Old St. Mary’s is looking to hire a new Director of Liturgy and Music. Please spread the word.
Job description below.
Position: Director of Liturgy and Music
Reports to: Pastor
Status: Exempt
Benefits Status: Full-time with Benefits
Parish Description
Established as the first Catholic parish in Chicago in 1833, served by the Paulist Fathers since 1903, and based in three buildings erected since 2002, Old St. Mary’s Parish is a community of remarkable diversity in Chicago’s vibrant South Loop neighborhood. It includes Old’s St. Mary’s School, a Blue Ribbon School for nearly 500 students from age 3 through 8th grade. Long considered an innovative evangelizing force within the American Catholic Church, the Paulists have recently renewed their commitment to minister to groups that often feel marginalized within the Church, including people of color, young adults, women, and people who identify as LGBTQ+. Old St. Mary’s places a priority on the full, conscious, and active participation of all who gather for liturgy, whether they are lifelong Catholics, people who question Church teaching, people of other faith traditions or of no faith tradition. The Old St. Mary’s community is filled with talented professionals and families, known for offering hospitality to all who visit.
Our pastoral leadership team (including two priests with backgrounds in liturgical music) is committed to new mission directions inspired by the Archdiocese of Chicago’s “Renew My Church” initiative and Pope Francis’ synodal model. We look forward to completing the team with a new Director of Liturgy and Music who shares our desire for a ministry environment promoting outreach, creativity, and collaboration!
Position Description
The Director of Liturgy and Music (DLM) collaborates with the pastor, parish staff, school faculty and staff, and liturgy committee to plan, advise, and execute all liturgies. The DLM leads musical ensembles and serves as an accompanist at weekend Masses, weekly school Masses, and other special liturgies. In addition, the DLM is ultimately responsible for all other liturgical ministries, including sacristans, lectors, extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion, ministers of the Liturgy of the Word for children, ushers, greeters, live stream producers, and liturgical environment volunteers.
Main Responsibilities include:
- Accompanist for weekend Masses [currently 4], weekly school Masses, Paschal Triduum, holy days, sacramental celebrations, weddings, funerals, and other special liturgies
- Work with pastor, parish staff, school faculty and staff, and liturgy committee to plan, advise, and execute all liturgies
- Foster the full and active participation of the worshiping community
- With assistance of parish staff and volunteers, recruit, train, and schedule the various liturgical ministers; understand and manage scheduling software (in consultation with parish software coordinator); help less tech-savvy ministers sign up, too
- Program music for the liturgical year, with a deliberate effort to reflect the community’s diversity (consulting sources such as Francis and Zaragoza’s Liturgy in a Culturally Diverse Community), teaching new music to assembly and music leaders [current hymnal is the 2016 edition of Ritual Song, but we frequently use music from OneLicense]
- Recruit, schedule, rehearse, direct, and evaluate cantors, choirs, and other musical ensembles; choose acceptable candidates
- Help to form ministers and parishioners in their roles and understanding of Catholic liturgy
- Act as consultant to those planning weddings, funerals, and memorial services and other liturgical services, and assist them with selection of appropriate music
- Attend parish staff and liturgical planning meetings
- Create the rehearsal and music event schedule for the year
- Observe and post regular office hours
- Create and oversee the liturgical and music budgets
- Oversee the creation of worship aids, as necessary
Requirements:
- Be an active Catholic, possess a strong knowledge and understanding of Catholic liturgy and sacraments [advanced degree in liturgy desired]
- Must be proficient pianist and choral director [advanced degree in music, proficiency in organ also desired]
- Excellent interpersonal and communication skills to organize many groups of volunteers
- Stay up to date with liturgical, sacramental, and musical rubrics and trends
- Proficiency in software necessary to schedule ministers and create documents
Salary commensurate with experience. Weddings and funerals are stipended.
Please submit inquiries to Dawn Burns, Business Manager, dawn@oldstmarys.com, 312-922-3444 x23.