Today I’m honored to share one of the recorded sessions from the 2020 Virtual Convention. The following session was one of four sessions in NPM’s “Black Lives Matter” series during the convention, led by an incredible team across the span of the week. We are proud to celebrate Black Catholic Voices and will continue to share what we can, listen and learn so all can truly be at the table together.

Today on the podcast we are discussing “the environment of our worship”. Many churches across the United States use projection screens to enhance the environment of worship, primarily for its increased participation and awareness of the church space. But are projection screens right for everyone? Has the technology changed at all since projection has been introduced? And how would one begin to implement this method of ministry?

magine you’re stepping into your church for the very first time.

What do you see? What do you hear? What do you smell?

What do you feel?

Today we start to explore the environment of our worship and the many elements that we experience in our sacred space. I speak to Pamela T. Hardiman who owns her own business as a Liturgical Fiber Artist. Her creations are filled with color, life and the Spirit, and her artistic mind sees environment in our worship spaces in a totally unique way.

Today we’re replaying an episode from March 2020 entitled “Deaf Culture and

Music Ministry”. As September is National Deaf Awareness Month, we honor

those who experience the liturgy in a profoundly physical way- including

music.

This week we begin by speaking to a priest who dedicated his priesthood to

both a hearing and deaf community. We hear how he started in this ministry,

and what we need to know about deaf culture, as a hearing people.

Today on the podcast I am honored to sit down with Kathleen Haley. Kathleen is NPM’s Director of Membership Services and has served our association in the National Office for twenty years. She is one of the very few NPM staff members that has worked for all 4 NPM presidents in their time here. I am so pleased to look back at Kathleen’s 20 years of service to the association with her. I get the chance to have a cup of coffee with her and let her share some stories from the many conventions, phone calls, emails, and all the other ways she has interacted with all of our membership for 20 years.

Today on the episode I speak to Meg Matuska. Meg is the Vice Chair for the NPM Board of Directors as well as Director of Music Ministries at Communion of Saints Parish in Cleveland, Ohio. After our first episode with Joe Bazyouros regarding NPM 2.0, we’ve had a lot of questions about the process. “What about chapters?” “Is this already set in stone?” “When can I expect changes to take place?” Meg and I sit down and dig a little deeper intohe process that NPM is undergoing for our future as an association.

After speaking with Meg, I wanted to know more about the regions that she mentioned. How were they crafted for NPM? What was the logic behind them? Why are they important? And so I called Christopher Ferraro to discuss them. Chris sits on the Board of Directors for the Federation of Diocesan Liturgical Commissions, or FDLC. He shed some light on the regions and their origins.

Today I’m honored to share one of the recorded sessions from the 2020

Virtual Convention. The following session was one of four sessions in NPM’s

“Black Lives Matter” series during the convention, led by an incredible

team across the span of the week. Today’s topic is “Black Lives Matter: The

Pandemic of Racism Before the Pandemic”.

Today on the podcast we discuss The Nuts and Bolts of Ministry. All of us

are encountering our ministerial responsibilities through a different lens

at this time. Many of us are working from home, and have limited access to

the liturgy planning committees- and physical resources- that we normally

have. What’s more, our parishioners are experiencing our parish differently

at this time as well. With our numbers drastically reduced in many places

due to COVID-19, our parishioners are not experiencing ministry from the

pews. And the ministers that are usually our anchors for ministry are

unable to attend.

What do we do? How do we plan? Are there opportunities for growth at this

time?

Today on the podcast I speak to Damaris Thillet. Damaris is the Director for the Office of Worship for the Archdiocese of Santa Fe.

Today Damaris and I talk about the pastoral needs she tends to in her Diocese, both before and during this time of special ministerial circumstances due to COVID-19. She helps us all consider the needs of those we cannot reach with technology. How do they feel included in a parish community when our access to one another is limited?

Today on the podcast I chat with Joe Bazyouros. Joe is on the core team for NPM 2.0, and is also the Director of Music at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in Los Angeles, California. It’s been a year since NPM 2.0 was introduced to us at the 2019 National Convention in Raleigh. What has changed? What can we expect?

Expect more updates about NPM 2.0 on the podcast in the coming weeks and months, starting with this one today. Joe joins us from his office in Los Angeles.