Cristóbal Fones, SJ

Cristóbal Fones, SJ was born in Santiago, Chile, in 1975. Since childhood, he has been active in the Church community, studying in the Jesuit school San Ignacio El Bosque. Drawn to music, he belonged to many choirs as a young student, singing in several popular competitions, and performing with professional musicians at various events. Later, while studying sociology at Universidad Católica de Chile, he was called to the La Compañía de Jesús (the Society of Jesus), entering in 1994.

During Cristóbal's years of Jesuit formation, music has emerged as a prominent gift, which helps in his ministry and in his own prayer experience. In 1996, he recorded some religious songs for pastoral use on a simple album (Te contemplo en el mundo). The outstanding response to this work, and his desire to make Catholic music more accessible to people, encouraged him to produce a second compilation with a wider distribution in 1997 (En el solo la esperanza).

After studying some basics in music theory, harmony, and voice, Cristóbal recorded a new album in 1999 (Padre, te canto), which includes some songs composed during his period of philosophical studies. That same year he was assigned to do a pastoral experiment among the native Mapuche people in southern Chile. Inspired by his missionary work in the lafkenmapu (“land besides the sea”), he composed the first mass in the indigenous language of Chile (Misa ülkantun), and recorded it with a native choir in 2001.

Once back in Santiago, continuing his theological studies, Cristóbal composed a second Mass, which he recorded with an Ignatian youth choir in Spanish (La misa de todos). He was very active in 2002, peforming in several Catholic Christian concerts all over Chile, and collaborating with other Christian music productions (Toronto 2002, Misa Pampina, Dios te ama, En tus manos Señor, Ven a mi ventana, Más allá de las cumbresy Levántate).

In 2004, a compilation disc with Cristóbal's main compositions was sold in Spain and Latin America (Consagrados a ti), and in August 2005, he composed and recorded two songs dedicated to then Blessed Fr. Alberto Hurtado, SJ for a new disc (Un Fuego que enciende otros fuegos).

Cristóbal received his Sacred License in Theology (S.T.L.) at The Catholic University of America, Washington, DC while living with the Gonzaga College High School community. He was ordained to the priesthood in August 2007 in Santiago, Chile. Cristóbal is currently studying music at the Berklee School of Music in Boston, MA while living with the Jesuit community at Weston Jesuit School of Theology.