Pianist/Priest. Please pray for me!

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Hey guys, always great to be here,

I’m 13 years old from Colorado at Our Lady of Loreto Cathlic Parish and entering as a freshman in high school in the fall! Please pray for me as I will you!

So here’s my dilemma. I’ve always been a kind of “child prodigy” playing piano. I’ve won several competitions and am performing with the Arapahoe Philharmonic next year. My parents have recently bought a $20,000 grand piano for me, and I feel very grateful that I have the opportunity to be this blessed.

However, a part of me has been experiencing calls to the priesthood. I’ve recently gone to the Steubenville of the Rockies for the first time last June, and have experienced God’s grace in this time. I’ve become more faithful; frequenting the sacraments, going to adoration and daily mass, and become more faithful.

I sure do not want to disappoint my parents; feeling like they wasted $20,000. I don’t want to disappoint other people that have also helped me on my musical journey. However, I feel that I want to serve God and love him and to be with Him all the days of my life.

I’m sure I would be able to combine the priesthood with my musical gift that God has given me also.

Well, I have four years to go until I graduate, so I have plenty of time to discern my vocation. Please pray for me that with God’s grace, I will make the right decision to follow Him wherever I go!

Thanks and may God bless you always,

Kevin
 
Kevin,

Don’t worry about it. You’re only thirteen; you have plenty of time to decide what you want to do with your life.

Try not to think in terms of music v the priesthood. That’s not how it works. God gave you your talent for music, and I’m sure he wants you to do well in that area.

Even if you become a priest, there is nothing stopping you from playing the piano. In fact, God may be calling you to a special musical apostolate. You could end up playing the organ in the Vatican! Or composing music for Papal High Masses. You never know where God will lead you.

I believe Pope Benedict also plays the Piano and is an avid fan of Classical Music. Being a priest didn’t stop him from playing the Piano.

I commend you for your desire to live a life of faith and I sincerely hope you continue to do so.

Also, have you considered playing the organ at your local Church? That would be a great way for you to combine your love of music with your love of God.
 
I must agree with Dempsey1919-

Don’t rush and no worries- being a talented young musician will only help your ministry if you are called to the priesthood!

I’m sure you already know this, but both Antonio Vivaldi and F. Liszt were both priests-

Just go back through the centuries to those early monasteries with plain chant, and then the introduction of the organ, then the beautiful polyphony of Rossini, the Bach cantatas, Mozart’s Requiem, and the works of Durufle, Rutter, Elgar, Faber- all tied into the life of the Church!

Additionally, the music director in my diocese, Fr. James Chepponis is somewhat of a liturgical celebrity- he’s known for his jubilation Mass and as well as his rendition of the Magnificat.

My prayers are for you- once I was thirteen and asking the same questions- and guess what I’m still asking them! All will be revealed in good time!
 
Schola said:
Hey guys, always great to be here,

I’m 13 years old from Colorado at Our Lady of Loreto Cathlic Parish and entering as a freshman in high school in the fall! Please pray for me as I will you!

So here’s my dilemma. I’ve always been a kind of “child prodigy” playing piano. I’ve won several competitions and am performing with the Arapahoe Philharmonic next year. My parents have recently bought a $20,000 grand piano for me, and I feel very grateful that I have the opportunity to be this blessed.

However, a part of me has been experiencing calls to the priesthood. I’ve recently gone to the Steubenville of the Rockies for the first time last June, and have experienced God’s grace in this time. I’ve become more faithful; frequenting the sacraments, going to adoration and daily mass, and become more faithful.

I sure do not want to disappoint my parents; feeling like they wasted $20,000. I don’t want to disappoint other people that have also helped me on my musical journey. However, I feel that I want to serve God and love him and to be with Him all the days of my life.

I’m sure I would be able to combine the priesthood with my musical gift that God has given me also.

Well, I have four years to go until I graduate, so I have plenty of time to discern my vocation. Please pray for me that with God’s grace, I will make the right decision to follow Him wherever I go!

Thanks and may God bless you always,

Kevin
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My parish is blessed with having the Paulist Fathers. At a recent ordination ceremony at their headquarters church, a wonderful man was ordained. He has a magnificent voice and was very heavy into gospel singing before he joined the Church and then went to the seminary. He wrote the music used at his ordination. You can read about him on their website. Music will add much to your life no matter which way you go. God bless.
 
Kevin,
God has given you an amazing gift and talent. If you are called to be a priest, then there is no telling what wonderful way God will help you incorporate your gift into the priesthood.

You may be called to play for the Pope, you Bishop…who knows. It’s all good.
 
Schola said:
Please pray for me that with God’s grace, I will make the right decision to follow Him wherever I go!

Thanks and may God bless you always,

Kevin
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Will keep you, and all in my daily prayers as you discern your vocation. As has been pointed out to you, and you probably already knew, many Priests, and even the Pope play the piano beautifully. You will be serving God, I am sure, if you aren’t already, with the talent He has given you. Mass all your talents increase!!:signofcross: :harp:
 
jdemnyan said:
I’m sure you already know this, but both Antonio Vivaldi and F. Liszt were both priests-
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Woah, I really didn’t know that! No wonder they were so good, they had god’s grace to help them! 😉

I do play the organ and piano for the church every Sunday so it’s an awesome way to use the gift God gave me!

Thanks for all your help guys. Yeah, I have 4 years to go so no rush, right?
 
Thanks for all your help guys. Yeah, I have 4 years to go so no rush, right?
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You have four years to really decide what you want to do. My advice is to consider everything you’re interested in; don’t put all of your eggs in one basket just yet.

Take the time to pray about your vocation, and find out what type of Order best suits you. Research some of them, and perhaps talk to your Priest about this.

Most importantly: have fun. You’re only thirteen; you’ve got plenty of time to worry about these things when you’re older. For now, enjoy your youth because these are some of the best years of your life.
 
Schola said:
Hey guys, always great to be here,

I’m 13 years old from Colorado at Our Lady of Loreto Cathlic Parish and entering as a freshman in high school in the fall! Please pray for me as I will you!

So here’s my dilemma. I’ve always been a kind of “child prodigy” playing piano. I’ve won several competitions and am performing with the Arapahoe Philharmonic next year. My parents have recently bought a $20,000 grand piano for me, and I feel very grateful that I have the opportunity to be this blessed.

However, a part of me has been experiencing calls to the priesthood. I’ve recently gone to the Steubenville of the Rockies for the first time last June, and have experienced God’s grace in this time. I’ve become more faithful; frequenting the sacraments, going to adoration and daily mass, and become more faithful.

I sure do not want to disappoint my parents; feeling like they wasted $20,000. I don’t want to disappoint other people that have also helped me on my musical journey. However, I feel that I want to serve God and love him and to be with Him all the days of my life.

I’m sure I would be able to combine the priesthood with my musical gift that God has given me also.

Well, I have four years to go until I graduate, so I have plenty of time to discern my vocation. Please pray for me that with God’s grace, I will make the right decision to follow Him wherever I go!

Thanks and may God bless you always,

Kevin
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If the state of Catholic music in America is half as bad as it is here in the UK, then I think you may be the answer to the prayers of a parish somewhere that is tired of hippies playing their guitars at mass. Try the organ too. The Church can never have too many organists 😛
 
We certainly can use priests who are excellent musicians. It could do much good to restore quality music within the life of the Church. (Don’t forget, even the present pope is a pianist.)

But even beyond the ecclesiastical corridors, there is no reason why one can’t do both. Here is just one example of such, Fr. John Moulder who is a priest of the Archdiocese of Chicago and a highly respected jazz guitarist:

stgregory.net/moulder.cfm

johnmoulder.com/
 
There are two or three priests in our archdiocese who were musicians first. One is an accomplished pianist, another plays the clarinet, and I don’t know what instrument others may play. They have given concerts together as part of the program of the vocation office.

Just keep praying and practicing. God will show you the way when the time comes.

Betsy
 
Hi Schola!!!

I agree with the others. You have so much time… but you also don’t have to separate music from the priesthood. I think it is so wonderful that you are discerning this!!

There has been many musically talented priests in the past. As someone else mentioned, Vivaldi was one and Liszt took four minor orders (he needed three more to be a priest). He has some awesome portraits of him in his cassock - My husband absolutely adores his music. We even have one of his portraits on our wall. lol.

It will be a wonderful gift to priests who are also real musicians. Our last director of worship was a wonderful, humble, young man (in his 40s) who was also trained as an organist. He attended a well-known music conservatory for organ before he decided to become a priest. I believe his knowledge and ability as a musician was very helpful.

So, please don’t disregard your musicianship if you decide that the priesthood is where God is leading you. God bless!!

P.S. - Remember Pope Benedict is a classical pianist, himself. 🙂
 
Yeah, I definitely don’t want it to be a two-sided decision where I can only choose one!

Thanks everyone,

Kevin
 
Schola said:
\

Woah, I really didn’t know that! No wonder they were so good, they had god’s grace to help them! 😉

I do play the organ and piano for the church every Sunday so it’s an awesome way to use the gift God gave me!

Thanks for all your help guys. Yeah, I have 4 years to go so no rush, right?
Click to expand...
I think that Liszt became a deacon sort of on his deathbed…

Still, good point.
 
Some other ideas:

Communities that are seriously into education and achievement include the Benedictines and the Jesuits. Both have colleges and universities. they value highly and like to showcase their talented members.

One of my favorites, St. John’s Abbey in Collegeville, (OSB, Order of St. Benedict-Cassianese) is heavily into humanities and the arts. Their monks regularly give concerts. Ditto the Jesuits.

You could continue your training in music* in the order *and teach music and perform at their colleges/universities.

In the old days, religious, especially women, were expected to give up their gifts for God, or some such. Fortunately, those days are long gone.
 
1234 said:
I think that Liszt became a deacon sort of on his deathbed…

Still, good point.
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He joined the Franciscan Order in 1865 and received four minor orders, ending as an acolyte and never made it to a deacon, although I’m not sure if that was his goal, anyway, as he died in the 1880s.
 
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