Beyoncé Mass

Wednesday, February 23, 2022
Stanford Memorial Church
7:00 pm

Free tickets are available now at https://stanfordbeyoncemass.eventbrite.com.

Important COVID-19 information for attendees:
All attendees, adults and children over 2 years old, must be FULLY vaccinated or test negative for COVID (PCR or LAMP test must be taken no earlier than 72 hours before arriving at Stanford Memorial Church) and provide proof in order to enter Memorial Church. All attendees must wear a face covering at all times while inside Memorial Church. Social distancing is encouraged.

On Wednesday, February 23, 2022, Stanford University will welcome the “Beyoncé Mass” to historic Stanford Memorial Church. The worship service uses the music and life of Beyoncé as a tool to cultivate an empowering conversation about Black women—their lives, bodies, and voices—and create an experience of story, scripture, and song that calls for the liberation of all people. 

The Stanford mass will mark the first live mass for the team since March 2020, and will focus on Black womxn’s power and resiliency in the midst of chaos, trauma, and tragedy.  The womanist ethic that undergirds the mass will explore the ways that communities find strength, joy, and ingenuity in spite of the obstacles in society. The mass focuses on how marginalized communities, especially Black women, are a manifestation of God’s love in the world. 

Created and curated by Reverend Yolanda Norton, Visiting Professor at Moravian Theological Seminary and founder of the Global Arts and Theology Experience (GATE), the inaugural Beyoncé Mass drew roughly 1,000 people at its inaugural event at San Francisco’s historic Grace Cathedral in April 2018. Since then, the worship service has traveled to Los Angeles, Calif, Lisbon, Portugal, the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., etc. 

“Beyoncé Mass is a Christian worship service that is open to all,” stated Rev. Norton. “This is not a ceremony deifying Beyoncé. The premise of this service is that if we look at the personal life, career trajectory, music, and public persona of Beyoncé, so much of her life reflects aspects of Black women’s stories.”

The liturgy of Beyoncé Mass includes music from Beyonce’s vast discography, readings from prominent Black female leaders, and a sermon from Rev. Norton, who is ordained in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) is a Ph.D. candidate at Vanderbilt University in Hebrew Bible and Ancient Israel and holds a Master of Divinity and Master of Theological Studies from Wesley Theological Seminary and B.A. in political science from Syracuse University. 

For more information and to view past performance clips, visit beyoncemass.com.