Welcome!
MusicoftheMass.org is an apostolate of Familia Victricis, an Association of the Faithful with an artistic charism, which seeks to equip parish musicians with the theological understandings and musical tools necessary to effectively foster Eucharistic devotion and the full participation of the Faithful in the Catholic Mass.
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WORKSHOP
We host workshop retreats to impart these critical but accessible skills to amateur/volunteer parish musicians in the beautiful setting of our visitor's house in Santa Fe, New Mexico--the cradle of Catholicism in the United States.
REACH OUT
To begin planning your visit, or to invite us to bring a workshop to your parish, it's easy to get in touch. Click here.
YOU, the parish musician, are the much-needed champion of Eucharistic devotion.
If you were watching a movie in which Heaven dramatically opened and revealed itself to Earth, in which Jesus Christ in His suffering and in His glory suddenly appeared to all present, which is precisely what happens at each Mass, would the music in such a movie sound anything like what is heard surrounding this same moment at your parish?
If the music of the Mass is less than emotionally congruous with this astounding reality, it can serve not to enrich but to contradict the truths unfolding. This can harm the understanding of the faithful and of the world. Too often, even with our best abilities and most devout intent, we can accidentally misuse the influential power of music to communicate on a visceral level a message at odds with the most essential tenants of our Catholic faith.
This happens because even highly talented performers sometimes lack the tools to effectively command music's language, and therefore to match its message to the circumstances we accompany. For anyone entrusted with the vast responsibility of lending the power of music to the singularly important event of the Mass, these tools are critical. Fortunately, these tools are also easily acquired.
The music of the Mass doesn’t have to be difficult. It doesn’t have to be performed by conservatory-trained professionals. It can come from you and me. It can come in ways uniquely relevant to our cultures and our eras. But it does have to communicate the truth. Learn the simple skills necessary to accomplish this--to respond to and fulfill the great dignity of your calling as a parish musician--with us.
Familia Victricis offers an inspiring workshop in Santa Fe, NM, “the city of the Most Holy Faith,” led by AnnaMaria Cardinalli, a well-known international concert artist who possesses a Ph.D. in Theology from Notre Dame.
The workshop will address the practical musical skills that will allow both advanced and volunteer/amateur musicians to return to their parishes truly able to participate in the role of the angels at Mass, and will inspire your own Eucharistic faith and your ability to encourage it in others with an exploration of the theology of liturgical music.
Workshops are held at our historic adobe visitors' house in downtown Santa Fe, and your visit can be combined with experiences of the amazing Catholic history and heritage of the Santa Fe area, which is a world-class pilgrimage destination. Depending on your unique areas of interest, priests and theologians, master musicians and artists, historians and other special guests can be called on to address your group.
Explore a virtual tour of the visitors' house and learn more about Santa Fe by visiting CatholicSantaFe.org
