Saint Thomas Aquinas Church in Zanesville, Ohio has an immediate opening for a Saturday evening organist/cantor at 4:30 p.m. Mass throughout the year. The ideal candidate is an organist who provides strong leadership of hymns and service music. The organist should also be comfortable with singing the Psalm, Gospel Acclamation, and a (normally responsorial) Communion hymn from the organ console. Parish cantors are available for some Saturdays, but most of the time this role will be filled by the organist. Except for these pieces, hymns and service music at St. Thomas are led by the organ, and the congregation is used to hearing prelude/postlude repertoire.

The St. Thomas community currently worships in its Activity Center gymnasium due to a church roof repair and renovation; worship will return to the beautiful neo-Gothic church building (dedicated 1842) sometime in mid-2024. At that time, the Saturday organist will play a historic and colorful two-manual, 24-rank Schantz organ (originally built in 1912 and rebuilt in 1988 by Bunn-Minnick) in a wonderful acoustic. Until that time, the current liturgical instrument is a two-manual Ahlborn-Galanti digital organ that serves well.

Repertoire is moderately traditional and is identical over the three weekend Masses, consisting of familiar hymns and basic service music such as the Mass in Honor of St. Benedict and the Missal chants. We use Respond and Acclaim exclusively for the Psalmody, since our hymnal is Breaking Bread. Repertoire will be chosen in advance and communicated by the Music Director.

Consistent coverage of Saturdays is the key responsibility in this position; opportunities to play at other times (holydays, weddings, funerals, etc.) may be considered in consultation with the Music Director, but are not required.
Compensation is $150 for each Saturday, and each individual call beyond that (such as a holyday Mass) will be paid at the same rate. The candidate will be required to complete Diocesan requirements such as a background check, etc.

Interested candidates should submit a resume and references to Christopher Urbiel, Music Director, at curbiel@columbuscatholic.org. The submission of recordings is not required but is encouraged. Please direct any questions to Christopher at his email address or by leaving a message on his Parish line at 740-453-3301, x. 122. This position is open until filled.