Anita Draper
Catholic Herald staff

The Diocese of Superior’s 20th annual Music Ministry Retreat and Workshop, set for Oct. 16-17 at Holy Family Catholic Church, Woodruff, features an Advent and Christmas music repertoire session and presenters who will address pastoral musicians both “as parish evangelizers” and “as believers, disciples and servants.”

The event draws vocalists and instrumentalists, cantors, music directors and liturgists from across the diocese for two days of education, fellowship, vocal training and access to some of the newest liturgical music straight from the publisher.

It begins at 5 p.m. with a dinner and keynote on Friday night and continues from 8:30 a.m. through 3:30 p.m. Saturday. The event is followed by an optional pop-up choir practice and performance at the 4 p.m. Mass at Holy Family.

Paul Birch, director of the Office of Worship, said this year’s sponsorship by Oregon Catholic Press enabled the diocese to offer two breakout tracks.

Professional singer, songwriter and worship director Anna Betancourt presents on “The Cantor’s Ministry: Guiding the Assembly,” a track aimed at vocalists and musicians. Betancourt has served as the Spanish choir director in two California cathedrals, including Our Lady of the Angels in Los Angeles, and now ministers with her husband, a deacon, in Texas.

For liturgists and music directors, Dr. Glenn Byer will speak on “Welcoming: The Minister of Music, Hospitality and Outreach.” Byer, an author whose titles include “Unlocking the Feasts and Seasons of the Liturgical Year” and “26 Ordinary Ways to Live the Liturgy,” has a doctorate in sacred liturgy and will connect the dots between the Catechism of the Catholic Church, USCCB guidance and liturgical ministry.

Evangelization

The keynote addresses, which are Friday at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday at 9:30 a.m., will speak to the evangelization role in pastoral ministry.

“The keynote on Friday is entitled, ‘Maintenance to Mission: The Role of Pastoral Musicians in Parish Evangelization,’ which is definitely a page from our diocesan playbook,” Birch said.

“The Minister of Music: Believer, Disciple and Servant,” is the title of the Saturday talk.

“Much of what pastoral musicians do in their ministry in the dioceses of the United States has at its foundation the 2008 USCCB document, ‘Sing to the Lord: Music in Divine Worship,’” Birch commented. “The diocese will try to have complimentary copies of this book available for each of the attendees, and the content of the presentations will be geared with key aspects of that document.”

The Saturday agenda concludes with a reading/repertoire session on Advent and Christmas music, 2-3:30 p.m.

The retreat costs $45 for one day or $90 for both, including meals and materials. Register at catholicdos.org/diocesan-workshop-1 by Oct. 2.

For out-of-town visitors, blocks of rooms have been reserved at two nearby hotels.

To access the “Diocese of Superior” block of rooms at $190 per night, the Best Western Concord Inn, Woodruff, must be contacted through its local number, 715-356-1800.
To access the “Diocese of Superior” block of rooms at $99.90 per night, the Grand Stay Hotel and Suites, Minoqua, must be contacted through its local number, 715-358-2588.

Questions can be directed to Paul Birch, .

Glenn Byer

Anna Betancourt