LA-connected musicians win national Catholic music awards

Three nationally known music ministers, all with ties to the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, have been honored with awards from the National Association of Pastoral Musicians (NPM).

John Flaherty, longtime music director for the Los Angeles Religious Education Congress, was named the 2026 recipient of NPM’s Jubilate Deo Award for contributions to pastoral liturgy in the United States. Since 2022, he has been a special assistant to the senior vice president of mission at Loyola Marymount University, overseeing major liturgies and events after serving nearly 30 years as LMU’s director of liturgy and music.

Rodolfo (Rudy) López and Estela García-López, husband-and-wife musicians and composers originally from Los Angeles, earned the Pastoral Musician of the Year Award for their work in parish and diocesan ministries. Now based in Portland, the couple is known locally and nationally for their contributions to bilingual liturgical music.

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(Photo Credit: George L. Westlund)