Prayers Answered in Song

On behalf of the search team made up of members from both Parishes, it gives me great joy to announce that our prayers have been answered, and we have hired a new member of our Collaborative Pastoral Team: Ms. Jillian Carelli will be the new Director of Music Ministries for St. Mary Parish! We believe she is just the right person God has provided to build on the leadership A.J. Hoy provided, serving primarily at St. Mary but also collaborating with her counterparts at St. Martha.

Jillian was born in New Jersey, moved to Cape Cod where she graduated from Bourne High School, and is now a third year student at the Boston Conservatory. Her principal gifts are vocals and piano, but she also plays the organ, flute and harp. Jillian was drawn to music ministry as a young teenager, and faith became very important to her life and ministry. She has served at several parishes throughout our area, including significant experience leading children’s choirs. Jillian has directed music at youth Masses, drawing in teens with the ministry that attracted her at that age. She looks forward to continuing the children’s choir that Mary Hoy began and building on our past successes in adult choir and Sunday evening youth-focused Mass. Jillian will be fully on-board with us by early November, but she looks forward to participating in various Masses and meetings between now and then!

This announcement marks the culmination of a two month process of announcements, securing interim ministers, interviews and auditions. We are blessed to have had the leadership of Sally Winslow as search coordinator and the guidance of both Music Directors from St. Martha, along with the support and active involvement of council members, adult choir members, and the whole of St. Mary’s Music Ministry! We particularly need to thank all those who continued the music ministries at St. Mary in the interim: Brittany Lorgeree, Sharon Summers, Tom Abbott, Jeff Johnson, Michael Salinger, Adam Trudel, funeral fill-ins, and especially Anne DiSanto who rushed from the 8am at St. Martha each week to minister at the St. Mary 9:30 and Noon Masses most weeks. We could not have had the beautiful liturgies at St. Mary without your ministry and generosity of time and talent!

As we move into the last phase of this transition, we look forward to welcoming Jillian in the coming weeks, helping her to get to know the Parish and our collaborative, and bringing together the great music ministry already here with the gifts and leadership that Jillian has to offer.