My love for Music started when I sang in the church choir as a child in Vietnam, and my love for Liturgy and Scripture began when I attended the High School Seminary in Los Angeles. I am grateful that I get to be a Music Minister. For me, whether it is traditional or contemporary, quiet contemplative or upbeat joyful, when music is done well, genre becomes almost irrelevant… because God’s spirit moves within us through music in ways that sometimes the spoken words alone cannot. We can sing a joyful song to the Lord, and we can also rest quietly in God’s love. It brings me joy and fulfillment, knowing that I have the opportunity to shape the faith life of our St. Joseph parish family, where I call home, through songs that relate to the Sunday readings. My hope is that you will be humming or singing a melody from Sunday throughout the week, and in doing that, perhaps, you will remember something from the Sunday message, and live that out during the week.
In addition to Music Ministry in various parishes since 1994, I’ve served the priests of our diocese in being the Music Coordinator and minister for the annual week-long Priest Retreat since 2010 to present, as well as the Priest Community Day, Priest Advent Day of Prayer and Priest Chrism Day. I’ve also served on the diocesan Music Advisory Board under the Office for Worship, and the Diocesan Liturgical Commission. I am also one of OCP’s clinicians, who, when requested, is sent to a parish, a diocese or a national convention, such as RE Congress and NPM, to give a workshop about Music in the Intercultural Church.