One of the best ways to feel like a family member is by volunteering. Getting to know just a few people at the mass you usually attend will help make the experience of prayer seem a little more intimate, and bring a sense of connectedness. I know you are probably thinking, how can I fit one more thing into my already full schedule? Some of our ministries do require more commitment, while others just require showing up.
Perhaps being involved as a greeter family or usher would be just enough to make a difference in feeling very welcome. Included with this note is information about the various liturgical and music ministries available to participate in with an average time commitment and general requirements for involvement. Most of our liturgical ministries require that participants have received the sacrament of Confirmation, with no age limit. Holy Family also welcomes all parishioners with special needs to participate in our liturgical and music ministries.
If you have any questions, please give me a call at (815) 725-6880, ext.3706, or send me an email at ldankler@holyfamilyshorewood.org. It would be my pleasure to help you become involved in your new parish family.
Wishing you and yours God’s choicest blessings,
Laura Kutscher-Dankler
Director of Worship and Music
The Newman Singers
The Newman Singers, a liturgical & concert group from the Newman Catholic Student Center in Iowa City, Iowa, have toured the country for the past fifteen years, building a reputation for leadership in contemporary liturgical & inspirational music. In their own words, their mission is to spread the gospel of Christ in a manner musically & spiritually uplifting. According to Fr. Virgil Funk, founder of the National Association of Pastoral Musicians, " The Newman Singers are a musical group who reflect the very best in American spirituality for young adults. They have sung at our national meetings and always reflect a deep prayerfulness as well as the enthusiasm of youth. Mattingly is one of the most successful musicians working with young adults in the United States."
Fr. Richard Fragomeni, professor of theology at the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago, says that "The Newman Singers, under the able leadership of Joe Mattingly, are a rich example of what a choir can be in the renewed liturgy, as it helps an assembly to enter more deeply into full, active, and conscious participation."
The Director of the Newman Center, Fr. Ed Fitzpatrick, notes how vital music is to the faith life of young people: "The Newman Singers get their strength from the unity and their grounding at the Center. This enables them to minister through music to themselves, the Newman Center, and to all they encounter on their tours. Their commitment, enthusiasm, joy, and faith touches and deepens the faith of those who worship with them."
The Newman Singers have traveled extensively, appearing at churches, schools, and conventions, presenting concerts, giving workshops on liturgical music, youth ministry
and youth choirs, and leading congregations in liturgy. In the summer of 1993, the Newman Singers were among a select handful of choirs chosen to sing for Pope John Paul II at World Youth Day (WYD) in Denver. The Singers, under the direction of Joe Mattingly, not only lead the music for a series of catechetical sessions during WYD, they were also part of the choir that sang for the concluding Papal Mass. In addition, Mattingly was selected as the pianist for the Papal Mass.
Throughout the past twenty years the Newman Singers have led congregations and audiences across the country in worship, inspired them in concert, and enriched the faith life of all they have ministered to with their music. In the words of those who have heard them, "The Newman Singers presentations are an experience which can touch people to their very souls."