Julio De León

Bio

Julio De León is a professional pastoral musician who has dedicated his entire life to music ministry. He is a seasoned K-8^th grade music educator in parochial schools, where he has worked for the past 8 years developing successful music programs and instilling in his students a love for music as a form of ministry. He has extensive experience in culturally diverse parishes under the role of music director, choir director, and instrumentalist. He has worked with the Archdiocesan Office for Divine Worship presenting liturgy and music formation workshops and creating resources for Hispanic pastoral musicians in Los Angeles. In recent years, he has been a workshop presenter for the National Association of Pastoral Musicians, liturgical music leader at El Sembrador Ministries live broadcast Spanish Masses, and an active professional percussionist at the Los Angeles Religious Education Congress.

Julio holds a Bachelor of Music in Music Performance from California State University Long Beach and is currently studying a Master of Arts in Pastoral Theology at Loyola Marymount University. His thesis work is focused on the role of music in eucharistic celebrations within the U.S. Hispanic community and its theological implications.

Julio has been awarded the NPM academic scholarship La Beca Juan XXIII, for three consecutive years since 2018, and more recently the Liturgy Training Publications Miguel Arias Scholarship in 2021. His most recent publications include Encontraron el Rostro de Dios, a song published by OCP; Himno a Fray Cosme Spessotto, a self-published, commissioned piece honoring the life of Salvadorian saint Cosme Spessotto; and Latin American Immigrants: A Cry for Liberation, an article published by the Say Something Theological: The Student Journal of Theological Studies at Loyola Marymount University. Julio De León is a member of the Liturgical Commission of the Archdiocese of our Lady of the Angels. He was recently appointed as interim director of the Spanish choir at the Cathedral of our Lady of the Angels, where he directs music each Sunday. In addition, he and his wife, Lesly Palacios, use their talents at Holy Spirit Church where they have been leading liturgical music for more than 16 years.