Peruvian nuns will bring their brand of Latin rock to Christ Cathedral

These nuns rock.

Siervas — meaning servants — are a group of 11 Catholic sisters living in a convent near Lima, Peru, who use a rocking beat to spread their message of human dignity.

They enjoy a growing following across Latin America and Europe, earning an audience with Pope Francis during his 2016 Mexico visit.

Now, Siervas is making its U.S. debut Sept. 8 and 9, headlining the bill at Christ Fest 2017, an outdoor musical festival the Diocese of Orange hosts at Christ Cathedral in Garden Grove during Hispanic Heritage Month. Last year’s inaugural event drew more than 10,000 attendees.

The rock-pop music sensation that formed in 2014 has attracted thousands to their concerts and their hit, “Confia en Dios,” meaning “Trust in God” — which they played for the pope and a crowd of over 200,000 spectators — has attracted nearly 1 million YouTube views.

“We have tried to make songs as open and universal to help everyone — believers and non-believers — that we have a message of hope and love,” said Sister Monica, calling from Lima.

Monica, a nun for 15 years who serves as the primary media contact because of her language skills, plays a small set of drums, bongos and shakers and is one of seven vocalists.

She and the sisters — who range in age from 20 to 40 — represent eight countries and various educational and musical backgrounds.

Ecuadorian Sister Dayana performs as a lead singer with Chilean Sister Ivonne, who also plays guitar.

The rest of the band is Sister Paula from Chile on drums; Sister Camilia, Peru, electric guitar; Sister Teresa, Chile, bass guitar; Sister Kathleen, Philippines, keyboards; Sister Andrea Argentina, vocals; Sister Cindy, Venezuela, violin and cello; Sister Arisa, Japan, violin; and Sister Jessica, China, clarinet.

The nuns formed the band after they learned each had musical capabilities. The music, they said, is a way to raise money to minister to handicapped children, women in prisons and families living in neighboring mountain villages that lack heating and shoes for children.

They write music and lyrics during twice-weekly rehearsals and practice daily.

Cristina Abaroa, a singer-songwriter and Latin music producer who has worked with Celine Dion, Enrique Iglesias and Lady Gaga, said she joined the cause of bringing Siervas to the world after listening to their CDs and watching them on YouTube.

“I was totally in love and fascinated from the first second I saw that,” Abaroa said. “I feel so happy that there’s a group of nuns reaching out to the next generation. Their mission is beautiful, and they’re the real deal.”

The late Tom Coyne — a Grammy Award-winning sound engineer, volunteered to master Siervas’ latest album, “Hoy Despierto” (“Today I Wake Up”).

The nuns plan to play both days of the festival in Garden Grove. On Sept. 8, Siervas will perform on the all-Latin program featuring music that should appeal to Southern California’s Hispanic community.

On Sept. 9, Siervas will perform again on a bill with 11 Christian acts.

Before getting on stage, Sister Monica said she and the nuns pray, asking to understand who they are singing for so their songs touch the crowd. After each concert, they leave the stage and talk to the audience.

“We want people to come out with an experience of joy and have more hope in mankind and understand that the world can be better, and that they can make a difference, and that God loves them,” Sister Monica said. “When you’re on stage, you see people start to wake up, and you can see they need something and they start to connect to the music. We can see the face change and they start to smile. It’s very beautiful. We can feel we touch them.”

If You Go

What: Christ Fest 2017

When: 6:30 to 9:45 p.m. Sept. 8 and 2:45 to 10 p.m. Sept. 9

Where: Christ Cathedral, 13280 Chapman Ave, Garden Grove.

Information: Call 714-282-3045; Tickets for Sept. 8 at festivaldecristo.com and tickets for Sept. 9 at christfestoc.com.

kathleen.luppi@latimes.com

Twitter: @KathleenLuppi

UPDATES:

For the record: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated Siervas was nominated for a Latin Grammy Award. The music group has not been nominated for the award.