ROMANS was established as an organized and recognizable apostolate in the Cincinnati, Ohio area in July 1996 by four enthusiastic young Catholic men (Rick Crone, Mark Hingsbergen, Greg Schutte, and Jeff Schutte). All four men were baptized and brought up in the Church by loving and dedicated parents. Their paths in life, however, took many directions before coming together as musicians dedicated to serving God and calling others into and back to the Catholic Faith. ROMANS was created out of a deep love for the Catholic Church, its music, and its Liturgy.

Three of the four original members (Jeff, Mark, and Rick) had since 1983 been members of a part-time professional band playing mainstream dance music for the wedding reception and private party market. They had been building and refining their musical talents as well as developing a sense for what musical concepts have broad appeal, and gradually felt the call of the Holy Spirit to direct these skills toward a greater purpose. Their many years together had enabled them to perform as a unit and have given them a unique sensibility for contemporary music.

 The fourth original member (Greg) has had a liturgical focus in his music since 1983. Greg refined his vocal and acoustic guitar abilities during this time, and developed a confident and reverent liturgical presence by assisting at hundreds of Masses. His specialty was providing liturgically correct music for wedding ceremonies, in keeping with diocesan directives. Greg has also directed choirs and performed in Catholic theater, and has written numerous songs as well as a musical based Christ's Passion.

 Since Greg and Jeff are brothers, the four members of ROMANS had much interaction during these years. Many times Jeff, Rick, and Mark found themselves accompanying Greg at a wedding ceremony then playing the reception afterward as part of a "wedding package" arrangement. These presentations led to requests to provide music at Sunday Masses and other functions such as pro-life banquets. The natural outgrowth of these events was a more organized and established entity, and thus ROMANS was born.