Pastors Desk Cantor
Paul Turner The cantor leads and sustains the singing of the assembly. The cantor may also sing solos or alternate with everyone else. Whether your church is blessed with a choir or prays without one, the cantor helps integrate the service.
The cantor is one of the ministers assigned to parts of the Mass. When the priest, deacon, cantor, servers, assembly and others accept their respective roles, we all celebrate Mass with more understanding. The cantor may lead the psalm at the ambo, assuming the same position as the reader of Scripture. The cantor may read or sing the petitions of the penitential rite and of the general intercessions. The cantor may lead other music such as the alleluia, the Lamb of God and the communion song. Thus the cantor adds a degree of solemnity to the Eucharist. A cantor will also provide encouragement and example for others to join in singing.
A well-trained cantor blesses the community. Cantors should possess enough musical ability to execute their ministry, but they need something more. They need to be men and women with religious understanding, who can not only sing a text accurately but also share their faithful soul and inspire the prayer of others. A good cantor will invite participation in song and spirit.
Some people prefer not to sing when they hear the cantor. In our culture, we expect that someone singing into a microphone is a soloist, so we may forget that all of us are “performers” at church. When the cantor leads our song, we should sing, not listen.
Since the cantor sings praise, prayer, petition and sorrow, the ministry demands someone experienced with life. Cantors who share their struggles and joys in song will help us meet ours.
Copyright © 2003 Resource Publications, Inc., 160 E. Virginia St. #290, San Jose, CA 95112, (408) 286-8505, Paul Turner, pastor of St. Munchin Parish in Cameron, Mo. WHAT’S YOUR CATHOLIC IQ? – Here is the latest installment of our
monthly bulletin feature. This series, composed by Catechist Magazine columnist
Paige McKean Zymrosky, tests your knowledge of our Catholic faith. Circle the
answer you think matches each question or statement. The correct answers are on
the opposite page.
- A new liturgical year starts on (a) Ash Wednesday; (b) Easter Sunday; (c) Pentecost; (d) the First Sunday of Advent
- Non-ordained member of the Church are called (a) the laity; (b) presbyters; (c) archbishops; (d) pastors
- In case of emergency (a) anyone can baptize; (b) only a priest can baptize; (c) only a nun can baptize; (d) only a deacon can baptize
- The home of St. Katharine Drexel was (a) Los Angeles; (b) Houston; (c) Philadelphia; (d) Lake Wobegon
- As the Good Shepherd, Jesus (a) seeks out the lost; (b) lays down his life for his sheep; (c) knows his sheep and they know him; (d) all of the above
- The phase “synoptic Gospels” (a) refers to Matthw, Mark, and Luke; (b) literally means “with a single eye”; (c) means that these Gospels contain similar, often identical material; (d) all of the above
- The Father of the Church who said “To sing is to pray twice” was (a) St. Anthony of Egypt; (b) St. Augustine; (c) St. Therese of Lisieux; (d) St. Alphonsus Liguori
- The opinion that God does not exist is called (a) polytheism; (b) pantheism; (c) atheism; (d) fascism
- The dress code for entering St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican (a) forbids shorts for both men and women; (b) forbids tank tops; (c) is enforced by ushers; (d) all of the above
- The color associated with Mary the mother of Jesus is (a) blue; (b) violet; (c) pink; (d) yellow
- Pope Benedict XVI’s first encyclical, or circular letter, was about (a) Church restructuring; (b) women priests; (c) love; (d) greed
- In the Bible, another name for the Promised Land is (a) Egypt; (b) the Land of Canaan; (c) Babylon; (d) Nineveh
- The home for orphans and the underprivileged started by Fr. Edward Flanagan near Omaha, Nebraska, was called (a) Boys Town; (b) Children’s Village; (c) Mary’s Villa; (d) Wayside of the Sacred Heart
- The book of the Apocalypse is another name for (a) the Torah; (b) Revelation; (c) Daniel; (d) Hebrews
- The People of God are made “a priestly people” (a) by virtue of their baptism; (b) only if there’s a vocation in the family; (c) only if their ancestors were Jewish priests; (d) only if the pope gives permission
- Besides water and chrism, the newly baptized receive (a) the Sign of the Cross; (b) a white garment; (c) a candle lit from the Easter candle; (d) all of the above
- When Zacchaeus the tax collector came to Jesus, he said that if he had cheated anyone (a) they deserved it; (b) it was too late to do anything; (c) he would ask the Roman governor to pay them; (d) he himself would pay them four times what he owed
- The virtue of modesty can help a person be “pure of heart” by (a) inspiring one’s choice of clothing; (b) keeping a person silent in the face of unhealthy curiosity; (c) resisting the allure of advertisements and TV shows; (d) all of the above
- Jesus said: Whatever you do to the least of my people…(a) you do to me; (b) you do for yourself; (c) brings honor to the whole human race; (d) earns points in heaven
- The largest church in Christendom is (a) St. Patrick’s in New York City; (b) Westminster Abbey in England; (c) St. Peter’s in Vatican City; (d) the National Cathedral in Washington D.C.
2010 CATHOLIC EDUCATION COLLECTION – Please read Bishop Trautman’s
letter (insert) regarding this annual appeal. On the local level 50% of the
money collected stays in our parish to help with religious education and adult
faith formation. The other half goes to the diocese to support numerous
parish-based initiatives, the Religious Education Endowment Fund for catechist
training and computers and software. Please help us to continue to support our
parish religious education program by your generous response to the annual
Catholic Education Collection.
REMEMBER. . . - Your offering may be placed in the envelope in your envelope packet.
- Your gift of $20.00 provides a contribution of $10.00 to the diocesan program and helps purchase a textbook for a student in our Religious Education Program (Actual Cost: $15.00).
- Your commitment to sacrificial giving has made it possible to maintain for the second year in a row the same low fee parents are charged for R.E.P. In 2010-2011 that fee remains $30.00 for one child and $40.00 for a family.
RELIGIOUS EDUCATION CORNER
CONFIRMATION PARENTS – Your meeting is on Sunday evening, September 12 at 7:00 p.m. in the rectory meeting room. This informational—and faith formational—session is hosted by our Confirmation team.
CATECHETICAL SUNDAY IS SEPTEMBER 19.
CATECHISTS RETREAT – All R.E.P. Catechists, RCIA Team members, and Pre-Cana team members are reminded of the annual retreat Sunday, September 19. You will gather at 9:45 a.m. in the rectory meeting room for Session I, attend the 11:00 am Mass, then return to the RMR for lunch. (You will be out in time for the Steeler’s kickoff.)
R.E.P. FAITH FORMATION CLASSES BEGIN SUNDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2010 - Students in pre-school through grade eight meet on Sunday morning from 9:30 to 10:45 a.m. Classes for grades nine, ten and eleven are from 12:15 to 1:30 p.m.
PARENTS, PLEASE NOTE! Following guidelines issued by the Diocese of Erie, sacramental programs entail two years of preparation. For Penance and Reconciliation, a student must be enrolled in the program for first and second grades. For Eucharist, a student must be enrolled in the program for second and third grades. For Confirmation, a student must be enrolled in the program for tenth and eleventh grades. LABOR DAY OBSERVANCE - On Monday, September 6, there will be at 8:30
Mass at Immaculate Conception Church. Why not observe the last national holiday
of the summer by attending Mass? THE PARISH OFFICE WILL BE CLOSED MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 6 IN OBSERVANCE OF THE
LABOR DAY HOLIDAY. OFFICE HOURS ON TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 7 – 12:30 – 4:30 P.M. THE QUESTION OF THE WEEK –
Youth and Adult: For the modern man or woman, what does it mean to
renounce one's possessions, in such a way that it will be enough? Why are
material possessions such a danger to our souls? How can non-material things
like ideologies, prejudices, or ideas be like material ones?
Children: When I am sad or upset, what good things can I remember to give
me hope? GOOD STEWARDS – The 2010 parish picnic has been evaluated, the
compliments savored and the complaints noted. Thank you to our picnic chairs,
Randy and Rhonda Shook, and special thanks to Janet and Ron Lauer
for their donation of the corn on the cob. Here is a list of the crew who
labored, hauled, husked, cooked, served, registered and “read up”: Bea Ausel;
Jim Delaney; Vickie Ferringer; Bob Ganoe; Joel German and the Knights of
Columbus; Pat Gill and Fred Schweihofer; Mark Hawthorne; Ginny Judy; Gary
and Rita Kahle; Jean Kahle; Jim Kerle; Dennis Kidney; Kerry Kifer; Diane
Knight; Kim and Clay Kroh; Pat Magness; Rachel and Joe Matus; Mary
Jane McCall; Ken Means; Jane Mohney; Terry, Larry and Theresa Pierucci;
Ed Siegel; Tom Steiner; Jean Swartz; Janison Tognarine; Rick Tote; Lou and
Marge Tripodi. WHAT KIND OF STEWARD AM I? Christian stewardship provides a
spirituality that you can take home from church, exercise at work, and express
through personal involvement in the community and the Church.
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