Music Ministry

There are numerous opportunities for you and your family to become involved with the Music Ministry at St Patrick's. Come join us and use your musical gifts and talents for the glory of God and the blessing of the

Body of Christ.

Pianists & Organists

ALWAYS NEEDED: Pianists and organists able and willing to play regularly at our weekend Masses. Some training and mentoring provided. Audition with the director of music ministries required.

Weekend Masses & Ensembles

(For ALL ensembles:

Singers--simple audition for vocal part placement; Instrumentalists: audition required.

Vocalists and instrumentalists 11th grade high school or older are welcome!)

5:00 p.m. Saturday Music Ensemble rehearses every Thursday evening from 7:30-8:45 p.m. (as needed June—August) and meets 45 minutes prior to the Mass. The ensemble ministers through a mixture of traditional and contemporary Catholic music. Currently the group consists of a small group of vocalists and piano/organ.

7:00 a.m. Sunday Music Ensemble rehearses every Thursday evening from 7:30-8:45 p.m. (as needed June—August) and meets 15 minutes prior to Mass. Mostly traditional music with organ and piano. If you are an “early bird” and like to sing or play an instrument come and join us!

9:00 a.m. Sunday Adult Choir sings weekly at this Mass throughout the year and is directed by the music director. The choir rehearses every Thursday evening from 7:30-8:45 p.m. (as needed June—August) and meets 30 minutes prior to Mass. This ensemble provides liturgical music for our annual Festival of Lessons and Carols, Christmas Eve, Holy Thursday, Good Friday, the Easter Vigil, Pentecost, and other special occasions. Musical styles employed by the group are diverse (traditional, gospel, contemporary) and are accompanied by piano, organ, guitar, flute and other instrumentalist. There are also opportunities for instrumentalists to accompany or to do solo pieces. Open to 11th grade and older.

11:00 a.m. Domingo – Grupos Hispanos - El Coro Hispano es para adultos y ellos practican cada Miercoles a las 7:00—8:00 p.m. en el salon de pracvtica de San Patricio.

El coro cantan el primero Domingo de cada mes. Una variedad de otros grupos hispanos de música ayudan durante el año con la Misa Hispano. Favor de contactarle a la oficina si tiene interés.

1:00 p.m. Sunday Ensemble rehearses every Thursday evening from 7:30-8:30 p.m. (as needed June—August) and meets 30 minutes prior to the Mass. Presently this is a smaller ensemble of about 6 voices, piano/organ, flute, clarinet. The ensemble sings/plays in a wide variety of musical styles.

Schola Cantorum di Santa Cecilia is a group open to adults who are interested in learning and performing classical music ranging from the Renaissance to 20th Century classical music. In the summer of 2011 part of the Schola journeyed to Italy for a concert tour and performed in Venice, Lucca, and Rome.

This group prepares for special events, concerts, and hopes to go on a concert tour in the future. An audition is required. Contact the director of music ministries for time and place of practice.

Funeral Choir is an ensemble composed of some of our regular musicians who are free during weekday mornings and occasional Saturday mornings for funerals (English and Spanish). This is a marvelous opportunity to minister to grieving family members and friends at the funeral Mass.

Youth & Children's Ensembles

6:30 p.m. Sunday (Youth Mass) - The Third Millennium - Mr. George Souza leads this music ensemble at the Youth Mass each Sunday evening. The group rehearses at 5:30 p.m. on Sundays prior to the Mass. The style of music is primarily contemporary lCatholic music with guitars, piano, various instruments, and vocal harmonies. Open to high school and older. [Confirmation students who want to be involved in this ministry for service hours must attend the Wednesday night sessions of confirmation classes and attend the Sunday afternoon rehearsal at 5:30 p.m.]

St. Patrick's Children’s Choir meets on Thursdays from 4:30-5:30 p.m. during the school year and is open to children from 2nd through 5th grades. This group leads the music at various weekend Masses about once per month as well as participating in the Festival of Lessons & Carols and our annual spring concert. It is an opportunity for children to learn liturgical music, fun children’s music, and begin to learn to read music.

St. Patrick's Youth Choir meets on Thursdays from 4:30-5:30 p.m. during the school year and is open to youth from 6th grade to high school. This group leads the music at various weekend Masses about once per month participates in various parish concerts. It is an opportunity for youth to learn liturgical music and more contemporary Catholic music.

Other Opportunities for Music Ministry

Instrumentalists - Throughout the liturgical year skilled instrumentalists are used for weekly liturgies or for special occasions. If you would like to help, occasionally or frequently, we will try to use your musical talents. Please contact the music director to discuss your instrument, capabilities, and to set up an audition.

Potential Ensembles

Handbell Choir – While we do not presently have a handbell choir, there has been some expressed interest. If you would be interested participating in the choir or financial underwriting the purchase of a set of handbells, please contact the music director.

Music for Weddings and Funerals

Music is an important aspect of these parish and family events. All of these liturgies are a vital part of our parish’s life of faith and liturgy.

We at OLM-St. Patrick’s (while respecting the practices of other faith traditions in their particular place of worship) are guided by the liturgical norms of the Roman Catholic Church in regards to all music used at wedding and funeral liturgies (as well as all other liturgies we celebrate).

As noted by Vatican documents and the U.S. Catholic Conference of Bishops (USCCB): “In determining the suitability of sung settings of liturgical texts, a threefold judgment must be made: musical, liturgical, and pastoral (see ‘Music in Catholic Worship,’ number 25).”,

“Music is integral to the...rites. It allows the community to express convictions and feelings that word alone may fail to convey….The texts of the songs chosen for a particular celebration should express the paschal mystery of the Lord’s suffering, death, and triumph over death and should be related to the readings from Scripture….Thus, while...music may express ‘convictions and feelings,’ its subject must always be the paschal mystery and it must be related to the readings from Scripture. Rather than adopting popular secular songs which are inappropriate to a liturgical setting, we should seek out good liturgical music….” (see USCCB website and Order of Christian Funerals, number 30.)

“Recorded music lacks the authenticity provided by a living liturgical assembly gathered for the Sacred Liturgy. While recorded music might be used advantageously outside the Liturgy as an aid in the teaching of new music, it should not, as a general norm, be used within the Liturgy.” (see Sing to the Lord: Music in Divine Worship, issued by the USCCB, 2007).

Consequently, we ask all to understand and be patient in realizing we may not use recorded or secular music during the sacred liturgy of the Mass. Appropriate places for secular songs or recorded music would be at the visitation at the funeral home, at the luncheon after the funeral, at the reception after the wedding.