When it comes to the liturgical ministries, they each fill an important role at Mass. The lectors proclaim the Word of God for all to hear, the altar servers assist the priests and deacons during the Mass, and the Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion bring the Body and Blood of Christ to the congregation. For those who participate in the Music Ministry, through the sharing of their musical talents, they elevate the liturgy to bring our hearts and minds closer to heaven as we celebrate the Eucharist.
Cecilia’s Choir has been an important part of the parish for many years. Under the skillful guidance of our previous music director, Brenda Accurso, the choir has flourished and provided beautiful music to accompany our liturgies.
Josh Gusam is the new music director for the parish, and he looks forward to continuing Brenda’s vision of this choir.
“Brenda did the great work of turning this choir into a staple of the Music Ministry,” Josh says. “I plan to continue her work of refining the music as we provide the beautiful music for Mass. Mass is the heartbeat of our Catholic faith. So when we work to beautify that with quality liturgical music, we glorify God in that work.”
One small change that Josh will implement is having new members meet with him to audition.
“I don’t want people to be intimidated by this because it really isn’t a big deal,” he says. “The main reason I want to do this is to get to know the person and understand their musical background. This also helps me to put them in the proper place in the choir.”
In recent years, the church has seen a resurgence of more liturgically based music. Our own parish has incorporated Gregorian chant and many other choral anthems that had fallen out of popularity.
“In our culture as Catholics, we come from various walks of life, but the thing that unites us is our love of God and our faith in the Catholic Church,” Josh says. “We have a deep understanding of the things that are good, true, and beautiful. This contributes to the beautiful art, icons, statues, and stained glass windows. Included in this is the beauty of the music that helps to elevate our faith. When we honor the love of beauty that God put on this earth, we are honoring the dignity and magnificence of God.”
To join Cecilia’s Choir, contact Josh Gusam either in person at the parish office, by phone at 919-861-4600, or by email at jgusam@outladyoflourdescc.org.