Stephen's Story

Stephen Kirk is a Catholic singer, musician and worship leader who lives in Canberra, Australia.  He was born in 1971 as the youngest of six boys in a very musical family, and throughout his life has been heavily involved in various types of music; from classical to black gospel, funk to folk.  His music - contemporary but deeply rooted in the ancient beauty of the faith - has been compared to Matt Maher, James Taylor, and John Michael Talbot amongst others.

“Stephen Kirk is a man of faith and a talented musician.  These two are not always found together, but in Stephen they mix to provide a special voice in the Church and special service to the Church.  At times people think that song is cosmetic to the spiritual life, but in Stephen we see and hear that song is at the heart of the spiritual life. He shows that the spiritual life really happens when the spirit begins to sing to God.”
+Mark Coleridge
Archbishop of Brisbane


Raised as a Catholic, he never paid much attention to his faith until 1992 when at the age of twenty-one he lived in San Diego on an exchange year at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD).  During his time there he sang in the 1,100-member UCSD Gospel Choir and had a powerful experience of God’s presence through hearing his Choir Director sing. This led him to seek God and come back to his faith.

Since then God has taken him on a very winding road, from being the only white member of an African American gospel church, to coming back to his Catholic faith through a lay community, (almost) becoming a Carmelite monk, meeting and marrying his beautiful wife and being blessed with six children.

For World Youth Day 2008 he directed the music for the Canberra-Goulburn Archdiocesan Commissioning Mass, and co-ordinated a 75-person choir of people from around Australia for an event for 70,000 people during World Youth Day week in Sydney.

World Youth Day 2008 was a turning point for Stephen, leading him to pour more effort into ministry through music and teaching.  His desire is to put the gifts he has been given at the service of the Church and the world, and through those gifts to be a witness to God's presence, leading people into prayer through music.

In 2010 he released his second album - "Rend the Heavens"; a collection of songs for liturgy, worship, and reflection that combine the beauty and wonder of the ancient faith with the vibrancy of youth and first-class musicianship and production. In 2011 he released the Mass of the Holy Spirit, which is now used by various schools, parishes and communities in Australia and New Zealand.  In 2012, in partnership with CREDO and the Sydney Archdiocese he released the Hour of Grace and Mercy Kit, a resource kit to make it easy for parishes, schools, and communities to run guided hours of adoration.  In April 2014 he released "Rising", and then later that year released the Mass of the Holy Spirit Resource Kit.  Stephen's latest releases, "Shadows" (2017) and "Light" (2018) break open the mysteries of Good Friday and the Easter Vigil. 

Stephen regularly provides workshops, seminars, and keynotes for schools and parishes, and leads worship and directs music for liturgies and youth conferences.

Click here to contact Stephen, or to book him to lead a prayer service, rally, or adoration service, or to speak at your conference or training.