FROM THE DIRECTOR

Dear friends and colleagues,

I hope that summer is allowing you a bit more time and energy to reflect on the past year and prepare for new beginnings this fall.  I am so gratified by the many efforts I see underway in our parishes and schools to restore liturgical and sacramental ministries in the wake of the pandemic. Thanks for your leadership and service to God’s people at prayer!

In the praenotanda below, you’ll find information about scheduling for Christmas 2021, featured resources from the Office for Persons with Disabilities, and more.

Annual resources to support your liturgical ministries will be available on August 1 at deep discounts over publishers’ list prices. Now you can purchase these tax-free through the ODWS shop, along with our archdiocesan publications for engaged couples, bereaved families, extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion, and more!

As our parishes continue to welcome back more and more of the faithful as the pandemic wanes, our TOGETHER initiative may be useful for your catechetical and liturgical ministries. Notably, TOGETHER can be used in a special way from July 25-Aug 22 (the weeks of Year B known as the “Bread of Life Discourse” Sundays). Also see above, a Post-Covid Recovery Guide to Mass, useful for clergy, staff, ministry leaders, and worship commissions as liturgical life continues to return to normal.

As always, if there’s anything that Matt, Monica, or I can do to assist you in your worship and sacramental ministries, please let us know.

Jeremy Helmes
ODWS Director

FROM THE MUSIC DIRECTOR

Last month I discussed the dire situation facing many parishes with the decline of properly trained organists. As parish organists age out of their positions, fewer and fewer young people are there to pick up the mantle of musical leadership a well-trained organist provides. As a result, many parishes have turned this position over to pianists or ensembles. For many places this is a fine solution as the style of music a parish uses at Mass is better suited for these musicians. For some parishes, the need for an organist is best for them, and few organists are to be found. How is this being addressed?

Nationally, the organization called The American Guild of Organists has teamed up with local chapters of the organization to provide week-long camps for teenagers called Pipe Organ Encounters, or POE. I was privileged to be on the faculty of one of these camps a few years ago at Dordt University in Sioux Center, IA. 26 teenagers spent the week learning the basics such as proper technique (the organ has a much different type of action than a piano), how to use their feet, and how to set up the myriad stops most pipe organs have. The week culminates with a student recital showcasing what they’ve learned and encouraging them to continue with their studies after they return home.

The same organization has a certification system, as does the Roman Catholic group known as the National Association of Pastoral Musicians. These organizations contain a wealth of resources for organists, parishes, pastors, and others.

Finally, we need to find ways of encouraging musicians in our parishes to explore the vast repertoire and absolute joy of playing the organ. I’ll explore some of those ways in next month’s edition.