciliation, and I wanted to teach about what the Sacrament it is and where it came from, emphasizing Peter the first pope. There are so many people who don’t know where the sacrament is in Scripture. Also, a lot of people don’t realize that every sin hurts the church. Ultimately, we want everyone – even non-Catholics – to say, “Hey, I want this sacrament!”
- “I Am Not Worthy”: I was at mass one time at the University of Portland, and I heard those words come out of my mouth. It struck me, “You need to write a song about this, Daniel.” I’ve visited Rome and Medjugorje ... and I heard God tell me, “Daniel, if you’ll devote yourself to Me in the Eucharist, I’ll take you all over the world.”
- “Ocean of Mercy”: It’s inspired by the diary of St. Faustina where she talks about an ocean of mercy. Simply abandon your life to God. It’s only when we’re fallen that we’re found. I go downstairs and play this on my guitar and say, “This song needs to be heard by people.”
Music and lyrics powerfully proclaim Daniel’s goal during The Thirsting’s concerts. Though a year has yet to pass since the band’s recording debut, their gigs have included shows at college Newman Centers, the Seattle archdiocesan youth rally, and opening for Matt Maher in Vancouver, Washington. Perhaps their most momentous concert, however, took place on September 2 of this year at Joshua Fest in Quincy, California. The popular music festival hosts the biggest names in Christian rock and hip hop, some of whom have successfully crossed into secular music.
After nearby appearances in California and a few more shows this fall, Daniel will begin touring the country on his own while the rest of The Thirsting is in school. He says, “I really feel in my heart to take it to a parish level right now, as far as it can go across the nation. I want to give the church a band that is willing to meet the people on a grassroots level.” In order to successfully bring The Thirsting to the rest of the United States, Daniel has learned to give the future to God. He recalls sitting in his basement, hearing God assert, “Let Me be your booking agent.” Now, when he calls parishes to promote the band, he says, “They tell me that they were just having a conversation with someone about wanting to bring a band out, and the phone rings.” The night I spoke with Daniel, he testified, “That happens all the time. It happened at two different churches today.”
Still, in the midst of providential phone calls, a life of ministry is not easy. Daniel shares, “There are some times I want to just give up on Catholic music.” The desire to bring the teachings of the Church to the masses, though, continues to press him on. “The music’s cool, but it’s all about bringing people closer to God. That’s why I’m doing it. Without that, it’d be too hard. If it’s just music I’d rather go paint a house.” After promoting The Thirsting on his nationwide tour, Daniel has high aspirations for the band’s future. “I want Christian labels to realize that there is a Catholic market. Hopefully we can get Catholic music on a Christian radio station.” Until then, a new album is in the works. Daniel shares, “I want to develop new ideas that will catch the listener’s ear so they’ll keep the song on and ultimately hear the lyrics and say, ‘Hey, I want to be a Catholic.’”
The Thirsting is currently seeking venues. For booking or more information, contact booking@thethirstingcatholic.com or myspace.com/wearethethirsting.
