Director of Worship and Liturgy

Director of Worship & Liturgy

• Reports To:
  
  Pastor, St. Thomas Aquinas Parish
• Employment Type:
  
  Full-time
• Location:
  
  St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Parish, Madison, WI
• Salary Range: $65,000 - $73,000 (commensurate with experience).
• Benefits:
  Health insurance, retirement plan, paid moving expenses, annual professional development stipend, paid vacation & holy days

St. Thomas Aquinas is a vibrant, multicultural Catholic parish of over 2,000 registered families in Madison, Wisconsin. We celebrate five weekend Masses (two in Spanish), daily Mass, holy days, and a full sacramental life. Our liturgical style blends traditional hymns and contemporary selections appropriately throughout the liturgical year. We are committed to full, active, and conscious participation in the liturgy, and we serve a diverse community, including English-speaking and Spanish-speaking families.

The Director of Worship and Liturgy oversees the planning, coordination, and execution of all liturgical celebrations mas Aquinas Parish, in accordance with Catholic Church teachings and traditions. We seek an accomplished musician with excellent choral conducting skills and strong proficiency on both organ and piano to lead our music ministry and ensure worship is spiritually enriching, musically vibrant, liturgically sound, and fosters active participation from the congregation.

The Director supervises the Liturgy Coordinator and oversees the worship department, working collaboratively with clergy, staff, and lay leadership to shape the parish's prayer life.

• Plan and coordinate all weekend Masses, holy days, and seasonal liturgies (Advent, Christmas, Lent, Triduum, Easter, etc.) and music needs for religious education and other parish events.
• Prepare liturgies for sacraments (Baptisms, First Communion, Confirmation, Weddings, Quinceaneras, Funerals).
• Collaborate with clergy, staff, and ministry leaders to ensure all celebrations align with the General Instruction of the Roman Missal, diocesan guidelines, and the parish's mission.
• Prepare worship aids, intercessions, and priest scripts in both English and Spanish.
• Manage the use and maintenance of all audio-visual needs to ensure seamless liturgical celebrations.
• In collaboration with parish volunteers, oversee the liturgical environment, ensuring seasonal decor respects and reflects both liturgical and cultural traditions where appropriate, while also managing scheduling, budgets, and supply inventory.

Direct and develop the parish music program, including:

• STA Parish Choir:
  An SATB choir that sings weekly at the 10:00 AM Sunday Mass and for Holy Days, Triduum, and other major celebrations.
• STA Spanish Choir:
  Sings weekly at the Saturday 6:30 PM and/or Sunday 1:00 PM Spanish Masses.
• STA Children's Choir:
  Sings at the 4:00 PM Christmas Mass (and other festive liturgies as scheduled).
• Cantors and Small Ensembles:
  Lead music at all Masses.
• Instrumentalists:
  Accompanists and instrumentalists for all Mass times.

• Recruit, train, and schedule musicians and vocalists for all liturgies.
• Lead weekly rehearsals and provide spiritual and musical formation for music ministers.
• Select and lead appropriate hymns, psalms, and sacred music.
• Assist families in planning music for weddings and funerals, preparing worship aids, and arranging musicians for these liturgies.
• Manage use and maintenance of musical instruments, sheet music, and liturgical resources, and coordinate use of and care for hymnals and seasonal missalettes as appropriate.

Provide ongoing formation for all liturgical volunteers, including annual Safe Environment training (100% compliance).

• Plan and coordinate bilingual Masses when scheduled and our weekly Spanish Masses.
• Ensure worship aids, hymns, and liturgical texts for bilingual Masses are prepared in both English and Spanish, respecting both traditions.
• Collaborate with the Hispanic Ministry Team to integrate cultural expressions of faith (Posadas, Quinceaneras, etc.).

• Manage the hiring of paid singers and instrumentalists.
• Ensure 100% copyright compliance for all published and projected materials.
• Attend staff meetings, professional conferences, and diocesan liturgical training.
• Supervise the Liturgy Coordinator to ensure seamless execution of liturgical functions, with clear division of responsibilities (e.g., Coordinator…