LAYTON/DRAPER — When Bishop Oscar A. Solis unveiled the Diocese of Salt Lake City’s Pastoral Plan at the Sept. 15 Diocesan Pastoral Congress at the Skaggs Catholic Center, he said the plan “will guide us and direct us in all our efforts in seeing to it that our mission of evangelization is carried out in every nook and corner of the diocese here in the State of Utah” for the next five years.
The Pastoral Plan, titled “Charting Our Mission,” has five priorities: faith formation, vocations, stewardship, Eucharist and Catholic identity, and the dignity of the human person. For each of these priorities, the plan outlines goals, objectives and strategies.
The Pastoral Plan “is the vision and mission of our local Church in the Diocese of Salt Lake City. … When God calls us to go and preach the Gospel to all nations, we ask ourselves, ‘How are we going to do it?’, and the plan gives that direction,” the bishop said.
Each parish now is implementing the Pastoral Plan, which is divided into four categories: prayer, faith formation, hospitality and outreach.
At St. John the Baptist Parish in Draper, the intent for the prayer formation category as called for by the Pastoral Plan is to provide a full range of Sacramental services, compelling and inspiring liturgies, inspiring music and well-formed ministers; to teach and learn different forms of traditional Catholic prayer; and explore and practice prayer that truly feeds the Spirit, said Father Rick Sherman, pastor, in a parish bulletin.
The parish also will continue to provide a full range of sacramental services, he said.
“We anticipate developing a larger cadre of sponsors, available godparents and ‘spiritual companions’ to assist and welcome people entering a new phase of their spiritual journey,” Fr. Sherman said.
In response to that call, Cameron Brownel, the parish’s director of music ministry, “has continued to enhance our liturgies with additional instruction and preparation opportunities for those interested,” Fr. Sherman said.
Among Brownel’s efforts is the start of a children’s choir, “which will be singing at least monthly at Sunday Masses,” Fr. Sherman said.
Similarly, at St. Rose of Lima Parish in Layton, John Payne is starting a children’s choir.
“I am new to Saint Rose since June, and had a children’s choir at my last parish, Saint John the Baptist in Milwaukie, Oregon, which I really enjoyed,” Payne said, explaining the creation of this children’s choir.
With experience directing other children’s choirs, Payne approached Fr. Clarence Sandoval, pastor of Saint Rose of Lima, and suggested having one at the parish.
“He has a real heart for children, so we agreed it would be a wonderful gift to the children and to the parish,” Payne said.
St. Rose of Lima Parish already has an active youth choir under the direction of David Carcamo.
“We also thought this [the children’s choir] would further strengthen the development of our liturgical music,” Payne said.
To avoid competition with the youth choir, Payne choose to create a choir with children in grades second through eighth; he also intends this to be a treble choir.
Participation in the choir will not be limited to St. Rose of Lima parishioners.
“Our outreach has been to the children of the parish, but we certainly welcome any outside the parish who are interested,” Payne said.
The name for the choir is the Saint Rose Angelus Children’s Choir (Angelus Choir for short).
Rehearsals are every Tuesday from 4:15 to 5:15 p.m.
“Auspiciously, our beginning rehearsal occurred on the Feast of the Holy Guardian Angels, Oct. 2,” Payne said. “The angels are messengers and ministers of God who sing his praises, as we know from the first Christmas and elsewhere. We hope to be inspired by their devotion to God, also knowing that we are united with the angels and saints in every Mass in our worship and song.”
The participating children will be trained in vocal and choral skills and music reading, and encounter the rich musical heritage of the Catholic Church, both old and new, he said. They will also sing in different languages, including Latin, Spanish and English.
Their first Mass will be at the Oct. 28 10:30 a.m. Mass.
“The Angelus Choir will join the English adult choir at the Lamb of God and sing through the end of Mass. The rest of our singing schedule is being developed, but the choir will sing at Christmas,” Payne said.
For information about the Saint Rose Angelus Children’s Choir, contact John Payne, jpayne@stroseut.org or 801-544-4260 ext. 304.
For information about the Saint John the Baptist Children’s Choir, contact Cameron Brownel at 801-984-7118 or 7757.
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