Ministry Monday

Today's Ministry Monday features Annie Donnellon, an NPM certified cantor, as well as Rebecca Schaffer Wells and Joe Simmons, both cantors and leaders in the field. In this Ministry Monday episode, we explore the call to being a cantor in ministry, ways to strengthen ministerial and musical skills, and considerations for Directors of Music to support inclusion for both blind and sighted cantors for music ministers in a program.

Today our “Story Series” continues with a conversation I had with Brother Louis Canter. Brother Louis is a member of the Order of Ecumenical Franciscans and founder of Franciscan Ministry of Peace. Louis has been involved with ecumenical and inter faith dialogue. His work as a composer and concert artist for International Liturgical Publications has offered him a wide variety of opportunities for dialogue with many faith communities.

Brother Louis was kind enough to sit down with me and discuss how he decided to become a Brother of the Order of Ecumenical Franciscans, his pastoral music initiatives, and...

In today’s episode, we turn our attention to the Responsorial Psalm—one of the most familiar, beautiful moments in the celebration of Mass. What is the purpose of the Responsorial Psalm within the Liturgy of the Word? And how does it invite the assembly into prayer through Scripture and music?

We are honored to welcome Fr. Michael Joncas to guide this conversation. Known for his deep insight into liturgy and sacred music, Fr. Joncas helps us explore the theological, spiritual, and pastoral significance of the psalm, and why the Church continues to call us not only to h...

Ministry Monday’s Story Series continues with Rodolfo López and Estela García-López, a husband and wife duo who serve in music ministry in the pacific northwest and are two of NPM’s Pastoral Musicians of the Year. Rudy López and Estela García-López are pastoral musicians, composers, and event presenters originally from Los Angeles, California, and from Portland, Oregon, for the last twenty-six years. They have been committed to enriching the liturgy -- in both English and Spanish--through music. They have served as music directors, cantors, choristers, and instrumentalists in parishes throughout Southern California and Portla...

Introducing "The Story Series", a recurring series of episodes on Ministry Monday! The Story Series interviews pastoral musicians across the country and shares their pastoral music journey, both in its rewards and challenges along the way.

Today we speak with Rick Gibala, a lifelong pastoral musician who started his ministry in the Diocese of Pittsburgh. He was the first layperson to be the Diocesan Director of Music, and founded the Pittsburgh NPM chapter. His ministry led him to the DC-Virginia area where he's ministered there since 1986. Rick shares how he began to serve in pastoral ministry, what...

Pastoral ministry seeks to include all those who feel called to offer their talents for praise and service to the Church. Music is a unique ministry in that, while we want all to join us, those who participate must have some sort of experience in music. It doesn’t necessarily need to be professional experience - singing in the shower can count as experience for a new potential choir member, and a simple handbell workshop can familiarize a music minister with starting in the handbell choir. But when it comes to instrumental ensembles, how do we make sure that al...

Even at a young age music was very important in our house. As my father was once a live and radio DJ, I spent many nights in my father’s game room, (gently) dropping the needle onto an album with him, discussing the historical and cultural importance of music from the 1960s and 1970s in particular. One of the most impactful albums in my memory was the Moody Blues’s “A Question of Balance”. Now, the Moody Blues were a mainstay in our musical repertoire. “Days of Future Passed” were on regular rotation. But there was something about “A Question of Ba...

Ministry Monday is back with new episodes, new topics, and a new video intro and outro! If you haven’t seen our podcast in its video form, check it out. The links are in the show notes of this episode at ministrymonday.org and at our YouTube page, youtube.com/npmlivestream. It’s been a true joy to take a few weeks off of the podcast to gather these new conversations for upcoming episodes. I think you’re going to like it. I’d also like to thank those who reached out asking why we hadn’t returned yet from our C...

Taken from the Ministry Monday archives in 2019, this episode features multiple pastoral musicians who share their reflections on preparing ourselves for Christmas- while preparing so many others. This episode features an article by Chris Titko (J.W. Pepper) as well as interviews with Matt Maus and Anna Betancourt.

I once had a cantor who recently had a baby. She wanted to minister quickly after her child was born, but balancing two children with varying work schedules was a constant challenge for her. I told her that we would welcome her back as a minister in any way that her schedule would allow.  

One morning, her husband had an unexpected work commitment, so she brought her toddler and infant with her to church. They were both incredibly well-behaved until the preparation of the gifts, but this didn’t stop my cantor. With her toddler next to her...

Today on the podcast we feature the leadership team of the Jefferson City, Missouri, chapter. They are NPM's 2025 Chapter of the year! We discuss the ways the chapter has increased their membership, cultivated consistent programming, and some of the most important relationships that have strengthened the chapter.

There are so many ways to involve a parish community in its music ministry, and not all of them, of course, include singing. Haven’t we all heard the parishioner who says, “I can’t join the music ministry - I can’t sing!” Luckily for us, music ministry today can include instrumental assistance, including a handbell choir.

In many instances, handbell choirs were the only choirs allowed in a parish setting during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. It is a choir setting that can be accomplished without projecting the human voice. It can also be done with...

In this episode of Ministry Monday we speak to Jennifer Kluge, Executive Director of NPM. Jennifer shares takeaways from all 5 locations of NPM On the Road this summer, the financial impact from the events, and what to expect at the 2026 National Convention next summer in Washington, DC.

SHOW NOTES

For more information about the 2026 Convention, click here.

All content of this podcast is property of the National Association of Pastoral Musicians or its content suppliers and...

The musical world (both in music education, technology, and music ministry) has been adjusting to the reality of a world without Finale. It’s been a guiding post in music notation software for many musicians. It’s the software I learned on in music school. But sadly, after announcing last year that MakeMusic (Finale’s parent company) would no longer support new software updates, it was time to begin shopping for another option.

Today’s episode of Ministry Monday features the prelude to a 4-part series on music notation software that NPM offered in the spring of 2024. While we...

This week's episode of Ministry Monday features composer and NPM member Luke Rosen. In this replay episode from October 2023, Luke shares his reflections on the many things a pastoral musician can consider as they compose music, whether it's for a parish music ministry or just for personal enjoyment.

Today on Ministry Monday we speak with Kathleen Pluth, hymn text author and translator whose work frequently appears in the prayer guide Magnificat, GIA Publications, and CanticaNova. Her hymn text, "Let the Earth Acclaim Christ Jesus," was chosen as the official hymn for the 2024 National Eucharistic Congress. She also wrote a hymn titled, "Hymn for the Soul of a Pope", which she offered for free during the month of May as many parishes honored the life of Pope Francis. Today Kathleen and I talk about all things hymnody: What is "hymnody"? Are there guiding documents that help us to...

Wedding season is well upon us, and with it always comes with a story. Many of you may already know that prior to working full-time for NPM, I was a full-time DIrector of Music at a Catholic church, which was set in a very beautiful, very visible, and also very tourist-laden area of my city. For 13 years I played 60-70 weddings annually, half of which were non-parishioners. The experiences came with a sense of excitement and joy…but also a time for catechesis for the bride and groom. We’ve probably all had the couple who needed a bit more...

This episode of Ministry Monday is brought to you by Boston College Clough School of Theology and Ministry (CSTM). Boston College Clough School of Theology and Ministry (CSTM) is accepting applications for Courage to Preach: A Post-Master’s Certificate. Courage to Preach trains participants to read and interpret Scripture and use it as a foundational collection to preach on contemporary issues, such as racial, economic, and environmental justice. The certificate is completed over 12 months. Learn more at bc.edu/preach.

NPM is blessed with a rich community of Asian/Pacific American pastoral musicians that support their parishes an...

Growing up in the Catholic Church I was familiar with the poster of the liturgical calendar. You know the one: its circular design reflects the changing colors and seasons in the Church calendar. I always found this poster to be fascinating, even as a very young person: What did it mean? How did the The Church decide these things? Why do the colors change? As a young adult I asked myself questions about the saints on the calendar, the nuances of Holy Days of Obligation, and more. The practical and historical contexts of our Church calendar have always fascinated...

This episode of Ministry Monday is brought to you by Ministry Scheduler Pro. Take the pain out of scheduling church volunteers with easy-to-use software designed just for ministries. Free up your time, and make it easy for your volunteers to answer the call to serve. Start your free trial today at MinistrySchedulerPro.com.

We are back from a brief Easter hiatus, and w

Today is the last episode Ministry Monday will be airing before a brief Holy Week and Easter hiatus. We wanted to leave you with an episode that would provide a prayerful pause as you wrap up the last rehearsals, make the last binders, and write the last “thank you” notes to your Holy Week musicians. Today we begin a conversation focusing on the sequences and hear from Fr. J. Michael Joncas. What is the history of a sequence’s form? What terminology predates the sequences? How can we most effectively employ sequences in our parishes? It is a great episod...

During the month of March NPM celebrates the women that shape us and love us into being. Those who fight against the injustices of our society today. Women in religious life who are our spiritual guides. And those among us who lead and serve the Church in lay ministry. We are honored to celebrate you! And today we offer a replay episode that celebrates some of the strong women in our Church’s history. We hope this episode inspires you, and maybe prompts you to learn more about these holy women- and more.

Today we speak with Irish composer Dana Scallon (known professionally as DANA) about the life of Saint Brigid, patroness of Ireland. Dana was inspired to write a hymn reflecting the life of Saint Brigid, celebrating the 1500th anniversary of the saint’s death, and she was gracious enough to sit down and share her inspiration for the piece today. Dana joins us today from her home in Ireland.

For more information about St. Brigid and St. Brigid's Song, check out the show notes of this episode at ministrymonday.org.

We’re in the small window between the Christmas and Lenten seasons, which means it’s time to plan. Lenten music, Triduum music, and Easter music are in its final stages of planning. How can we stretch our dollars in our music ministry budget to add new variety, new depth, into our chosen music?

Today we feature an episode from 4 years ago that explores the music available to us in the public domain. Public domain music can be somewhat work-intensive, as it’s not regulated in the same way as a published piece, but the efforts to sift t...

NPM is hitting the road this summer for 2-day events across the United States! Today we're sitting down with Executive Director Jennifer Kluge to unpack these series of events, titled "NPM On the Road." What can we expect out of these events? Who should attend them? Where can we stay? These questions - and many more - are answered in this jam-packed episode.

Today on Ministry Monday we return from our holiday break! Our first episode of 2025 features Steven Warner the founder and director emeritus of the Notre Dame Folk Choir, as well as founder of the Newman Vocare Ensemble. Like many pastoral musicians, the Holy Spirit clearly is working through Steve and his decades-long work in music and ministry. Steve is no stranger to the podcast: we spoke of his connection to Saint John Henry Newman while he taught at the Newman Centre for Faith and Reason in Dublin, and we also discussed the Catholic Church in Ireland on another episode...

This week we feature part two of our conversation with Dr. Benjamin Cornelius-Bates, Professor of Musicianship at Duquesne University. Last week Dr. Cornelius-Bates shared some basic tips on how to improvise on traditional and contemporary Advent hymn tunes this Advent and Christmas season. If you haven’t listened to it, we strongly encourage you to! This week we pick up where we left off and see how we can develop his improvisation tips into more complex ways of sparking creativity in the liturgy.

On our 250th episode of Ministry Monday we offer a replay from the podcast's archives on improvisation. In the midst of many Advent and Christmas preparations, I’ll admit that solid improvisatory skills are an excellent tool to have in my arsenal. Today Dr. Benjamin Cornelius-Bates - a professor of musicianship at Duquesne University - shares tips on how to improvise on traditional and contemporary Advent hymn tunes this Advent and Christmas season. Ben’s tips are practical for well beyond the Advent season, but I hope that they spark some creativity during a trying time like Advent for the...

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This week on Ministry Monday we are excited to speak to leadership from the NPM Cincinnati, Ohio Chapter. The Cincinnati Chapter is NPM's 2024 Chapter of

This episode of Ministry Monday is brought to you by Ministry Scheduler Pro. Take the pain out of church volunteer scheduling with powerful, easy-to-use software designed especially for ministry scheduling. Start your free trial today at MinistrySchedulerPro.com.

Part of the cultural fabric of our parish life are the songs we sing. We, as pastoral musicians, are highly aware of this fact. There are so many considerations we make when choosing the repertoire for our parish: instrumental, scriptural, melodic….but what about cultural? How much does our music adequately represent the varied, complex, beautiful human existences that ma...

Today we speak with Laura Huval, a Grammy-nominated recording artist, Catholic speaker, author, composer, and pastoral musician. Laura recently released a sung setting of the rosary, which was premiered on October 7, the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary. I had the chance to reflect on her inspiration to write a sung version of the rosary, the differences between each decade, and how to access it (for free) today.

Today on the podcast we speak to organist and composer Rebecca te Velde about the power a simple hymn can hold in any denomination's church service. Rebecca is the co-editor of the book series, "Oxford Hymn Settings for Organists," as well as the author and editor of Oxford's "Hymn Miniatures" series. The impact a hymn tune can have on the continuity of a service is large, and Rebecca helps us to re-imagine how we, as pastoral musicians, can use those hymn tunes to amplify the scriptural message - and the message of the overall season.

This week on Ministry Monday we revisit one of our most listened to episodes: a conversation with theologian and liturgical composer, Tony Alonso, about his work, "Caminemos con Jesús." "Caminemos con Jesús” is a collection of liturgical music that honors the Cuban musical heritage not often seen in its own right, liturgically, in the United States. In this episode you’ll learn the inspiration behind “Caminemos con Jesús”, as well as the people, effort and heart from so many to make this project authentic, vibrant and full of the Spirit. It is one of many great ways to cel...

We’re back! Ministry Monday returns after a summer haitus with new episodes! We’ve prepared a fall season of great episodes with topics on, of course, music, ministry, and liturgy. This week Dr. Dan Girardot (Associate Director of the Office of Worship of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston) discusses the practical, prayerful, and other musical considerations for cantors ministering in larger-than-normal Masses. Whether it's Christmas Eve, a large funeral or wedding, or a Confirmation Mass, Dan reflects on the changes cantors can anticipate and best serve the liturgy (and its faithful) at hand.

This past week we celebrated the 2-year anniversary of Pope Francis's Apostolic Letter on the Liturgy, Desiderio Desideravi. This document is still a guiding force in our Church today; for this reason, we offer 2021 Jubilate Deo award winner Fr. John Baldovin's reflections as a wonderful foundation of learning. We also encourage you to attend the Breakout session, "Desiderio Desideravi and Discernment: Revealing Pope Francis’s Liturgical Insights," at the 2024 Convention this summer.

Today we have the pleasure of speaking to Kathleen Pluth, whose hymn text, "Let the Earth Acclaim Christ Jesus," was chosen as the official hymn for the 2024 National Eucharistic Congress, taking place in just a few weeks in Indianapolis, Indiana. Today we speak of the inspiration Kathleen has found to author hymn texts, and how she was inspired to write the award-winning text.

In the last episode of Ministry Monday we spoke to Fr. Joe Laramie, a Jesuit priest, about the Liturgy of the Hours. This week we continue the conversation with Michael Silhavy, Senior Project Editor for GIA Publications, Inc., as we explore the Divine Office Hymnal: what was the genesis of its creation? What is included in the hymnal? What is the format and structure? Can it be used for prayer outside of the Liturgy of the Hours? Michael addresses all of these questions and much more.

Today we speak to Fr. Joe Laramie, a Jesuit priest who currently lives in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Fr. Joe is also the National Director of the Pope's Prayer Network, a 175-year-old spiritual mission uniting hearts to the Heart of Jesus in the heart of the Church. Additionally he is a Eucharistic Preacher for the National Eucharistic Revival. Fr. Joe recently penned an article for America Magazine titled: "Praying the Liturgy of the Hours is worth it—even if you do it badly". We discuss what he means by that title, and how we, as followers (and oftentimes laypeople), can begin to...

Today we chat with Kathleen M. Basi (Kate, for short) and Jaime Cortez about the Liturgical Composers Forum's New Music Review taking place this summer at the NPM convention. We discuss the basics of the New Music Review, what to expect regarding the submission process, and more. The deadline to submit any compositions for the New Music Review is June 1. Tune in and learn more today! Not ready to submit? This episode gives great tips for composers and shares how you can sit in on the New Music Review yourself.