From Jean Madden, our Director of Music
With grateful hearts, we are joyful over the arrival of the new piano. On behalf of Regina Leidy, Russell Smith, and all of our song leaders, choir members and instrumentalists, I would like to express our collective thanks to the Saint Frances Cabrini Parish Community. We appreciate our Parish Community’s continuous support of our Music Ministry and extend a particular thank you to the Parish Finance and Pastoral Councils’ unanimous support. As Monsignor McCormac expressed in an article a few weeks ago, we too are most grateful to our former parishioners, Mary Louise Trainor and William Offenheiser, Sr., for their thoughtfulness and their generosity in remembering the Parish through their Estates.
The new piano is a Boston GP 156 baby grand. Adapted from the unique design and technology patents of the famous Steinway & Sons, the Boston offers a harmonic richness, superior tone, powerful sound, and long life unequaled by other pianos of its size. Its appearance alone will add beauty to the liturgical space and the sound will be magnificent.
Being involved with the music ministry, we so appreciate that our Saint Frances Cabrini Parish Community participates so fully in liturgical celebrations and sings the Mass so well. Our instrumentalists, song leaders, adult and youth choirs continue to make great progress developing their talents and in offering their talents in service to the Parish’s worshipping community. It’s so appropriate that we should have quality instruments to support our sung prayer.
While the organ will always retain “pride of place” in Catholic liturgy, we rejoice that God has blessed us with so many other instruments to enhance our worship. The bible is filled with references to praising God in song with lute, lyre, cymbals, and stringed instruments. The Constitution on the Liturgy, Sacrosanctum Concilium, supports the use of instruments for liturgy but also tells us that these instruments must be “suitable for sacred use,” “accord with the dignity of the temple” and “truly contribute to the edification of the faithful.” Now, our new piano is certainly worthy of sacred use, and it will inspire and support our full, active, conscious participation.
Our new piano is also a sign of hope and a commitment to the future of our Parish. As we hear of parishes merging and closing, this new piano is an indication that the Saint Frances Cabrini Parish Community is not sitting stagnant, waiting for word regarding the future. We continue to move forward and build our future. Providing leadership at various levels, over recent years, we have been developing and expanding our parish school, now Holy Family Regional Catholic School, and also, developing our religious education program, our adult faith formation programs, our youth ministry and adult organizations, as well as our liturgical ministries. We give thanks to God for our many blessings and constantly strive to improve upon what we have.
The blessing of the new piano took place at the 5:30 Mass on Saturday, June 29th. Please feel free to stop by the Music Ministry area of church after any Mass to get a closer look. We are pleased to invite anyone who plays piano to actually sit down and experience the thrill of playing a Steinway piano. Please join the music ministry team in thanking God for this marvelous instrument. May He grant eternal rest to the souls of our benefactors, Mary Louise Trainor and William Offenheiser, Sr., and may He pour out His blessings upon all those who use this piano for His glory and honor.
