Director of Sacred Music and Organist

Job Description

DIRECTOR OF SACRED MUSIC

St. Pius X Catholic Church, Appleton, WI, is seeking a faith filled, talented musician, to join our parish team.

POSITION SUMMARY
Fundamentally, the Director of Sacred Music will be a lover of God through music-an artistic evangelizer working collaboratively to love God and bring souls closer to Him. The Director will work with the Pastor, parish staff, and volunteers to create sacred music to beautify the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and other parish services. He or she shall strive to furnish the liturgy with music that possesses holiness and beauty of form in accordance with the liturgical law. The music program will be faithful to the traditions of the Roman Rite and faithful to the norms laid out in the Second Vatican Council. The Director will recruit, develop, and promote a sacred music program in the parish comprised of volunteer choirs and cantors, and instrumentalists. He or she shall also seek to educate the faithful on the role and nature of liturgical music and lead the assembly to the "full, conscious and active participation in liturgical celebrations called for by the very nature of the sacred liturgy."

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Oversight of all sacred music for the liturgies of St. Pius X Parish.
• Oversight of the preparation of printed worship aids for liturgical services in collaboration with the Pastor involving music.
• Maintaining and updating the parish music library.
• Serve as primary organist for Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation.
• Serve as recruiter, manager, and conductor of all parish choirs.
• Recruit and coordinate cantors for liturgical services, in addition to instrumentalists.
• Collaborate with parish priests to meet with family representatives in planning funeral liturgies.
• Collaborate with engaged couples to plan appropriate sacred music for wedding liturgies.
• Attend and participate in monthly Parish Staff meetings.
• Personally takes several hours weekly to rehearse music for upcoming liturgies to provide quality musicianship.
• Stay informed with pertinent diocesan, regional, national and international documents pertaining to sacred music in the liturgy (i.e. Diocesan Office of Divine Worship, USCCB Liturgical Secretariat, American Guild of Organists, etc.).
• Maintain the parish musical instruments, including the 4-manual 75-stop Hauptwerk virtual pipe organ to be installed in late 2024 and a K. Kawai grand piano.

WORK SCHEDULE

The minimum work week for this position is 40 hours, though overtime may be required to execute the responsibilities of the position with excellence. Evenings and weekends are required.

REQUIREMENTS AND SKILLS

• A deep love of worshiping God through music, and a passion for bringing souls closer to Him.
• Working knowledge and love of the Catholic Church's teachings, history, liturgy, and traditions.
• Minimum 3 years experience as a professional church musician.
• Bachelors degree in organ or choral conducting: performance or pedagogical degrees both considered. Graduate degree strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated proficiency in chant and hymn accompaniment, and high proficiency in liturgical improvisation required.
• Excellent ability in choral conducting: high pedagogical ability in vocal development, music theory, and ensemble skills for choristers with varied degrees of ability and experience.
• Idiomatic understanding of a broad range of choral repertoire, including Gregorian Chant, Polyphony, Romantic choral repertoire, and present-time sacred compositions.
• Strong interpersonal skills and an ability to relate to and communicate with people of varied demographics.
• Strong administrative and organizational skills.
• Well-rounded professionalism, including ability to provide and receive constructive feedback, work well without supervision, exhibit patience in stressful situations, etc.
• Comfortable with technology.
• Proficient in visual design software to develop elegant and beautiful worship aids each week.
• Proficient in musical notation software such as Sibelius, Finale, or Musescore.
• Successful completion of required background checks and safety trainings.

COMPENSATION

• Minimum of $60,000 base salary with more negotiable commensurate with experience.

APPLICATION MATERIALS

• Resume with cover letter.

Please submit materials or inquiries to Fr. James Jugenheimer, Pastor, at pastor@stpiusxappleton.com
Position is available August 1st, and will remain open until filled.

ST. PIUS X PARISH
As a Parish, we are forming disciples, sent on mission, sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ.

https://www.stpiusappleton.org

https://www.facebook.com/StPiusXAppletonWI/

St. Pius X Parish in Appleton, Wisconsin, is a large parish of approximately 1800 families. It has a combination of all ages, with an exceptional number of young families who are attracted to the reverent celebration of our liturgies. The purpose of our music is not to entertain, but to give true worship to God within the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.

A new 4-manual, 75-stop Hauptwerk virtual pipe organ is currently being installed. The console was built by the Magnus firm of Sulechow, Poland. The sample set is the 1916 Oscar Walcker organ of the Martinikerk in Doesburg, Netherlands as recorded by Sonus Paradisi of Pecky, Czech Republic.

St. Pius X recently subscribed to the Source and Summit Digital Platform for the majority of congregational music.

In 2022, Appleton was ranked as one of the best places to live in the U.S., with several notable amenities that keep residents entertained year-round. It is appealing to young families. Additionally, the city of 74,000 residents is known for its charming neighborhoods, friendly people and affordable housing, all of which add to Appleton's appeal.

About the Employer

ST. PIUS X PARISH
As a Parish, we are forming disciples, sent on mission, sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ.