ST. PETER
CATHOLIC CHURCH
The Musicians of Our Parish:
ELEVATING THE LITURGY
F
or Catholics, as we lift up our hearts in song and glory to God, music is a powerful expression of prayer and praise. As St. Jerome once said, “Music to me is a voice, my voice, it’s my way of expressing what colors can I bring in, what emotions, what feel. What ideas can I bring out from these instruments that would make this song come alive?” At St. Peter Church, our liturgies are enhanced with an abundance of beautiful music, and we are blessed with many musically gifted parishioners who can not only sing but play a wide variety of instruments — cello, flute, piano, percussion, wind instruments, and stringed instruments. Playing an instrument at Mass is a great commitment of one’s time and talent because a musician must be skilled enough
to learn the Mass parts as well as the hymns which change every week. While our choirs have weekly rehearsals, the instrumentalists practice and rehearse on their own time, usually only attending rehearsals before major Holy Days, feast days or special liturgies. Sharing their musical talents truly is a form of stewardship to the parish and to God. By sharing their gifts of time and talent, they are playing their music for the glory of God. “It really is about leading the congregation in sung prayer,” says Monica Scholz, who has served as Music Director at St. Peter for over 30 years. “The single most telling aspect of our work as parish musicians is if the congregation sings well and participates in the liturgy. And we have great participation at St. Peter’s.”
“It really is about leading the congregation in sung prayer. The single most telling aspect of our work as parish musicians is if the congregation sings well and participates in the liturgy. And we have great participation at St. Peter’s.” — MONICA SCHOLZ, MUSIC DIRECTOR 4
