Now this week we’re starting a multi-part series celebrating the many Faces in which we see and worship the Blessed Virgin Mary. We’ll explore the different ways we honor her, both in feasts and cultures and devotions across the world. We begin with Dr. Neil Stahurski, a Polish organist who oversees the celebration of Our Lady of Częstochowa in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We then hear from Debbie Brown, a pastoral musician in Fairfax, Virginia, who went on pilgrimage to Knock, Ireland, and Međugorje, Bosnia and Herzegovina.

This week’s podcast honors the mothers of our association and the love and support they show everyone, especially their children. So many parents bring their children to church with them as they minister, and they also do so at NPM events! Today we feature three mothers who have brought their daughters to NPM events for many years.

Today we’re turning back the clock and hearing part of a previous episode of Ministry Monday, called “Physical Health and the Pastoral Musician”. Played in February 2019, former Ministry Monday host Matt Reichert interviewed Dr. Paul Schafer, a doctor from the Minneapolis region. We hope it is a good reminder of the things we can do to take care of our bodies, now and once we’re back in our churches for ministry again.

Today we hear from Sister Sandra DeMasi, a Sister of Saint Joseph serving

as a pastoral associate for liturgy at Saint Rose of Lima Parish in Short

Hills, New Jersey. Today Sister Sandy shares a 10-minute excerpt of her

2020 Convention Mega Breakout session, titled, “Christians are Made, Not

Born!”

When I planned for this week’s episode, I thought of you. You, our

thousands of listeners who tune into the podcast as you’re folding worship

aids this week, or assembling binders of choral music for the weeks ahead.

Or maybe you listen as you walk your dog in the morning, or listen as you

battle traffic ! In whichever context you listen, we’re grateful for you.

You are what makes this podcast keep moving.

And so today, I want to interview members of our listenership who are

pastoral musicians, living out their calling in music, ministry and

liturgy.

Today is our 99th episode! We can barely believe it. As we prepare to bring you our 100th episode next week, we thought it would be fitting to look back at the beginning. Today we bring episode #1 back to you.

Today we hear from Mary Birmingham, a minister and speaker on catechesis. Mary brings her passion for the liturgy and the Rite of Christian Initiation and its power to transform hearts to this work of evangelization hoping it will assist catechists in their remarkable conversion centered ministries.

Today we talk about our individual baptismal call, especially in the midst of our self-isolating reality. In this particular holiest of weeks, Mary’s insights fortified me for the week ahead. We hope it helps you too.

Last week we interviewed Fr. Walt Rydzon, a retired priest from the Diocese of Pittsburgh who ministered to both hearing and deaf communities for his priesthood. If you haven’t listened to it, we encourage you to. This week we take the conversation one step further and talk about deaf ministry and music ministry working on a week-by-week basis together. We speak to Karen Shepherd, Director of the Deaf Choir at Saint Mary of the Mount Parish, the official home for the deaf community in the Diocese of Pittsburgh. Karen has been the director of the deaf choir for almost 20 years.  

 

Karen explores what is a deaf choir, as well as the subtleties of an “interpreted” Mass versus a “signed” Mass. Karen also spearheaded the installation of a “hearing loop” system in her church and shares what we need to know, as pastoral musicians, should we ever want to install one in our own churches.

The next two weeks of the podcast will discuss deaf culture & music ministry from a clergy member who devoted most of his priesthood to being their advocate, and a woman who is a “deaf choir” director, and yes, that’s a very real thing. This two-part series will help us, as a hearing people, explore the context of a deaf person, and see the ways they “hear” and experience music, which yes, they do!

Now, just to be clear: I’ve worked with the deaf community for 7 years, and the terms “deaf person” and “deaf people” are not negative. But the term “disabled person” or “disability” hold more tension than the former, and we’ll get into that today.

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’s episode hopes to give you some insight into the thoughts and hearts of pastoral musicians across the country right now. We’ll hear from different Dioceses, from publishers and copyright licensing companies, and lastly, we’ll hear from our NPM president, Steve Petrunak.

 

This is a hefty episode because we wanted to make it chock full of stories, perspectives, and practical tips for you to apply in your music ministry. And besides, we all have plenty of time right now anyway, so sit back, relax and listen to our special episode ahead.