Written by: María José Casco
The creation and composition of the official hymn for the 53rd International Eucharistic Congress (IEC 2024) holds an inspiring story, as recounted by its co-authors, Marco Antonio Espín, a Catholic singer and songwriter, and Fray Oscar Castro, a member of the group Solideo. In an emotional dialogue on the program “En Camino” on Radio María, the guests highlighted that the composition titled “En torno a tu mesa”, What was it el himno ganador del IEC 2024, It carries a message of fraternity.
A process inspired by the Holy Spirit
Marco Antonio Espín recounted that he learned about the call to participate in the hymn composition contest through a phone call from Franciscan friar Oscar Castro, who encouraged him to work on the project of creating the hymn. He mentioned that this phone call changed the course of his rest, as he had not planned to embark on any other musical project after winning a Christmas carol contest. However, after speaking with Friar Oscar, he accepted the challenge with enthusiasm.
“The composition of the hymn was a process filled with the Holy Spirit. As soon as Friar Oscar told me about the contest, I dedicated myself to studying and working on the melody. We had about four or five months, but with only a week left, we had nothing concrete. Then, one day at three in the morning, a melody came into my head. I went down to the studio and recorded it. From that melody, which I shared with Friar Oscar Castro, we worked on the hymn’s lyrics,” he said.
He affirmed that this melody was given by the Holy Spirit. “It’s not ours; it’s a song from God given to Ecuador and the world,” Marco Antonio expressed.
Work in fraternity
For his part, Friar Oscar Castro, a member of the group Solideo, highlighted the collaborative effort in creating the hymn. “When I received Marco’s proposal, I didn’t know that the theme of IEC 2024 was ‘Fraternity to Heal the World,’ but without knowing it, we aligned it with the message of fraternity.
“‘Around Your Table,’ the official hymn of IEC 2024, highlights Jesus who gives and shares at the Eucharistic table. It is a call to the Church to love and live in fraternity. This hymn is much more than a melody; it is a song that unites us and fills us with joy,” said Friar Oscar.
