Director of Faith Formation?

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you may have a case if she is exceeding the authority that comes with her position, as defined in the particular law of your diocese. They cannot hire somebody, and give her a job title and responsibilities, unless that job title and description exists for your diocese. Do your homework, keep tabs, document everything, be systematic, but don’t bother your bishop unless you have a real case of abuse of canon law or abuse of authority, properly documented, with dates, times, actual words and actions, and steps you took to correct the problem.

visit the Catholics United for the Faith website and read over the Lay Witness Protocol. cuf.org
 
pdxgirl said:
I think this is precisely what is going on. But now about 15 people who have volunteered their time for 20+ years a piece to this parish in song are being told, essentially, that their services are no longer needed. We have tried having meetings with her, with the pastor, with the music director, send emails, but this last email is just the most recent in a long succession. While we are united and many, we feel we are powerless to do anything to stop these absurdities from becoming reality.
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Just don’t obey and do your best in your Ministry to please God. Remember, we are to please God, not Directors of Faith Formation. Send an e-mail signed by all or most of the people at the choir, attach the the documents presented here, cc to the pastor in the e-mail and state CLEARLY that you intend to follow official teachings of the Church in liturgy, meaning, you will continue with the Gregorian/Latin chants where appropriate. I do love singing in the vernacular, but will always object to eliminate such a wonderful tradition. And also, state that you prefer to be consulted as a group, rather than being imposed a decision, especially when such a decision is not in line with official Liturgy practices. Time to fight for Our Church!
 
Director of Faith Formation said:
Since the Book of Psalms tells us that the one ‘who sings, prays twice’ we ask that all of our hymns/music cooperate in providing the assembly the opportunity to join in singing.
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Uh, that’d be St. Augustine, not the book of Psalms.
Director of Faith Formation said:
As you already know, prior to Vatican II most Liturgical music was ‘devotional’ in essence.
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I assume she’s referring to the additional music used at Mass, rather than the “Propers” of the Mass, which were almost always Scriptural and were not “devotional in essence”, but part of the Mass.
Director of Faith Formation said:
Since Vatican II, we have been directed to use music that is primarily based on Scripture.
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Like the Propers! Sing the Propers of the Mass! They’re from Scripture and they’re what are supposed to be sung!
Director of Faith Formation said:
With that in mind, we ask that all music is sung in the English vernacular with very few exceptions in Latin as decided by [the choir director].
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The Ordinary of the Mass can (and should!) be sung in Latin, as Vatican II said. To prove this point and enable it, Pope Paul VI (who was Pope during most of Vatican II) produced a booklet of simple chants for the Ordinary of the Mass in 1974: Jubilate Deo. It was to be the “minimum repertoire of Gregorian chant” for parishioners to know.

Really easy stuff to learn and sing.
Director of Faith Formation said:
It is important to the work of the Liturgy that the people understand all that is said and done in their worship.
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Do the people understand all that is said and done when it’s in English? (Probably not.) This is why you can’t just dumb it down or vernacularize it across the board. You have to teach the faithful, through homilies, presentations, meetings, bulletin notices, etc. Teach them what the Latin means and teach them why Latin is being used (usually the harder of the two).
Since we received a new pastor about six months ago, this person has made many changes to the Mass and handed down many decrees about “adjustments” that we are being asked to make. We no longer sing any chant or polyphony either. Just hymns from the 70’s.
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You no longer sing any chant or polyphony? Meaning you did before Miss Faith Deformation came around? Ugh. 😦

Your pastor is being run over roughshod, and your liturgy (music included) is suffering for it. Don’t take this, please.
 
japhy said:
You no longer sing any chant or polyphony? Meaning you did before Miss Faith Deformation came around? Ugh. 😦

Your pastor is being run over roughshod, and your liturgy (music included) is suffering for it. Don’t take this, please.
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We no longer sing chant or polyphony. And actually, we did before we got a new pastor (about 6 mos ago) and he will not actively participate in what is happening. She’s been around for about 4 years so she’s seen how we can perform with prayerful excellence, but she has always felt we were too “performance” oriented (which seemed to be a singular opinion) and since she has more power now has decided to put us in our place.

i would love to not take this… as would so many of my fellow choir members, but what are we to do?
 
pdxgirl said:
She’s been around for about 4 years so she’s seen how we can perform with prayerful excellence, but she has always felt we were too “performance” oriented (which seemed to be a singular opinion) and since she has more power now has decided to put us in our place.
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It’s always about power with these people. It’s never about actually worshiping the Lord according to the mind of the Church, it’s always about exercising power (so that they can “worship” how THEY want to). How ironic that the people most opposed to Gregorian chant and polyphony usually support “liturgical dance”.

Properly done, sacred music is not a performance. It is a prayer. Sometimes we pray aloud with the priest, sometimes we listen and follow in silence. Not all music has to be sung by the congregation… too often the music the whole congregation sings ends up sounding like we’re all in a performance. (The song “Sing of the Lord’s Goodness” comes to mind: both my wife and I have images of a chorus line singing and dancing and waving their arms.)
pdxgirl said:
i would love to not take this… as would so many of my fellow choir members, but what are we to do?
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First, make it clear to the choir/music director that this woman does NOT have authority over you. Second, make that clear to HER as well. Show what the Church actually says about sacred music.

Third… if your pastor will not step in, go to your Bishop. Keep a paper trail. Present evidence (what she said vs. what the Church says). Don’t do it alone, either: find one or two (or more!) other brave souls from the choir.
 
pdxgirl said:
What precisely is the definition of “Faith Formation”? I can’t find it anywhere.

The Director of Faith Formation at my parish has decided that there will be no chant; no music with Latin or any other language than English will be used during Mass (this was explained in an email to the choir, of which I am a member). Is it within this person’s position to make this decision?
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Such positions rely on the pastor or bishop for all of their authority.

I know nothing about your situation except what you typed. If this was communicated via a widely distributed e-mail then you have someone with very poor people skills, a lack of understanding how organizations run and likely quite an ego.
 
pdxgirl said:
I think this is precisely what is going on. But now about 15 people who have volunteered their time for 20+ years a piece to this parish in song are being told, essentially, that their services are no longer needed. We have tried having meetings with her, with the pastor, with the music director, send emails, but this last email is just the most recent in a long succession. While we are united and many, we feel we are powerless to do anything to stop these absurdities from becoming reality.
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Take a deep breath and resolve that you will out-last this person because she’s not going to last. But she will last for a while.

If you have the ability, go to your pastor as a group or sign a petition. That should get attention. One thing I have done for a long time is to just ignore the dictates of such people. Yes, they’ll get in your face about it and the best thing to do is remain silent. After awhile they’ll back off or they’ll try something really stupid and that’s when the gloves come off.

What WOULD happen if the choir continued to chant in Latin?

Just let her document one of her edicts banning you (or an entire group) from executing your ministry (not that it usually gets that far.) At that point it becomes personal, you’ll have righteous indignation and you will have pull with your pastor or if need be, your bishop. All the better if an entire group bands together…

Good luck. She’s beatable one way or the other…
 
japhy said:
(The song “Sing of the Lord’s Goodness” comes to mind: both my wife and I have images of a chorus line singing and dancing and waving their arms.)
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It’s so funny that you mention that song because i just cantored last weekend and we had to do that song and i wanted to cry it was so bad!
Merkel said:
If this was communicated via a widely distributed e-mail then you have someone with very poor people skills, a lack of understanding how organizations run and likely quite an ego.
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It was an email sent to all members of the choir, the music director and the pastor.
Take a deep breath and resolve that you will out-last this person because she’s not going to last. But she will last for a while.
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We have all been doing this repeatedly- and trying to support one another when one of us weakens into wanting to quit.
If you have the ability, go to your pastor as a group or sign a petition.
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Something similar to this is happening at present. A handful of members have written responses to her email and asked why we were not consulted and for the minutes of the committee meeting where the decision was made- and all of these emails have been cc’d to the pastor. One person in particular has requested a meeting with the choir and the pastor without her there.
 
pdxgirl said:
…Something similar to this is happening at present. A handful of members have written responses to her email and asked why we were not consulted and for the minutes of the committee meeting where the decision was made- and all of these emails have been cc’d to the pastor. One person in particular has requested a meeting with the choir and the pastor without her there.
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Good. Keep the pressure on. Do it as a team if possible.

While my current pastor is great, that has not always been the case. More than one simply didn’t want to be bothered with things. If this lady is allowed to roll over you guys without a peep and a demand on his time, he would have been all for it. On the other hand if her antics took his time he might well react in your favor.

Why not just keep using Latin? If she makes a stink just ignore her. She can’t fire you. It will force your pastor to act if she acts like a child about it. One thing I have learned about people like her is not to respond at all because she’ll run to the pastor with a twisted-up version. Just silently ignore her. If you do it as a group she’ll get the message.
 
I don’t know why the choir member in this parish can’t fight back, ours do, and regularly ignore the pastor’s wishes with regard to music. I thought it was standard procedure. Just choose your time wisely when she can’t come after you in public. Sing Panis Angelicus for the first communion Mass instead of “Shine Jesus Shine” because I bet she has not taught the children hand gestures for that one.
 
puzzleannie said:
I don’t know why the choir member in this parish can’t fight back, **ours do, and regularly ignore the pastor’s wishes with regard to music. **I thought it was standard procedure. Just choose your time wisely when she can’t come after you in public. Sing Panis Angelicus for the first communion Mass instead of “Shine Jesus Shine” because I bet she has not taught the children hand gestures for that one.
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LOL, isn’t that the truth?!? We have the opposite problem (which I bet is more the norm) where our music ministers sing propers that are improper (pun intended) - either completely changing the word of the prayers or leaving out whole sections (the gloria without the Holy Spirit or the famous sheepless Agnus Dei). Sometimes, Father will kind of raise his eyebrows and look sideways at the director. You can almost read the marquee scrolling accross his forehead “That wasn’t what we discussed!”. 😃
 
We have, since i originally posted here, collectively tried to fight back by voicing our unhappiness about these “adjustments”… even people in the choir who would never previously get involved in any conversation. This person retaliated by openly accusing people, by name, of circumstances (that did not happen) where we have abused out choir director- needless to say, it’s gotten disgustingly ugly and the pastor has received every single email and even been addressed directly throughout and hasn’t said a single word.

She has now said that she “is confident things will be sorted out soon”, so we assume this means she knows something we don’t and it doesn’t bode well for us.

I would love for us to just show up and sing something other than what we were told to sing, but half of the choir has complained about how they believe it to be unchristian to have “secret meetings” and exchange emails that exclude the problem parties. So, while disobeying collectively is a great idea, i am just not a strong enough leader to get everyone behind me. Only a handful of us want to fight (and are running out of hope/steam for it), the rest just want there to be “peace”. What they don’t understand is that peace at any price is not peace at all.

Anyway, just thought there might be some interest in what’s happened. We’re fairly confident that at our next rehearsal, she will be arriving with the pastor to tell us that it’s her way or the highway… and he’ll just stand behind her and let her say it.
 
pdxgirl said:
We have, since i originally posted here, collectively tried to fight back by voicing our unhappiness about these “adjustments”… even people in the choir who would never previously get involved in any conversation. This person retaliated by openly accusing people, by name, of circumstances (that did not happen) where we have abused out choir director- needless to say, it’s gotten disgustingly ugly and the pastor has received every single email and even been addressed directly throughout and hasn’t said a single word.

She has now said that she “is confident things will be sorted out soon”, so we assume this means she knows something we don’t and it doesn’t bode well for us.

I would love for us to just show up and sing something other than what we were told to sing, but half of the choir has complained about how they believe it to be unchristian to have “secret meetings” and exchange emails that exclude the problem parties. So, while disobeying collectively is a great idea, i am just not a strong enough leader to get everyone behind me. Only a handful of us want to fight (and are running out of hope/steam for it), the rest just want there to be “peace”. What they don’t understand is that peace at any price is not peace at all.

Anyway, just thought there might be some interest in what’s happened. We’re fairly confident that at our next rehearsal, she will be arriving with the pastor to tell us that it’s her way or the highway… and he’ll just stand behind her and let her say it.
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I would get up and leave without saying anything, or just I will have to think about it.
 
pdxgirl said:
Yeah… that would be her greatest dream come true.
And it just might happen.
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Do not sell yourself short. You have the documents of the Church to back you up. Bring them with you. Once she sees the authoritative documents of the Holy See, she has no leg to stand on regarding her bogus claims. All she has is the gobbledygook that OCP uses to justify itself. Pray to St. Cecilia for the courage to stand up for what is right.
 
benedictgal said:
Do not sell yourself short. You have the documents of the Church to back you up. Bring them with you. Once she sees the authoritative documents of the Holy See, she has no leg to stand on regarding her bogus claims. All she has is the gobbledygook that OCP uses to justify itself. Pray to St. Cecilia for the courage to stand up for what is right.
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i will do as you say and we’ll see how it goes. i’ll update when there is a development. Thanks so much for the encouragement and support… please pray for us.
 
Whatever you do, don’t quit! Gut it out and keep the pressure on this individual. You know what? Not because it’s an easy thing to do but because it will benefit a great many if she backs off or leaves.

If several long-timers are bristling at this person’s antics, your priest really should take notice. If he allows the choir to die because of her that’s on him and it’s something his spiritual father should know about.

But don’t quit! Be relieved of your duties and then re-double your fight.
 
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