Dear Parishioners and Friends,
“March went out like a lion,
A-whippin’ up the water in the bay.
Then April cried
And stepped aside,
And along come pretty little May!
May was full of promises,
But she didn’t keep ’em quick enough fer some,
And a crowd of Doubtin’ Thomases
Was predictin’ that the summer’d never come.”
These verses from the song “June is bustin’ out all over” from the Rogers and Hammerstein musical, “Carousel,” pretty much capture the weather we’ve experienced these past few months here in the northeast. Here’s hoping that June will indeed bust our all over and lead us into a sunny and warmer month than we had in May!
Although it hasn’t felt particularly spring-like, we’ve been busy nevertheless throughout this Easter season. First Communions and Confirmation have focused on our young parishioners advancing in their growth as members of our community. Let us continue to pray that the Holy Spirit will guide them as they come to know Jesus more intimately in their daily lives.
We have also been busy on the liturgical music front as our search committee continues its work in finding our next director of music ministries. The committee, consisting of myself as well as Zachary Gilbert, Allison Holst-Grubbe, Joanne Huelsman, Beverly Boyle and Marc Sherer, have been diligently meeting and reviewing the almost two dozen applications we received.
After reviewing the applications we selected several candidates for Zoom interviews which took place over several weeks in May. Now we will move on with in-person auditions in the next few weeks. These will include rehearsing the choir as well as auditions at the organ, including works from the organ literature and service music with the cantors.
Hopefully, we will be able to make our final choice by the end of this month, and invite the successful candidate to join our pastoral team before the end of the summer. Please keep us in your prayers as we make our final decisions. We have several very fine candidates who have shone great interest in our music ministry, and who wish to continue building a program that will help us lift our hearts and voices in sung prayer. I should also add that the music survey which brought in over 200 responses has been a very helpful instrument that has helped us find just the right person for this vital role in our parish’s life.
A few weeks ago our Organ Scholar, Madison Thompson, graduated from Trinity College and will be heading to Montreal and McGill University for further organ study. We are grateful for her dynamic presence with us the past two years, and we wish her our best for success as she continues on her path to a Master’s degree in organ performance. We hope to have another organ scholar from Trinity to join us in the fall.
Our choirs will conclude their season in a few weeks, and they are planning to present a year-end concert on Sunday, June 22nd at 4:00 PM. The program will feature choral works appropriate for the Feast of Corpus Christi as well as organ works played by Madison Thompson. So, please plan to join us, especially if you will be attending the 5:00 Mass on the day.
Blessings on your week ahead!
Fr. Tim Shreenan, O.F.M.
Pastor