Prayer and music enhance parish experience

"At Our Lady of Grace, we have a welcoming atmosphere and a family-oriented community," said Mary Salm, pastoral associate for faith formation at the Ballston Lake parish.

She is referring to the effect liturgy and prayer can have on Catholics.

Mrs. Salm said that all ages are included in the liturgical celebrations. As a matter of fact, they are involved "as much as possible so everyone will feel as if they are a part of our community."

Choices

Mrs. Salm noted that the parish has "three prayer groups that meet regularly: a men's group, a morning group and a more traditional group that meets every Thursday night."

In addition, she has worked to incorporate prayer in the liturgies for the different age groups of students. "Our program includes a Mass that is celebrated once a month by members of our youth group," she explained.

Furthermore, children participate in the liturgy at the two Masses on Sunday morning that attract families with children between the ages of four and nine.

"A major part of the prayer life in our parish involves the entire parish community," Ms. Salm said, "and that includes involving children in our liturgies."

Musical notes

Patty Dolezal-Neumann, the director of the parish's music ministry, credits the high level of participation by families at weekly liturgies to the fact that many of them are young.

"We have a large number of young people and families in our parish," she said. "The parents want to be involved in the religious education and faith of their children."

As a result, she has developed a music program that includes participation opportunities for all age groups.

"When we plan music for our weekly liturgies, it is based on the readings and liturgical themes," she explained. "We use the same songs at each Mass, but what makes the experience different for everyone is that the various choirs that sing at the different Masses present the music in different ways, according to their ages."

Sounds of music

The parish has three separate choirs: a "more traditional" adult choir of about 25 men and women that meets once a week for practice and sings at Sunday Mass; a youth choir, with students in grades 7 through 12 who sing at the Saturday vigil Mass and at special Masses up to 14 times each year; and a children's or "elementary" choir comprised of students between third and sixth grades. They sing at one or two Masses each month.

"Since they all learn the same music, they are able to sing with their own choir or any of the other ones, depending upon what Mass their family attends. We have found that this works out very well," said Mrs. Dolezal-Neumann.

She has also found that being open to a lot of different types of music and choosing music that families can relate to work for her parish.

"Our main music focus here is looking at music and singing as a ministry, and prayer is a very important part of this ministry," she said. "We are always encouraging each other, and we have a lot of fun. But we are always asking ourselves, 'What are we here for? What do we want to say with what we are singing?'"

Praising God

At St. Margaret Mary's parish in Albany, "some members of our choir have taken professional voice lessons while others can't even read music," said Edward Savoy, director of the parish's choir. "What makes our group special and more than just a 'church choir' is that we are all there for the same reason -- and that is to praise God through song."

With about 25 men, women, young adults and teens, Mr. Savoy continues the tradition of an outstanding music ministry at St. Margaret Mary's. He directed the choir in the early 1980s. Returning to the parish 18 months ago, he was amazed to find that during the six-month interim between the departure of his predecessor and his return, the members of the choir had managed to keep their excellent music tradition alive.

"They are a dedicated nucleus of people that have a common vision," he said.

He has also developed a cantor ministry, whose members lead the music at weekend liturgies.

"I have eight cantors -- and seven of them are members of the choir," Mr. Savoy said. "The ministry is always changing. People bring to it all that they know and have learned over the years, and that always makes the group a dynamic one."

(10-11-01)