Lent is behind us. Triduum is over. Our Easter Sunday liturgies are complete. Alleluia, indeed! Today, we’ll hear a lively presentation from the late Dr. Alexander Peloquin. Recorded at the first NPM national convention in 1978, Dr.  Peloquin shares a lively history of music in the liturgy. For the next hour, he will explore the evolution of liturgical music. From the earliest chants to the great sequences and hymns of the Reformation and Counter Reformation, right through to the early years of post Vatican II music, you’ll hear examples of how music in the Church has been influenced – and has influenced in turn – the development of western music. Dr. Peloquin combines music theory, liturgical history, pastoral commentary, and a good deal of humor.

As we journey through the holiest week of the year, rife with ancient traditions and rituals, our episode today focuses on one of the Church’s oldest musical traditions: chant. The prominence – or absence – of chant in American parishes has been a much-discussed topic in the decades following Vatican II. Some parishes chant in the vernacular, others in Latin. Some chant a lot, others barely at all. Regardless of your viewpoint or preference, and no matter how much chant is in your repertoire, odds are that – at some point this week – your community will experience chant at one or more of the liturgies of Triduum.

Today we bring you a short audio program from Saint Meinrad’s Seminary and School of Theology in Indiana. Titled, “Drinking God Straight,” this program describes the tradition of chant in the Church’s liturgical life, but also details the ways that chant changed and transitioned after the Second Vatican Council. Hosted by Brothers Joel and Kolbe, you’ll hear from several voices, including Fr. Columba Kelly, OSB, renowned chant scholar and teacher.

None of us needs to be reminded that next week is the biggest week of the liturgical year. All of us have our “to do” lists ready, and we will be feverishly making final preparations in the days ahead. What we do need reminding of is to slow down, to breathe, and to be attentive to what it is we really do: lead people in prayer. Today we will hear two important messages: Sr. Kathleen Harmon helps us refocus on our role as prayer leaders, not simply leaders of music. Pat Kerwin reminds us that it’s called “ministry,” not “martyrdom.”

Since this weekend brought daylight savings time, our topic today is “looking forward.” While the new liturgical year is many months away, the new fiscal year is not. Across the country, dioceses have been studying and making preparations for new administrative and organizational realities, including clustered parishes. 

Our guest today, Fr. Paul Turner, shares liturgical considerations and opportunities that are present in clustered communities. We also hear the words of the late Bishop Ken Untener (1937-2004), written in honor of Archbishop Oscar Romero.

Each major convention of Catholic organizations includes at least one session that address a variation of the question, "Where have the youth gone?" In today's episode, we speak with Dr. Bob McCarty about new research into the disaffiliation of young Catholics, why we are asking wrong questions, and what the take-aways are for those of us in liturgical and pastoral ministry. We also hear from Sr. Anne Bryan Smollin, CSJ (1943-2014) on the dynamic importance of "the little things" in building and enriching interpersonal relationships.

In today’s episode we explore “liturgical discipleship;” how we as liturgists and pastoral musicians approach our work with an eye toward evangelization, catechesis, and formation. Host Matt Reichert is joined by Christopher Ferraro, speaking about the ways we are able to meet the particular needs of our communities within the universal liturgical life of the Church. We also hear from an earlier presentation by Dr. Tim O’Malley, sharing his thoughts about the critical contributions liturgists and pastoral musicians can make to the new evangelization.​​​​​​​

In our inaugural episode, we hear Steve Petrunak discuss the current progress of NPM's new vision and strategy. We also reflect on the expectations music ministers and pastors have for each other, courtesy of an article from Fr. Karl Pung.