Music Ministries

As Pope John Paul II reminds us: …Christian communities must become genuine ‘schools of prayer’, where the meeting with Christ is expressed not just in imploring help, but also in thanksgiving, praise, adoration, contemplation, listening and ardent devotion, until the heart truly falls in love.

Our various music ministries seek to lead and support the members of St. Margaret of Scotland in full, conscious, and active participation in the liturgical and sacramental life of our parish family. In the best sense of the word, we hope to become a true ‘school of prayer.’ The tremendous commitment and dedication of our music ministry teams evidence this hope.

Worship Teams (Ages 12 and older)

This commitment bears its fruit, first and foremost, on Sundays (and Saturdays) at our parish Eucharist, where, through the year-round commitment of our dedicated instrumentalists and vocalists, we maintain five contemporary musical ensembles or worship teams to lead and support us in sung prayer.

Built on a foundation of inviting, sing-able, contemporary music with a particular focus on the many aspects of praise (along with some traditional works), we are also seeking to bring this approach to a broader use of commonly used music in the American Catholic experience and better integration of this energetic spirit into the life-giving feasts and seasons of the Liturgical Calendar.

Baptism Worship Ministry (Ages 11 and older)

Our Sunday, celebratory spirit continues in and through our commitment to music at every Baptism Celebration, whether within or outside of our Eucharistic assemblies. As stated in The General Instruction to Christian Initiation, “[Music] stimulates a sense of unity among those present, it gives warmth to their common prayer, and it expresses the joy of Easter.” In this ministry, small teams of instrumentalists and vocalists commit to help once a month, on Sunday afternoon, and provide an inviting atmosphere of sung prayer as part of the Rite.

Children’s Choir (Ages 6 to 11)

Dedicated members of the music ministry train, rehearse and direct our Children’s Choir to lead the sung prayer at particular liturgies (the third Sunday of the month) or at special feasts in the Church Calendar (Thanksgiving, Christmas, etc.). Using contemporary song and gestures, they enrich our community experience and remind us of the ‘joy of the Kingdom.’ Our Vacation Bible School always celebrates the musical gifts of our children for a week during the summer.

Sound Ministry (Ages 13 and older)

Supporting our worship in a crucial yet ‘behind the scenes’ way is our sound ministry, which provides minute-by-minute technical support at all our church events. Training is provided by staff  with the goal of maintaining a consistent, high standard throughout our sound delivery system.

Music Outreach Ministry (Ages 11 and older)

Because of a desire to bring this precious gift of our community’s song beyond our church walls, a team of generous volunteer vocalists and musicians reaches out to sing at local nursing homes on a seasonal or monthly basis. This music outreach ministry continues to be one of the concrete expressions of the Spirit in our music ministry, sharing the fruits of our Eucharistic celebrations with the larger community.

For further information on any of these Music Ministries contact the Director of Music, Dr. Daniel Crews, at 732-3131 ext. 17.