Non-Practicing Catholic as New Choir Member

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RosalieM

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Recently our music director asked someone to join the parish choir after seeing her sing with a band at a party. We all welcomed her but some of us were a bit taken aback when she said she attended a non-Catholic church with her mother, but that she was born a Catholic and went to Catholic school.
I thought our parish choir was a ministry; but decided just to let it go and think like my friend, who said maybe it would bring her back to the church. But I still feel a little funny about it. Should I? Thanks.
:confused:
 
It would be wonderful if being at Mass and singing in the choir would help bring this woman back to the Church. It’s certainly something to pray for. Perhaps you can reach out to her and help her connect with the church again.
 
God is giving her a moment of Grace to get her to come Home. No problem there, your job is to make her feel sooooo welcomed that she will want to stay.
 
Speak with the Pastor, it will be his call. Some Parishes pay chior members, it is a job - some Pastor’s will not have a non-Catholic in the chior.

IMHO, looks like your chior director is more concerned about entertainment than ministry…
 
RosalieM said:
Recently our music director asked someone to join the parish choir after seeing her sing with a band at a party. We all welcomed her but some of us were a bit taken aback when she said she attended a non-Catholic church with her mother, but that she was born a Catholic and went to Catholic school.
I thought our parish choir was a ministry; but decided just to let it go and think like my friend, who said maybe it would bring her back to the church. But I still feel a little funny about it. Should I? Thanks.
:confused:
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Let her be. The Holy Spirit has some work to do. 😉
 
Music, of whatever sort, is a profession and a hobby as well as, for some, a vocation.

There are many cases of Catholic musicians who will ‘moonlight’ at churches of other denominations for this reason, so why should the reverse be upsetting or surprising?
 
RosalieM said:
Recently our music director asked someone to join the parish choir after seeing her sing with a band at a party. We all welcomed her but some of us were a bit taken aback when she said she attended a non-Catholic church with her mother, but that she was born a Catholic and went to Catholic school.
I thought our parish choir was a ministry; but decided just to let it go and think like my friend, who said maybe it would bring her back to the church. But I still feel a little funny about it. Should I? Thanks.
:confused:
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Is she receiving Communion?
 
Even some churches have hired organists that are of other denomination … well, you know what I mean.

I’m thinking this is wonderful, it shows her that the Church will welcome her back… the Holy Spirit will show her graces…and next thing you know…she will be a Practicing Catholic.
 
Scotty_PGH said:
Is she receiving Communion?
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If she is a baptized Catholic who received First Communion, she can receive communion since she is attending Sunday Mass. She will need to also go to Confession, but that is between her and the priest and not an issue for general discussion among the choir members.
 
The choir isn’t paid; but I know that the music director and the organist are paid. There’s a man and woman singer who are exceptional musicians, who don’t receive communion and who may also be paid (I’m not sure).
Since she is a “cradle” Catholic, I should just mind my own business and help our newcomer to feel welcome as much as I can. Thanks to all. Your feedback is very helpful.
👍
 
While membership in a choir is a ‘ministry’ in one sense, it is also an artist’s ‘job’. The Catholic Church has a long history of making use of artists who’s personal lives may not have been as stellar as they could have been.

As others have mentioned, music is often a way that people are brought into or brought back into the Church. Music mirrors our relationship with the Church so well. It melds structure and discipline with beauty, freedom, and emotion. Sometimes music ministry is directed at the choir itself.

As long as she’s not creating some great scandal I’d say welcome her in!
 
An organist friend in a Catholic church hired me for his choir and to serve as cantor before I was even considering converting to the Catholic faith. Trust me, they needed all the help they could get, even from a lapsed Methodist such as I was! If I had been greeted with the cold shoulder and suspicious looks, I would likely have walked away from the Catholic Church with no looking back. But instead, I found my interest in Catholicism growing, and a couple of years later, I went through RCIA with my organist-friend as my sponsor. So accept this new person as-is and pray for her. She may not be non-practicing for long!
 
RosalieM said:
Recently our music director asked someone to join the parish choir after seeing her sing with a band at a party. We all welcomed her but some of us were a bit taken aback when she said she attended a non-Catholic church with her mother, but that she was born a Catholic and went to Catholic school.
I thought our parish choir was a ministry; but decided just to let it go and think like my friend, who said maybe it would bring her back to the church. But I still feel a little funny about it. Should I? Thanks.
:confused:
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That is correct. A member of a parish ministry should only be practicing Catholics in good standing with the Church
 
We have non-catholic ‘volunteers’ who sing with our choir…they come because they want to sing…or they are married to a catholic…

We have a gentleman who has sung for years in the choir…last year he came through the RCIA and was received into the Church at the last Easter Vigil…he cantored my daughters wediing four years ago and sings like an angel…

In the early church, non-christians could not stay for the Liturgy of the Eucharist…now, a non-believer can attend the entire mass…and pray and/or sing along - as they feel comfortable - as our priest informs the RCIA group…

Therefore …except for receiving the Eucharist [or taking on the role of the priest] shouldn’t we be very welcoming and let the Holy Spirit work, whether the person is a fallen away/returning catholic, the non catholic spouse, or the beautiful voice who shows up to sing [for God] on Sundays and the weekly rehearsal sessions [can one be that dedicated for no reason?]
 
Sr_Sally said:
If she is a baptized Catholic who received First Communion, she can receive communion since she is attending Sunday Mass. She will need to also go to Confession, but that is between her and the priest and not an issue for general discussion among the choir members.
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If she has stated that she is not a practicing Catholic (goes to Confession and receives Holy Communion at least once a year) – which by the way is what this thread is about – yet she continues to receive Holy Communion, it is both an act of charity and the ***duty ***of every Catholic to correct her and prevent her from participating in further sacrilege.
 
SMHW said:
As long as she’s not creating some great scandal I’d say welcome her in!
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A non-practicing Catholic receiving Holy Communion (which has not yet been confirmed for us in this particular instance) is ***the very definition of scandal ***(see John Kerry, Rudy Giuliani, etc.).
 
She hasn’t received Communion as of yet. However, when and if she does; it’s not for me to ask if she went to confession. I would assume so, if enough time had passed since her joining; wouldn’t you? Or…I could discreetly mention that, if she hasn’t gone to confession yet, she could go up for the blessing and cross her arms?
:confused:
 
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