Ken Canedo, liturgical composer and author, writes frequently for Today’s Liturgy magazine, and he served as a columnist for Ministry & Liturgy. His liturgical music has appeared in various hymnals and missals since 1978. He has eight albums of liturgical or contemporary Catholic music, including collaborations with Bob Hurd (Alleluia! Give the Glory and Mass of Glory), Jesse Manibusan (Love Never Fails and Fish With Me), and his solo collections, Take Some Time, We Are a Light, and DOXOLOGY. 

Ken has a deep interest in chronicling the history of contemporary Catholic music since the Second Vatican Council. He sang in his parish children’s choir when the Mass was still in Latin and played guitar and piano for liturgy at his high school and college during the Folk Mass days. In the 1970s, he worked as a music editor and record producer for FEL Publications and continues to work in the Catholic music industry today as a Music Development Specialist for Oregon Catholic Press (OCP). This unique background has inspired two books: Keep the Fire Burning: The Folk Mass Revolution and From Mountains High: Contemporary Catholic Music 1970-1985. He is currently working on a third volume that will continue the story.

Born in Los Angeles, Ken received his master of Divinity degree from St. John’s Seminary in Camarillo, California. He was involved in youth ministry in the Diocese of Oakland and the Archdiocese of Portland and served for many years as a clinician for the One Bread, One Cup Youth Liturgical Leadership Summer Conferences at Saint Meinrad School of Theology in Indiana. He travels widely as a workshop presenter but still serves as pastoral musician and RCIA team member for his home parish, Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Beaverton, Oregon.