Liturgical Music at Sacred Hearts


Ms. Naomi Matthees
837-2488
Director of Liturgy & Music

Mrs. Irma Hintze
837-2488
Secretary to the Director

• Praying the Liturgy of the Hours
• The 7 Sacraments
• Rites of the Eucharist Outside Mass (like Benediction)
• Viaticum (communion given to one preparing for death)
• The Rite of Christian Burial
• Religious Professions
• Prayers in the Book of Blessings

  Our parish can only be as active and vibrant as its members make it. Members of the community of believers are called upon to share their time and talents for the good of all. If you can be of service in one of these areas or would like more information, please contact the Liturgy Office, (608) 837-2488.

Lector

  The central role of the Lector is to proclaim the Word of God.  Good diction, pronunciation and creative reading skills are required to ensure that the faithful truly hear God speaking to them in the Word.  Requirements for Lectors are as follows:

• Proclaims scriptures to the assembly during the liturgy
   

• Should have a good speaking voice, a love and respect for the word of God, and the desire to share that word with others
   

• Should spend time before the liturgy reviewing scriptures that will be read, in order to be able to proclaim them effectively

Commentator

• Read petitions during Prayer of the Faithful
• Makes special announcements
• Should have good speaking voice   

  Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion

• Helps distribute communion during the liturgy; may assist with purification of vessels after liturgy
• Must be Catholic in good standing that has been confirmed

Greeter

• Welcomes people as they enter the church for the liturgy
• Is ready to provide assistance or answer questions about the parish or the facilities
• Greeters may be individuals, couples, or families  

Member of the Liturgy Commission

•   Attends monthly meetings (First Tuesday, September through June)
• Has an interest in the liturgy of the Church and in seeking ways to enhance the worship and prayer life of Sacred Hearts' members
• May be called upon to work on some type of assignment for the commission meeting

Member of the Art & Environment Committee

• Has talent for decorating, or ability to assist with hanging decorations, etc.
• Is able to participate on days committee is decorating (sometimes weekday evenings, sometimes weekends)
• Is willing and able to work as part of a group

Sacristan

• Assists priest in getting things  ready for the liturgy and putting things back in order after the liturgy
• Contacts the priest or liturgist when supplies are running low

Server

• Assists the priest during Mass or during Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament
• May be youth or adult.  Youth of the appropriate age will be offered the opportunity through the school or through their Christian Formation class.  Adults may volunteer at any time

Usher

• Performs various tasks to help make the worship experience go smoothly, such as helping people find seats, taking up the collection, distributing bulletins after liturgy
• Is ready to provide assistance as needed, particularly for the disabled or when an emergency arises 

Liturgical Music

   Another very important aspect of parish life is our liturgical music program.  At Sacred Hearts Parish, we pride ourselves on choosing and performing a variety of liturgical music pieces which reflect both traditional and contemporary genres.  Liturgical music expresses in song the theology of the Church. 

   Here at Sacred Hearts, we have a variety of liturgical music opportunities for you to become involved in:

Cantor

• Directs singing of the assembly
• Sings some music (e.g., pslam verses) alone
• Assists assembly in learning new music
• Should have a pleasant singing voice, be able to learn and sing music accurately

Choir Member (see various choirs)

Sacred Hearts has five choirs:  Parish Choir, Folk Choir, Young People's Choir, Resurrection Choir, and a Handbell Choir.  Those who wish to join a choir should have reasonably pleasant voices (not as crucial for Handbell Choir members), be able to take direction, be able to attend rehearsals and scheduled liturgies regularly and believe in teamwork!

Parish Choir

•  Sings at 9 a.m. Mass 3-4 times a month and special occasions (Christmas, Holy Week, Confirmation, etc)
• Repertoire: a variety, including traditional and contemporary; mostly 4-part music
• Age: Adults and Teens 

Folk Choir

• Sings at Mass about twice a month (11 a.m. or 5 p.m.) and on other special occasions.
• Repertoire: Mostly music in the contemporary/folk style
• Age:  Adults and youth from 7th grade up

Young People’s Choir

•  Sings at 9 a.m. Mass about once a month, and on other special occasions
• Repertoire:  Traditional and contemporary; goal is to teach young people various types of the church's music, to teach them to work as a musical group, and to train them for leadership roles in parish music ministry
• Age:  Students from 3rd grade up 

Resurrection Choir

• Sings at parish funerals. Rehearsals take place as needed
• Members must be available during the day, when most funerals take place  

Handbell Choir

• Plays at Mass one or two weekends per month (Mass times vary), and on other special occasions (including Christmas, Easter, Memorial Day Mass at parish cemetery)
• Potential members must be able to read music and should be able to attend rehearsals and Masses regularly.  (This is particularly important in a Handbell group, since each member is responsible for playing certain bells.) 

Instrumentalist

   If you play an instrument (trumpet, flute, drums, etc.) to the extent that you have moderate performance ability, please let us know – we may have music for you to play!

   If you are an accomplished pianist or organist, we would be happy to include you in our schedule of accompanists to play for Masses and other events.