Can I play music in an Anglican Church?

[jubileekim]

Hello,
I am a professional liturgical musician, a practicing Catholic, and am the organist and choir director at my Catholic Church. I have been asked by a newly formed Anglican church to play the organ for one of their masses that doesn’t conflict with the other masses I play at the Catholic Church. Will I be sinning if I take this job?

Thanks!

 

[baltobetsy]

Hi and welcome, jubileekim!

I’m a professional chorister, and I’ve held a job in an Episcopal parish choir for 20 years. I have asked priests about it in confession and been told that if that’s what I do professionally and that’s where the jobs are, it’s OK. For the record, I’m also a cantor in my own Catholic parish on Saturday evenings.

So I see no problem with you taking this one-time job. Just don’t participate in their communion, and you should be just fine.

Betsy

 

[brigid12]

Fine! No communion with that “church”, however playing music for their services is fine.

 

[FrDavid96]

Hello,
I am a professional liturgical musician, a practicing Catholic, and am the organist and choir director at my Catholic Church. I have been asked by a newly formed Anglican church to play the organ for one of their masses that doesn’t conflict with the other masses I play at the Catholic Church. Will I be sinning if I take this job?

Thanks!

Accepting their offer of a job is not a sin.
Accepting their “communion” is a sin.

 

[Sarabande]

I agree with the replies above. It is not a sin to take this job just to play the music. I’m a musician as well and I have done various “gigs” at churches of other denominations. As someone else mentioned, the church music jobs are usually in the Protestant churches as most Catholic churches won’t pay or don’t have the budget to pay musicians - especially if you are musician singer.

I still always attend mass at a Catholic church whether as a musician or just as a normal congregant. Many musicians I know also do the same no matter their denomination.