Music Ministry
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Come sing with us!
Feel called to sing at Mass?
Our adult choirs include a Men’s Choir, Women’s Choir and Mixed Choir that each sing once a month.
The last Sunday of every month is our Children’s Choir for any child in 3rd grade on up!
All Middle School and High School students are welcome to join any of our Adult Choirs every month.
Call or text Theresa Sundstrom (Music Coordinator) at 563-451-2054
or send an email to: dbq190s@dbqarch.org
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Children's ChoirNotice some "interesting" outfits?
You guessed it!
It was Trunk or Treat day.
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Summer Choir Camp
By: Theresa Sundstrom
August 9th, 2022
Thank you to all the students who were able to make our first Choir Camp last month such a success! Hosted by St Johns, two evenings were filled with learning about Saints who sang or played instruments, new songs to sing in Children’s Choir, and learning to play the tambourine and chimes! Guest speaker, Cindy Kendall, shared a reflection on Saint Miriam and taught them new rhythms on the tambo. They all left camp full of energy and excited to be a part of Children’s Choir, sharing their time and talents!
“Then the prophet Miriam, Aaron’s sister, took a tambourine in her hand, while all the women went out after her with tambourines, dancing; and she responded to them; Sing to the Lord, for he is gloriously triumphant; horse and chariot he has cast into the sea.” – Exodus 15:20-21
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Theresa's Blog
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Mass of a Joyful Heart
By: Theresa Sundstrom
August 2022
I have often heard that the “primary role of the church choir is to lead the congregation in singing”. It is true that the choir is leading the congregation, but their primary goal is to first pray the Mass. In turn, this leads the congregation in prayer. We are truly blessed with a parish that sings – the church is always full of prayer!
We currently have three Mass Settings that we alternate throughout the Liturgical Year (Mass of Creation, Mass of Christ the Savior and Mass of Renewal). Our choir is excited to introduce a new Mass Setting called “Mass of a Joyful Heart” by Steve Angrisano and Tomaszek on Sunday, September 4th. We will be practicing the Gloria before Mass with the Children’s Choir on the last Sunday of August and again before Mass on September 4 th . Head to YouTube and check out the new Gloria by searching: “Mass of a Joyful Heart Glory to God OCP”. There will be handouts in the pew for you to follow along and together pray this joyful Mass Setting!
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A Sacred Valentine
By: Theresa Sundstrom
Feburary 13, 2022
My thoughts have been drawn to the Sacred Heart of Jesus recently. I awoke one morning thinking of Valentine's Day and God's merciful love for us. Father Wojtek in the Archdiocese of Baltimore, MD made the connection beautifully: “The heart is the center of love and the center of life. The Sacred Heart is a heart full of love for us, and that’s the attraction. It’s like a sacred Valentine.”The Catholic devotion to the Sacred Heart focuses on Christ’s physical heart as a symbol of His love for all humanity. In the late 17th century, Christ revealed to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, that His human heart was to be the symbol of His divine-human love. As part of this devotion to the Sacred Heart, a Catholic tradition is to receive holy Communion on nine consecutive first Fridays of the month and say special prayers to consecrate themselves to the Sacred Heart.
“The Lord is always watching us with mercy. Let us be not afraid to approach him. He has a merciful heart. If we show our inner wounds, our sins, he always forgives us. He is pure mercy.” - Pope Francis
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Kitchen Madonna
By: Theresa Sundstrom
January 30, 2021
I ran across a beautiful book on Formed called The Little Oratory: A Beginner’s Guide to Praying in the Home by David Clayton and Leila Marie Lawler. The following is an excerpt explaining why it’s important to create an “oratory” in our homes. (A corner or table that draws us to pray in our daily lives).
“Jesus Himself was born into a family, which is of the greatest significance for us as we think about what our homes should be like. The Lord of the universe, one supposes, could have come to redeem mankind in some other way – by emerging fully grown from behind a bush, or perhaps by entering the material world as he left it, in a cloud of unknowing. But instead, God Himself chose to embrace the stuff of which we are made in the most definitive way possible: by being conceived in the womb of a mortal woman and growing in the same fashion as every other person on earth, including living in a home. The Redeemer began in a physical place, and that means that the womb, and later home itself was also a sanctuary tabernacle.”
If this book inspires you to create a space in your home, think small. It reminded me of a “Kitchen Madonna” I have above my sink. A simple statue of Mary that reminds me to keep the daily work as a mother prayerful and virtuous.
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Catholic Liturgical Living
By: Theresa Sundstrom
January 23, 2021
The 1st Sunday of Advent marks the beginning of a new Liturgical Year in the Church. (Unlike the seasonal New Year that starts on January 1st) Brand new Breaking Bread Hymnals is always an exciting time for musicians. New songs and a fresh start to renew our prayer lives!
Liturgical Living is a term that simply means following the Church calendar to weave our Catholic faith into all aspects of our lives. I happened upon Catholic author Kendra Tierney’s book, “The Catholic All Year Compendium” a few years ago that is full of Catholic celebrations for families. Here’s one from her book that I hope to incorporate into our family this year. Let me know if you try it too!
“As a family activity for the beginning of Advent, we like to choose patron saints for the year. Each member of the family chooses one saint he already knows, usually his name saint, and one saint at random to get to know during the year. The next step is to write down the name of the saint, and his feast day, so it’s not forgotten three minutes later.”
Have fun picking saints and don’t forget to celebrate their Feast Days with lots of food and fun throughout the year!
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