Over the Christmas holidays, Father Justin Bolger, O.P., the Catholic chaplain for Brown University, was attending a funeral in Birmingham when he happened to meet Charlotte and Terry Rumore. In search for accommodations to attend the funeral, a family member connected Father Bolger with the Rumores. While sharing a breakfast of bacon and grits one morning, the priest revealed he was a member of the Hillbilly Thomists, spawning the idea of a concert in Birmingham.

The Hillbilly Thomists are a group of Dominican Friars who use their talents in American Bluegrass music to entertain and evangelize. After playing music together for several years, they released their first album (The Hillbilly Thomists) in 2017, which reached #3 on the Billboard Bluegrass chart. Following the success of their first album, they’ve released three more albums (Living for the Other Side - 2021, Holy Ghost Power - 2022, and Marigold – 2024). The last two albums spent multiple weeks in the top ten on the Billboard Bluegrass charts. The friars have completed two American North/South tours and are set to begin their third tour this year in July. The tour will take them to stops in New York, Rhode Island, North Carolina, Georgia, and Birmingham. It’s hard not to like a group of Dominicans who sing about the Bible, bourbon, and Bluegrass.  

After several months of work and coordination, on Thursday, Aug. 6, at 7 p.m., the Hillbilly Thomists will make their Birmingham debut. Titled “An Evening with the Hillbilly Thomists,” the concert will take place at The Lyric Theater. The Hillbilly Thomists are excited to play in this historic theater known for its phenomenal acoustics. Opening for the Hillbilly Thomists will be a local Bluegrass band, Cipollari (formerly known as The Cotton Pickin’ Kids). Cipollari has taken the Bluegrass world by storm, capturing millions of views online and gracing major stages from Dollywood and the Tennessee State Fair to the legendary Woodsongs Old-Time Radio Hour. 

The music from both groups will provide a wonderful evening of family-friendly entertainment. Tickets can be purchased at hillbillythomists.com or Ticketmaster.

The Cathedral of St. Paul Chapter of Fraternus is hosting the event. Fraternus is a brotherhood of men committed to learning about and living a life of virtue. These men dedicate their lives to reclaiming authentic sonship, healing wounded fatherhood, and developing real brotherhood within their own lives, the lives of their sons, and the lives of other men in their community.

Charles Rumore, Commander of the Birmingham Chapter, noted, “The men of Fraternus are thrilled to present this cultural event to the community of Birmingham. We realize that it is necessary to do more than criticize all the destructive forms of entertainment; we must also guide our families and community to the good. We hope this is the first of many partnerships with other good Catholics trying to bring Christ back into this dimension of our lives.” 

More information about Fraternus can be found at Fraternus.org.