Director of Liturgy and Music

St. Francis de Sales Catholic Parish, located in Abingdon, Maryland, seeks candidates for a Director of Liturgy & Music. The Director of Liturgy & Music is responsible for the overall administration, direction, planning and execution of the liturgy and music of the parish in collaboration with the pastoral staff and liturgy committee, in accordance with the norms of the Roman Catholic Church. Collaborates with staff to fulfill the vision and mission of St. Francis de Sales Catholic Parish. Recruit, inspire, train and support volunteers. This is a part-time, benefit eligible position working a varied schedule of 25 hours per week.

Essential Functions

• Directs and plays organ/piano for Masses, adult choir, children's choir, and all pastoral music groups and soloists.

• Communicates with clergy and participants regarding Baptisms and Baptism Prep classes.  Ensures provision of appropriate materials necessary for Baptism. Ensures that all participants and sacramental items are in the right place at the right time during the baptism ceremony.  Facilitates the Baptism celebration, including Baptism Prep, from beginning to end working with the celebrants and participants. 

• Prepares for and conducts follow up after larger parish sacramental celebrations and holy days including Confirmation, First Eucharist, parish wide Reconciliation, Easter Vigil initiations, etc., all while integrating the Hispanic Community.

•  Directs all pastoral music groups and soloists, adult choir, and children’s choir.  Collaborates with the Assistant Music Director regarding the Spanish choir.

• Recruits and coaches all musicians and cantors; coordinates and directs rehearsals for each music group.

• Selects all music for each liturgy and secures musicians/cantors for those liturgies, including weddings and funerals. 

• Acts as a consultant for planning sacramental liturgies, such as Confirmations, First Eucharists, Baptisms, weddings and funerals.

• Recruits, trains and coaches liturgical ministers, Altar Servers and volunteers.

• Serves as primary organist/pianist and choral/music director for the parish, arriving one hour prior to the liturgical celebration. Holds first refusal on playing wedding and funeral liturgies. Meets with wedding couples to plan music and meets with families of deceased to plan the liturgy and music.

• Plans and facilitates the Liturgy Committee meetings to ensure that all worship and celebrations are conducted appropriately and within the guidelines of Catholic Church teaching, including church decorations.

• Develops and adheres to an annual liturgy/music budget with assistance of the Director of Operations. Ensures that all liturgical supplies are in stock, such as candles, sacramental wines, etc.

• Keeps abreast of current music repertoire and sustains a high measure of skill in planning instruments and/or singing.

• Attends pastoral staff meetings and collaborates with other ministries, especially with youth sacramental director and adult faith formation director and other areas as needed.

Position Qualifications

• Master’s degree in theology or Liturgy or comparable experience is required.  Bachelor’s degree in music, music education or a similar field is preferred.
• Must be proficient in at least one performance area, i.e. choral, voice or keyboard.  Previous experience planning and directing liturgy in a catholic church is preferred.
• Must be able to effectively direct and motivate teams and have excellent organizations skills. 
• Must have exceptional communication skills to interact positively with a variety of people.
• Must have a thorough knowledge of Roman Catholic liturgy
• Must have a thorough knowledge of church music literature in various musical styles and be able to select music that meets the Pastor’s approval.

Salary:  $48,000, Annualized

Benefits:

We offer a comprehensive and competitive benefits package with this position, including health, dental, and vision coverage; employer-paid life and disability insurance; automatic enrollment in the 403(b) plan and employer contribution (whether or not the employee contributes); and generous paid holiday, sick and vacation leave. Please click on the link below for more detailed information: 

https://www.archbalt.org/human-resources/employee-benefits/employee-benefits/