Director of Worship and Liturgy

Job Description

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

About St. Thomas Aquinas Parish
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.

Position Summary
The Director of Worship and Liturgy oversees the planning, coordination, and execution of all liturgical celebrations at St. Thomas 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.

Key Responsibilities
1. Liturgical Planning & Coordination
• 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.

2. Music Ministry Leadership
• Direct and develop the parish music program, including:
o 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.
o STA Spanish Choir: Sings weekly at the Saturday 6:30 PM and/or Sunday 1:00 PM Spanish Masses.
o STA Children's Choir: Sings at the 4:00 PM Christmas Mass (and other festive liturgies as scheduled).
o Cantors and Small Ensembles: Lead music at all Masses.
o 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.

3. Volunteer Formation & Training
• Provide ongoing formation for all liturgical volunteers, including annual Safe Environment training (100% compliance).

4. Bilingual & Multicultural Ministry
• 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.).
5. Administrative & Budget Oversight
• 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 handles sacristy, ushers, and liturgical ministers; Director focuses on music, environment, and overall vision).

Qualifications
Faith & Spiritual Life
• Practicing Catholic in good standing with the Church.
• Deep commitment to the liturgical life of the Church.
• Strong working knowledge of the General Instruction of the Roman Missal, Sing to the Lord, Sacrosanctum Concilium, and other key liturgical documents.

Language
• Fluency in English and Spanish is preferred. At a minimum, candidates must be comfortable leading liturgical celebrations in both languages, including familiarity with liturgical vocabulary (e.g., Ordinary/Proper, antiphons, psalms, acclamations, etc.) in both English and Spanish.

Experience
• Minimum 3-5+ years in liturgical or music ministry, preferably in a multicultural parish of similar size.
• Proven ability to lead congregational singing from organ or piano.
• Choral conducting experience strongly preferred.
• Experience supervising staff or volunteers.

Skills & Competencies
• Excellent interpersonal and collaborative skills-able to work effectively with clergy, staff, and volunteers.
• Strong organizational and project management abilities.
• Comfort with technology (AV systems, worship software, digital platforms).
• Ability to work evenings, weekends, and holy days as required.

Work Environment & Expectations
• Regular evening and weekend work, including all weekend Masses, holy days, the Triduum, Christmas Eve/Christmas Day, and special parish events.
• Weekly rehearsals and staff meetings.
• Availability for pastoral emergencies (funerals, etc.).
• Work-life balance support: Mondays and Tuesdays are provided as regular days off to compensate for weekend work.
• Must complete and maintain all diocesan Safe Environment requirements, including a background check and adherence to the diocesan code of conduct.

Physical Demands
• Ability to lift up to 25 lbs. (musical equipment, supplies).
• Ability to work in a variety of acoustical environments.

Instruments
• Organ: Johannus Monarke Organ.
• Piano: Steinway & Sons grand piano.
• Gather and Flor Y Canto Hymnals.

Compensation & Benefits
This is a full-time, salaried position.
• Salary: $65,000-$73,000, commensurate with experience
• Work-Life Balance: Mondays and Tuesdays are provided as regular days off to accommodate weekend responsibilities
• Additional Stipends: Stipends for funerals, weddings, and quinceaneras, averaging approximately $6,000 in additional compensation annually
• Health Benefits: Medical coverage through Christian Brothers/Blue Cross Blue Shield, along with Delta Dental and vision coverage
• Health Savings Account: Employer contribution to an HSA
• Retirement: 401(k) plan through Mutual of America with a 3% employer match
• Moving Expenses: Paid moving expenses, if applicable
• Professional Development: Annual professional development stipend
• Paid Time Off: 30 combined vacation, personal, and sick days per year
• Paid Holidays: Paid holidays and designated holy days
Application

To apply, please submit the following materials:
• Cover letter.
• Current resume.
• List of three professional references.
• A video or audio recording of you leading a liturgy or rehearsal (strongly encouraged but not required).
• A brief written reflection (1 page) on your philosophy of liturgical music and worship.
• Portfolio/photos of seasonal environment/decor (if available)
Send applications to:
business@stamadison.org
Application Deadline is October 15th, 2026

Note: Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, but priority will be given to those received by the deadline.

About the Employer

We are a Catholic parish where people experience Jesus Christ in a way that changes how they live.
Somos una parroquia Catolica donde las personas presencian a Jesucristo de una manera que cambia como viven.

St. Thomas Aquinas parish is a place of God's mercy and hope, where all feel welcomed, loved, forgiven, and encouraged to live out the Good News. Our doors are wide open so that all may enter. These same doors are also wide open so we can go out and share that good news with others.