By Gia Myers • Posted September 12, 2025

When thousands of people gather on the rolling fields of the National Shrine of Our Lady of Czestochowa in Doylestown on Sept. 20, they’ll find more than just music. They’ll find an encounter with Christ.

That’s the heartbeat of AbbeyFest, the region’s premier Catholic music festival, now in its 11th year. Combining top-tier Christian music with Mass, eucharistic adoration, the sacrament of penance, products and information from Catholic vendors, food, and community, AbbeyFest has become a signature event in the greater Philadelphia area. It’sone part backyard concert, one part pilgrimage, and all heart.

This year’s headliners reflect AbbeyFest’s commitment to bringing some of the biggest names in Christian music to its stage.

Leading the lineup is Crowder, the Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter whose style blends rock, folk, and worship into a sound uniquely his own. Known for powerful hits such as “Come As You Are” and “God Really Loves Us,” Crowder’s performances inspire audiences with energy and authenticity, according to Martha Wilbur, AbbeyFest board member and longtime volunteer.

Sharing the stage is Big Daddy Weave, a popular band in contemporary Christian music. With anthems like “Redeemed” and “The Lion and the Lamb,” the band has spent decades sharing songs of healing, hope, and freedom in Christ. Lead singer Mike Weaver’s personal testimony of faith resonates with audiences, according to Wilbur.

“These two groups are great worship leaders,” she said..

AbbeyFest first launched more than a decade ago, and Nicky Verna, a parishioner of St. Andrew the Apostle in Drexel Hill, has been involved for almost as long.  Serving on the board and artist selection committee, she describes AbbeyFest as “a truly faith-filled experience.”

“It’s like a casual backyard concert – people sit in a field with their picnic baskets and enjoy a beautiful day,” Verna said. “But it’s also a professionally put-together event. Everything about AbbeyFest is rooted in faith, from the music to the vendors to the ministries represented.”

After 10 years at Daylesford Abbey in Paoli, the festival is moving to the National Shrine of Our Lady of Czestochowa, offering a larger space for its growing crowds. Verna sees this as providential, saying, “We feel our Lord and Our Lady have led us here.”

The shrine is a designated pilgrimage site in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia for the Jubilee Year of Hope, so people attending AbbeyFest this year are also encouraged to visit the shrine to gain a plenary indulgence.

In addition to its headliners, AbbeyFest offers a full day of performances from other Catholic/Christian artists, including Brother Isaiah, the Scally Brothers, Joe Melendrez, Hannah Schaefer, and Marisel Rodriguez.

Both Melendrez and Schaefer will emcee the event, while Rodriguez, recognized as the Mark Christmyer Emerging Artist for this year, represents the next generation of Catholic musicians.

Beyond music, AbbeyFest features more than 80 vendors, including ministries, religious orders, and Catholic organizations. Priests, religious sisters, and seminarians attend the event, sharing in the celebration.

“We are truly creating an encounter with Christ. We provide the atmosphere,” Verna said, which focuses on family and faith.  “That’s what makes AbbeyFest so special.”

AbbeyFest is also committed to outreach. As a nonprofit ministry it brings several of its featured artists to local Catholic schools. This year performers Joe Melendrez and the Scally Brothers will visit area high schools, including Bishop Shanahan, Cardinal O’Hara, and Archbishop Carroll, as well as two elementary schools.

Wilbur notes that AbbeyFest isn’t just for families who already love Christian music – it’s also helping introduce young people to it.

“Christian music taps into healing, hope, and redemption,” Wilbur said. “It’s authentic, joyful, and peaceful. Young people are hungry for that. They’re spiritually curious and searching for a sense of hope.”

With world-class music, a pilgrimage setting, and an atmosphere of prayer and celebration, AbbeyFest continues to grow as a place where faith and music meet.

“This is not just another concert,” Verna said. “It’s a beautiful encounter with Christ. That’s what people walk away with.”

The AbbeyFest gates open at 12 noon on Saturday, Sept. 20 at the National Shrine of Our Lady of Czestochowa in Doylestown, address. Archbishop Nelson J. Pérez will celebrate Mass at 4 p.m., with the headliner acts and eucharistic adoration by candlelight to follow.

For the day’s schedule, tickets, and more information, visit www.theabbeyfest.com.