music ministry

God has called us to be in a loving relationship with Him. Because of His enduring love, we worship Him through the Holy Spirit given to us at Baptism, completed through Confirmation, and expanding through further experiences in the Holy Spirit.  According to the Scriptures and Catholic Tradition, music is the paramount art form for worship in the Mass.

It is our desire that all gifted and skilled musicians, regardless of style, find a place to serve and share their gifts with rest of the parish. Please contact the director of music to begin the process of integrating into our department. We look forward to serving our Lord through music with you! Contact Steve Royal at sroyal@stpatchurch.org for more information.

WEEKEND MASSES, WORSHIP, AND VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

  • The Saturday 5:00 PM Mass praise and worship teams lead the congregation in with recent contemporary music and arrangements (Hillsong, Bethel, some contemporary versions of hymns, etc.) within the context of the liturgical year. Singers sing tight 3-part harmonies and are accompanied by keys, bass, drums, guitar, and other instruments.  Rehearsals are Wednesdays, 6:30 to 8:30 PM, and Saturdays 3:30 to 4:40 pm. Currently there are two auditioned rotating teams. Musicians may play 1 to 4 times a month, based on their schedules. Midweek and Saturday rehearsals are normally required.  The ability to read notation from praise charts or chord charts is highly recommended, and improvisational skills utilized. The team directors are Stephen Royal and Andrea Peterson. Contact: Stephen Royal, Director of Music (sroyal@stpatchurch.org).

  • The traditional choir (30+ people) leads the congregation in traditional hymns, psalms, and some Gregorian chant at the Sunday 9:30 Mass. Choral singing emphasizes balance, tonal blending,
    articulation, and dynamic phrasing. A background in reading notation is helpful. The repertoire includes four-part traditional, classic, and renaissance music. Rehearsals are Thursday evenings, 7 PM to 8:30 PM, beginning after Labor Day in September and running through May. The choir also rehearses on Sunday mornings at 8:55 AM before the Mass. This is not an auditioned group. The directors are Stephen Royal and Deb Bryne, and the accompanist is Peng Hampton. Contact: Stephen Royal, Director of Music (sroyal@stpatchurch.org).

  • Trios or octets often sing renaissance music in the context or along with the choir at the 9:30 Mass. Rehearsals are every Thursday at 6:30 to 7 PM. Excellent sight-reading skills and an appropriate vocal tonality is required by audition. We are also seeking Renaissance singers for the Sunday 5 PM Mass. Contact Stephen Royal, Director of Music (sroyal@stpatchurch.org).

  • Handbells accompany the congregation and choir twice a month. Auditions consists of being able to play on the beat and read simple color-coded notation with beginning or intermediate arrangements. The goal is to add solemnity and festivity to traditional Masses. Rehearsals are Wednesday from 5:45 PM to 6:30 PM. Directors are Stephen Royal and Mary Mohlnar. Contact: Stephen Royal, Director of Music (sroyal@stpatchurch.org).

  • The Sunday 11:30 contemporary team leads the parish in contemporary praise and worship music (Hillsong, Bethel, contemporary arrangements of traditional hymns, etc.) in the context of the liturgical year. The team is led by a worship leader, and includes harmonized singing, guitars, keyboards, bass, and percussion. Auditioned musicians should be able to read or improvise with chord charts or lead sheets. Rehearsals are Tuesdays at 7:30 PM to 9 PM, and Sundays at 10:40 AM to 11:15 AM. The director and worship leader is Martin Doman. Contact: Stephen Royal, Director of Music (sroyal@stpatchurch.org).

  • At every Sunday 5:00 PM Mass, skilled cantors and soloists sing Latin Gregorian chant, traditional hymns, and chanted English Propers. Singers interested in singing with the cantor or in octet with Latin and English Gregorian Chant should contact the Music Director, Stephen Royal (sroyal@stpatchurch.org).

  • Currently, children’s choirs for grades K through five sing three times a year for special occasions. Watch the parish bulletin, midweek announcements, and this website for upcoming schedules. If you wish to be involved and volunteer services, contact director Jenny Curtin (jcurtin@stpatchurch.org) or Stephen Royal, Director of Music (sroyal@stpatchurch.org).

  • Worship leaders, cantors, chanters, and psalmists lead the congregation in sung prayer, both meditatively or with corporate singing, with the intention of engaging the presence of God in our personal lives and the assembly. These are interviewed positions.

    Worship leaders lead the singing and worship of the congregation. They are also responsible for recruiting, rehearsing musicians, planning music, prayer, and working effectively with the sound crew and clean up. Stipends may be available.

    Cantors lead the congregation with hymns, psalms, and the ordinaries for the Sunday 7:45 AM and 9:30 AM masses. They rehearse 30 minutes before Mass begins or with a scheduled choir at midweek rehearsals. Psalmists who are not cantors specialize in singing only the psalm.

    Chanters sing antiphons in either English or Latin as well as Gregorian chant at the Sunday 9:30 AM or 5 PM Masses. Chanters at the 9:30 Mass also sing in the context of the choir.

  • Instrumentalists and Vocal Soloists are encouraged to offer their talents for Sundays and Holy Days. Musicians will be accepted by audition. Contact Stephen Royal if interested (sroyal@stpatchurch.org) or Jenni Curtin, Music Program Coordinator (jcurtin@stpatchurch.org).

  • The Restored Team leads praise and worship for Adoration with the Eucharist on the second Saturday of every month. Musicians lead with planned songs and spontaneous, Spirit-led worship outside the Mass. Interested musicians should contact the Music Director, Stephen Royal (sroyal@stpatchurch.org). Rehearsals are communicated within the team.

  • The Saint Patrick’s sound crew has been trained to set up sound equipment and engage with the new Simoni sound system and digital Allen and Heath and SQ mixer. Trainees are responsible for balancing the sounds of celebrants, readers, and musicians. Sound crew members run the sound for every Saturday 5 PM contemporary Mass, 9:30 choral Mass, and 11:30 contemporary Mass. They are responsible to show up 30 minutes before the Mass, set monitor levels in cooperation with the musicians and worship leaders, and help with cleanup after the mass. Sound techs work as a team with and report to the choral director or the worship leader of the Mass they are scheduled for, as well as to the Lead Sound Tech. New members receive training by John Cristiano, the Lead Sound Tech, and are scheduled on a rotating basis. Contact John Cristiano (soundtech@stpatchurch.org) or Stephen Royal, Director of Music (sroyal@stpatchurch.org).

  • We gladly accept volunteer office assistants or music helpers to help with a variety of musical jobs, concert recruitment, musician scheduling, and organization of music. Those skilled and interested in Hospitality, fundraising, and media Communications should contact Jenni Curtin Assistant Program Manager (jcurtin@stpatchurch.org) or Stephen Royal, Director of Music (sroyal@stpatchurch.org).

Songs from Saint Patrick’s “Hymns of Praise”
(the Green Hymnal)

Do you enjoy the worship music from our small green hymnal? Do you go home and think "What was the name of that song? I really liked it and want to listen and sing it again?" These playlists are for you! Every song in our green hymnal has been curated on three different platforms. Apple Music, Spotify and YouTube! Enjoy at home and in your car as you continue to worship the Lord through your days. Familiarize yourself with the music we sing at St. Patrick so you can more fully participate in the Mass! 

A playlist of seasonal hymns from Worship IV (the red Hymnal) is coming soon.

music leadership team

  • Amelia Slemp

    Office Assistant, Renaissance and Traditional Choirs

    Amelia has been a member of St. Patrick Parish her entire life, taking more personal ownership of her faith during her college years. She received her BA in Sacred Music from the Franciscan University of Steubenville. In the liturgy she loves chant and Renaissance music, though as a participant she also loves contemporary worship. Outside of the liturgy, she enjoys alternative rock and writing original songs.

  • Andrea (Drea) Peterson

    Assistant Director for Saturday Worship Teams

    Drea has performed her entire life since she was three years old. She is a cradle Catholic but was "lost" during her early 20's. Drea gently found her way back to the Church while teaching at a Catholic school in Minnesota and then was more involved in the faith after baptizing her children, joining the choir and becoming a leader at her parish in North Dakota. She holds BS degrees in Theatre and Speech, a minor in English, and years of experience as a school teacher. Her favorite types of music are whatever makes her heart sing! Her playlist is all over the place!

  • Deb Byrne

    Assistant Choral Director for 9:30 Traditional Choral Mass

    Deb has been involved with church music all her life, from her early years as a Baptist and her current commitment as a Catholic. She and her husband have been married 50 years with grandchildren. Deb has a MA in Choral Conducting and has conducted four choral organizations and directed over 200 musical, operatic, and choral events. Her favorite music include Puccini and Mozart operas, Dvorak’s New World Symphony and Copland’s Appalachian Spring.

  • Jenni Curtin

    Director of Student Choirs, Project Assistant

    Jenni was blessed with parents that pointed her to a relationship with Jesus from her early Pentecostal upbringing. However, In 2019 God began to speak clearly to her and her husband about the Truth of the one Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church, and they were received into the Church in 2022. Jenni has served in music ministries for 50 years, directing children’s choirs, leading worship and music ensembles, and serving as Director of Livingston County Christian musicians for 13 years. She enjoys exploring eclectic styles of music, while songwriter Andrew Peterson continues to be the most influential, informing her thoughts on the arts in the Church.

  • John Cristiano

    Sound Tech Leader

    John is a cradle Catholic and has been at St Pat's since 2019. He was a seminarian for the Archdiocese of Detroit from 2010-2012, and has been involved with Church music since grade school. He has been a Sound Tech since 2020, and became the Lead Sound Tech in 2023. During the week he works as a software developer. He is partial to traditional and choral church music.

  • June Woodman

    Librarian, Traditional Choir

    June says that faith has been the rock of her life. She has been blessed with family and friends who hold the Catholic faith sacred and who have shown it by example and perseverance through troubled times. She is a compassionate supporter of all parish musicians. June grew up in a family that "jammed " with all kinds of instruments. She loves singing in the choir. June worked as a company lead secretary, in home estate sales, and is currently on the parish finance committee.. Her favorite music is anything that has a melody, harmonies, and love!

  • Kerry Adams

    Sound Tech Team, Saturday Worship Teams

    Kerry is a "cradle Catholic” who, after being disillusioned with the changes of Vatican II, came back to the Church 20 years ago. He says that being a guitarist on the Saturday worship team allows him to expand in worship and delve deeper into the faith. Kerry worked in the auto industry for 40 years and has an MA in Mechanical and Acoustical Engineering. He has been a professional musician for over 50 years as an arranger, producer and a touring guitarist for a number of acts and artists. He owns and operates Lagoon Records in Brighton Michigan, a full service recording studio. His favorite music is Blues, R&B and Rock.

  • Martin Doman

    Worship Leader for 11:30 Contemporary Mass Team

    Martin was born in a large Catholic family of 10 children in Philadelphia, and is now married to Charlene with 6 children, some of whom sing and/or play with him. Martin has been leading worship for over 25 years, including worship for Steubenville Youth Conferences, national events, a Papal visit in 2015, and has also directed large parish music programs. While at Steubenville, he was mentored by Worship Leader, Jim Cowen, and has since made a number of recordings. He currently loves woodworking and crafts, and he works as a marketing and branding consultant and graphics designer. His favorite music is praise and worship music, as well instrumentals from movie soundtracks.

  • Mary Catherine Russell

    Renaissance and Traditional Choirs

    Mary Catherine was raised in a devout Catholic family and privileged to be educated in a classical Catholic school which impressed upon her the great truths of the Church. She has consistently encountered Christ through music and the Liturgy and desires to inspire others to follow Christ through the beauty which attracted her to Him. She is a great lover of chant and polyphony, especially the compositions of St. Hildegard von Bingen, as well as contemporary polyphony and popular country music. She has degrees in Literature and Political Science and a M.A. in Medieval Studies.

  • Mary Molner

    Assistant Director of Handbells, Other Choirs, Librarian

    Mary was raised Catholic, and has attended many retreats, seminars, small groups, and Bible studies. Her love of singing caused her to join the St. Patrick Folk Choir in 1975 and she has been singing with St. Patrick choirs and playing bells ever since. Mary graduated from the Center for Creative Studies (CCS) in Detroit and has worked in 3-dimensional, interior and graphic design for the automotive and other industries. Her favorite music is eclectic, from classical to jazz, show tunes, rock and some contemporary music.

  • Michael Hoeflein

    Guitarist/Vocalist/Assistant for 11:30 Contemporary Team

    The spark that renewed Michael’s pursuit and understanding in his faith started while an undergraduate at Purdue University. There, through the witness and example of his fellow music ministry peers, he learned the role as a worship leader, a person who guides the congregation to worship and focus on God alone. Through 30 years of ministry, God has continued to push him out of his comfort zone with a dynamic plan. Michael has led LifeTeen and various praise and worship groups, and participated as an instrumentalist/vocalist at several Catholic parishes. Michael enjoys many genres, including pop, alternative, and rock with a special interest in complex composition, layered vocals, and harmonies.

  • Stephen Royal

    Parish Director of Music

    While in college, Stephen took a risk to believe in Jesus Christ in an organ studio while living as an atheist and materialist. He was soon shocked by an encounter with a living God, who desired to love and guide him into holiness. After a few years playing in a praise and worship team during the “Jesus Revolution,” God called Steve back to classical organ, which then began a journey to Roman Catholicism and a 40 year career in Church Music. Steve studied organ and choral directing at the Cathedral of St. Augustine and Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, while continuing to follow the evolution of contemporary praise and worship music. He has degrees in Music, Worship Arts, Social Work, World Religions, and a MA Catholic Theology. He prefers prophetic worship music (IHOP), and also enjoys classical, jazz, electronica, ritual, and roots music.