We are living in a time of transition—in the liturgy, in the Church, and in the world. And there are signs all around us that continue to illustrate that this is true. Just over the last few weeks, I had the privilege to attend two very different events, each of which showed forth the signs of the times in its own way. 

First was the National Association of Catholic Musicians (NPM) Convention in Washington, D.C., followed by the Amazing Parish Leadership Summit in Houston only a week later. Source & Summit had a prominent presence at both conferences as a presenting sponsor, offering a music showcase event at NPM and leading the music for one of the conference Masses for the Amazing Parish Summit.

Here are some “field notes” and reflections of mine on both conferences that can help shed some light on the current and future state of music and the liturgy in the US. 

NPM and a Generational Shift in Transition 

NPM was celebrating the 50th anniversary of its founding in 1976, hailing its mission to “foster the art of musical liturgy” which has “shaped Catholic worship since the Second Vatican Council.” Over 500 parish music leaders from around the country were in attendance at the Catholic University of America, representing about a quarter of NPM’s total membership drawn from the 17,000 US Catholic parishes presently on the books.

It was my first ever NPM Convention, and six members of our distributed team from around the country joined me for a time of fellowship and team-building as well. This alone made the conference worthwhile, though we were all delighted by the warm welcome and enthusiastic reception we received from virtually everyone we encountered. Almost all of the attendees, young and old, had at least heard of Source & Summit before. And everyone we met seemed interested in learning more.

Our booth at NPM, the setting of many great conversations with liturgical musicians from across the country.

We had excellent conversations with hundreds of parish music leaders, including a host of existing Source & Summit subscribers who we were thrilled to connect with. We offered two breakout sessions on the Source & Summit Digital Platform throughout the course of the week and sponsored a plenary showcase event on day three, following showcases presented by GIA and OCP on the preceding days. 

During our showcase, I prepared music for a Sunday Mass live on the Digital Platform and led the entire room in a sing-through of all of the music we prepared. Per usual, I enjoyed the oohs and ahs when I selected a hymn, changed the key, selected verses 1, 3 and 5, added an accompaniment and chord symbols, and then changed the tune, all in less than 10 seconds. 

We sang antiphons from the Source & Summit Gradual in addition to Peter Latona’s Mass of the Immaculate Conception, and also featured new music from the Catholic Music Initiative and Timothy Tharaldson. And in the final 10 minutes, I digitally shared the Ordo we prepared and then recreated the printed choir packet and worship aid that every attendee already had in their hands. 

Adam leads Shwocase attendees in "There's a Wideness in God's Mercy," after demonstrating how the Digital Platform can help select a hymn, change keys, and even change hymn tunes.

It was a lot of fun, and I couldn’t have been more excited to share the fruits of our efforts over the past seven years with such a kind and receptive audience. I saw genuine excitement and enthusiasm for Source & Summit’s offerings, especially for the flexibility of the Digital Platform and its ability to solve problems that every parish musician faces, no matter what musical resources they use.

I also sensed a clear generational shift underway within the organization, with a general acknowledgement from leadership and membership alike that the Church is in a very different situation today than it was in NPM’s early years—so much so that NPM announced publicly that it will soon change its name to better reflect current realities. The new name has not yet been announced, but it will be in the coming months.

Amazing Parish and a Change of Era 

The Amazing Parish Leadership Summit, in contrast, was inaugurating its first-ever public conference after a little more than a decade since its founding. With a broader focus than NPM, Amazing Parish is an organization aimed at holistic parish renewal that exists to “unburden pastors and transform parishes into the dynamic centers of worship and evangelization they were always meant to be.”

With keynotes given by organizational health guru Pat Lencioni—one of Amazing Parish’s co-founders—as well as Msgr. James Shea, Arthur Brooks and others, the vision cast at the Summit began with the generally held consensus that the Church in our times is in the midst of a transition from operating in Christendom mode to one of Apostolic Mission. As Pope Francis put it, “we are not living an era of change, but a change of era.” This is a familiar topic to us here at Source & Summit, and I have written before on the role of liturgical music in an Apostolic Age.

Mass at the Amazing Parish Leadership Summit, courtesy of Amazing Parish.

The 1,100 Summit attendees were largely from the younger generation of Catholic leaders. Hundreds of young pastors were in attendance along with their key parish staff members, gaining insights and learning about models for moving their parishes from maintenance to mission. Within the first hour or two, I connected with at least 10 pastors of Source & Summit parishes, and only kept discovering more as the conference progressed. 

This gathering was completely bought into the belief that authentic parish renewal must begin with authentic prayer, and that the primary source and ultimate goal of such renewal lies in the Eucharistic Sacrifice—in the perfect prayer offered by Christ himself united to his Mystical Body on Earth for the glory of God, the sanctification of souls, and for the evangelization of the world. 

And this is why I was so excited to be there, since this is the essence of Source & Summit’s vision as well.

I directed the music for one of the Summit Masses, with the help of a small vocal quartet that led the singing of the proper antiphons of the Mass, a few beautiful hymns, a chanted Mass Ordinary, the Duruflé Ubi Caritas, and the Salve Regina at the end. It was nothing particularly complicated, but with a few voices, a congregation full of missionary leaders, and a keyboard in a conference room, we were able to enter into the heart of the sung liturgy in a way that virtually any parish present could easily replicate with the help of the right resources and implementation plan. 

We sent the attendees home with a sample copy of the Source & Summit Missal and look forward to helping them elevate the liturgy in their parishes as we make the journey as a Church toward authentic renewal, flowing from its primary and indispensable font. 

The Journey Ahead 

Times of transition are not abrupt, but are gradual if they will lead to lasting success. The Source & Summit team would love to learn more about where your parish is at in this time of transition and find ways that we can support your efforts. We would love to hear from you. Feel free to get in touch.