The Hillbilly Thomists

Taking its members from the Province of St. Joseph, a Northeastern division of the Order of Preachers, the Hillbilly Thomists are a ten-piece traditional folk and bluegrass band made up of Dominican Friars. Founded by Fathers Austin Litke (mandolin, guitar, vocals) and Thomas Joseph White (banjo, dulcimer, vocals), this unusual group takes its name from a phrase by American writer Flannery O'Connor, whose own affection for the 13th century's Saint Thomas Aquinas is shared by this amiable brotherhood of pickers and singers. The group initially began as a joyful creative outlet ...