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Parish Music Ministry Diverse, Enriching |
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Half a continent from each other, two parishes named for Dominican St. Catherine of Siena have vibrant music ministries because of BVMs sharing their gifts.
‘How Can I Keep From Singing?’ Anne Marie McKenna, Director of Music and Liturgy at St. Catherine of Siena Parish in Burlingame, Calif., sees her ministry, as joys building on joys. “It’s contagious!,” Anne Marie enthused when asked about her ministry. “The fundamental joy of making music for a job, the amazing people I work with, the loving support and appreciation of the parish community,” —these are just of few of the joys Anne Marie enumerated when discussing her ministry. No one in the parish ever criticizes the liturgical music without first offering a compliment. “I really like your selection of music but would you ever consider trying…” Anne Marie does listen to the special requests of the community and considers it very important. The parishioners appreciate the use of various instruments, combining chant with more traditional church hymns, adding reflective music like Taize Chants and contemporary church songs that are familiar to all. For Anne Marie, one of the challenges of being a Director of Music and Liturgy is how to respond to the enormous diversity present in a suburban parish community that is not only ethnically diverse but represents diversity of age, background, histories and traditions. She finds it a constant challenge to make everyone feel at home in the liturgy. “It’s also a personal challenge for me to be open to new styles of church music that may not appeal to me but speak to the congregation. I have to keep an open mind.” My life flows on in endless song… I hear the music ringing. It sounds and echoes in my soul; how can I keep from singing?1 “I love working with the parish choirs,” Anne Marie comments. She directs not only the two adult choirs but the children and youth choirs as well. She finds that the best method for attracting choir members is to let people see that the choir is having fun—that they have a real sense of community and that they love music. “I also instill in the choirs that we are not performing but our music is to lead people to God. Music is a prayer of praise. The choir needs to touch the community so that it is a singing assembly. It is everybody’s role to sing. The people in the pews must understand that it is their role in the liturgy as much as it’s the choir’s.” She believes working with the young people is a special privilege. “I was an elementary classroom teacher for 21 years. I assisted with the music program on the side,” explains Anne Marie. Anne Marie loves sharing the wonder and beauty of music with the young students. “I want the children to be familiar with good liturgical music. This is part of their history and heritage.” The peace of Christ makes fresh my heart… All things are mine since I am His. How can I keep from singing? Reflecting on her ministry, Anne Marie speaks profoundly of the spiritual power of liturgical music. “Music touches our emotions. Music touches not only the heart but also the very soul of a person. “To sing is to be active, not passive—you must bring energy into the experience of singing. It’s a mystery, too, that just listening to music can be a spiritual experience. There is value to liturgical music with or without words.” Anne Marie poignantly discusses the special privilege and joy of ministering at a funeral liturgy. “You get introduced to the person and say good-bye at the same time. You are in a unique position to offer support to the grieving family. “I think one of the gifts of the church is the funeral liturgy. The church does this extremely well, and it’s a privilege to participate in it. It is often apparent that people in attendance have been alienated from the church; they are touched in a special way by the funeral liturgy and at least for a few moments they can find peace.” No storm can shake my inmost calm... While to that rock I’m clinging. Since Love is Lord of heaven and earth, how can I keep from singing? Anne Marie’s love, passion and joy sing out as she describes her ministry in music and liturgy. Her sincere desire to provide the music that makes the church a welcoming home for the parish community makes apparent why she cannot… “keep from singing.” Endnote: 1 “How Can I Keep From Singing?” Quaker Hymn, Today’s Missal, 1999. Oregon Catholic Press.
Campus Parish
Nourishes When asked to describe an ordinary day in her life as a campus minister/liturgist, Carola Broderick, BVM exclaimed: “The term ‘ordinary day’—that is like describing me as ‘normal’! I am not sure what that means.” It is apparent that Carola has no ‘ordinary’ days at St. Catherine of Siena, Drake University’s Catholic Center in Des Moines, Iowa, a parish of 200 Drake students and an equal number of non-students from the greater Des Moines area. Carola not only coordinates the music for all the liturgies; creates the art and environments for the weekly liturgies, but also meets with committees, plans retreats and prayer services, encourages social outreach projects and very importantly, spends time talking with students. Given all this, Carola states, “Probably the best description of all for campus ministry is ‘creative loitering.’ “Many of the connections with the students come only after you know them and that connecting may follow sharing a meal or just hanging out.” Weekly student suppers, retreat nights, monthly service projects and a variety of social activities provide that special time for ‘creative loitering’ Students Generous “I find the young men and women I work with so energizing,” Carola admits. “Their schedules are packed, and I am always amazed at the generosity of students who share their time and talent in providing music for weekly liturgies or serving as Eucharistic ministers or readers.” “One of the things that touches me the most,” Carola adds, “is the openness with which the students sometimes share their faith. For example, we had an evening retreat in late January. On Friday night 52 students came for planned activities. Forty-seven of them returned on Saturday morning at 7:45 a.m. with ice underfoot and winds clocked at 40 mph. That kind of spirit and enthusiasm would touch anyone.” Music Ministry When auditioning musicians, Carola finds, “It’s a wonderful experience in early fall to find that the incoming college students have had a good experience in high school or in their own parish. And I consider it important for me to continue to nurture that talent so that the young people will want to share their gifts with a new worshipping community when they leave Drake. “I want the students to realize their personal call to leadership and to want to provide good liturgical experiences for their local communities. This will be the heartbeat for a much wider church now and in the years to come.” Time Constraints “One of the major frustrations in my ministry,” declares Carola, “is the ‘clock.’ For the average college student life begins sometime after 10:00 p.m. This is when planning, social time and work commences. Carola finds trying to find meeting or rehearsal time within the day can be extremely difficult. “I joke with my students about the surprise element in music. Often I rehearse with individuals and the surprise comes in the final rehearsal before Mass when all the musicians come together for the first time—and the music is wonderful!” Carola has years of experience in music ministry. She has a Masters in Music Education from the University of Minnesota, taught music in BVM elementary schools, and directed choruses and swing choruses in Iowa at Assumption High School, Davenport and Dowling High School, West Des Moines, where she also was campus minister and humanities teacher. Carola also worked in a Catholic hospital as a hospice chaplain. “I met so many people who were not Catholic but had deep spiritual roots and backgrounds different from my own religious tradition. I see this same reality with the students I meet here on campus. “Together we are all searching, no matter what our background or our childhood religious experience. We each have some answers and if we are honest in sharing our fears and our dreams, we can all be stronger and enrich the lives of each other. “I guess hospice work and campus ministry are actually related since they minister to folks in transition and for me all life is a journey of transitions.” Obviously, Carola has accepted the challenge to make the many daily transitions required by the ‘creative loitering’ of her ministry journey. About the author: Mary Elizabeth Galt, BVM (Andrew) is chancellor of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles and a member of the Communications Advisory Committee. Return
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