New Catholic Hymn Book

Anyone who has served in a parish music ministry knows the Sunday scramble: choosing hymns that fit the readings, finding the words, making sure everyone has the same version. Even in the pew, it helps to know a hymn well enough to sing it from the heart. Good hymns are prayer set to music, and having them close makes it easier to pray them.

What's in the book

New Catholic Hymn Book combines hymns from several collections, including the Catholic Hymn Book, Joyful Sound and the New Life Hymnal. The hymns are arranged by their place in the liturgy, with sections for entrance, offertory, Communion and recessional hymns, among others, which makes planning a Mass much simpler.

You can read each hymn's words or listen to it sung through the audio feature, which helps when you're learning an unfamiliar tune. The app suggests psalm tunes for certain hymns and offers a choirmaster's selection of songs for Sundays. You can also download hymn scripts uploaded to the app and share them by email, handy for sending the week's music to a choir.

What to keep in mind

The app is free, with no in-app purchases listed. It hasn't been updated since September 2023, though, which matters for features like the Sunday song selection that depend on fresh content, so check that it is still current before relying on it. It has only two ratings on the App Store, averaging 4.5, so there is little outside feedback. At about 74 MB, it is a moderate download.

The hymnals it draws on may not match the one your parish uses, so it's worth looking for a few familiar hymns before you depend on it.

New Catholic Hymn Book suits choir members, cantors and music directors who want a portable collection organised around the Mass, and anyone who loves to pray with hymns at home. The audio and sharing tools make it more than a list of lyrics. Download it free and see whether its hymns are the ones your community sings.