Just received this in my inbox:

On behalf of the NPM Board of Directors I am delighted to announce that after nearly a year’s search, Rev. Msgr. Richard B. Hilgartner, a priest of the Archdiocese of Baltimore, Maryland, has been named the new president of the Association. Monsignor Hilgartner will be introduced to the members of the Association at the 2014 NPM Annual Convention, held July 14–17 in St. Louis, Missouri. He will assume the duties of the president on September 1. The National Association of Pastoral Musicians is particularly grateful to Archbishop William Lori of Baltimore for allowing Monsignor Hilgartner to assume this role in addition to his work as pastor of a parish in the Archdiocese.

Born in Baltimore, Maryland, in 1968, Richard Hilgartner was ordained to the priesthood for the Archdiocese of Baltimore in 1995. After service in two parishes in the Archdiocese, he began studies in Rome at the Pontificio Ateneo Sant’Anselmo in 2003, earning a licentiate in sacred theology, with a specialization in sacramental theology (magna cum laude), two years later. Father Hilgartner returned to the Archdiocese to serve as chaplain and director of campus ministry and as an adjunct faculty member at Mount St. Mary’s University in Emmitsburg, Maryland. In 2007, he was named associate director of the Secretariat of Divine Worship for the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and, in 2011, he became the Secretariat’s executive director. One year later, Father Hilgartner was named Chaplain to His Holiness with the title “Monsignor.”

Now ending his term at the Secretariat, Monsignor Hilgartner will return to pastoral ministry and will serve as the third president of NPM since its inauguration by Rev. Dr. Virgil Funk, a priest of the Diocese of Richmond, now retired. Dr. J. Michael McMahon served as the Association’s second president from 2001 to 2013.

We appreciate the dedication of all those who applied for this position. They each brought unique talents, skills, and experiences and offered them in service to the Association. It was truly difficult to choose among them. We hope all those who offered to serve will continue to offer their gifts in service to the Church as members of the National Association of Pastoral Musicians.

A press release will be made available shortly to the news services. Once released, it will also be posted on the NPM website for those who would like to learn more about our new president, in anticipation of meeting him in St. Louis.


Anne A. Ketzer, Chairperson
NPM Board of Directors