Date

8-29-2025

Department

School of Music

Degree

Master of Arts in Music and Worship (MA)

Chair

Lori Danielson

Keywords

evangelize, Catholic, Catholic church, music, choral music, choir, choirs, church choir, church choirs, congregational participation, Mass

Disciplines

Liturgy and Worship | Music

Abstract

There are numerous resources for Catholic churches today to encourage a congregation’s full involvement in musical participation, but there is little guidance or information on how these practices help with evangelization. The evangelization process is essential to the healthy growth of the church on Earth and for the salvation of believers. Musical resources give an eclectic variety of music, all of which is methodically written by its composers. After the COVID-19 pandemic, many church choirs have struggled to return, with some churches abandoning the use of large choirs and opting for a single soloist to lead the congregation. This leads to a centrality of soloists’ talent rather than a centrality of the gospel and the building up of the church community. Through this qualitative study, the opinions of Catholic music directors were compiled regarding how they believe music plays a role in evangelization and the growth of the church, and by which means they implement sung music in their churches. Their feedback included their opinions, generated in verbal, picture, or video form, whether a written description of their experience with group singing and evangelization or a video showing appropriate examples. The study serves as a guide for Catholic music ministers, clergy, and volunteers concerning musical implementation in liturgies and church for the sake of activities.

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