In Paradisum...

May the angels lead you into Paradise;
May the martyrs come to welcome you,
And take you to the holy city:
The new and eternal Jerusalem!

In Paradisum, Rite of Funerals

Singing Death to New Life
On this Sunday when we celebrate the souls who have gone before us into God’s loving embrace, I’d like to take a pause in our weekly “about the Music Ministry” series to recognize a remarkable group of men and women whose ministry often goes unnoticed and unrecognized. Most parishioners may not even know that they exist, until the moment when they gather in the parish church with their family for a loved one’s funeral.

I am speaking of our parish Resurrection Choir. This group of music ministers consists mostly of retired parishioners, or those whose weekday work schedules are flexible. Some are members of one of the other parish musical ensembles, but for many this is their only opportunity to minister through music. Whenever a funeral is scheduled, a chain of phone calls goes out to the various members; everyone who is available on any given day arrives half an hour prior to the service to warm up their voices, put on robes, and rehearse a bit. They graciously re-arrange choral parts to make sure everything will be well-heard and well-sung (on a day when we have 8 sopranos and only one alto, some flexibility and adjustment is helpful!), they rehearse anything that may be unfamiliar at a given funeral, and sometimes they spend some time learning a new piece of music or a new harmony part, to help the group continue growing and deepening its skills. As mourners begin to arrive, they will frequently offer a choral “prelude” to the Mass, helping those who are gathered to find a place of peace and prayer.

Sometimes the 10-20 members of the choir raise their voices to a full church; sometimes the dozen or so in the choir outnumber a smaller group of mourners. Sometimes they go weeks without singing together, and some weeks the group may gather four or five times, or even twice in one day. But I can truly say, as Music Director, that I have never met a more prayerful, humble, committed group of musicians and believers, and it is my privilege to know and make music with them, to stand by their side in singing our beloved dead home to the God who loves us all.

Whether or not you see them, you should know they are there. And please offer a prayer for their continued ministry, as they continue to sing and pray for all of us.