The Catholic Institute of Sacred Music is happy to announce its Fall 2026 Monday Online Workshop Series, along with a co-sponsored conference at Franciscan University of Steubenville, October 16–17, 2026

This term’s topics begin with the practical and move toward the more specialized. Workshops start Monday, September 21st, and the first topic integrates with an in-person conference at Steubenville.
• $25 per topic live access | $10 per topic optional add-on for archival access
• $60 for all 3 topics live access | $90 for all 3 topics live plus archived access

Learn more and register

The online format, with optional archived access, lets you learn on a compact schedule that works for you and your community. Attending as a parish group enables teams to learn together and foster the conversations needed for lasting, transformative change. Each workshop focuses on concrete takeaways you can apply immediately in parishes and schools.

Building from Square (Note) One – Understanding Church Teaching on Sacred Music and Transforming Your Parish Music Program

Four Mondays: Sept. 21, 28, Oct. 5, 12

5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Pacific | 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Eastern

with Dr. Jennifer Donelson-Nowicka

Learn the Church's fundamental teachings about sacred music and put them into practice! 

Each session begins with a clear explanation of a key principle from the Church’s magisterium on sacred music. We then explore how that principle applies to real parish circumstances, offering practical best practices that help priests and music directors turn the teaching into lived reality. Participants will also work with guided questions that help them inventory the people, skills, and resources already present in their communities, enabling them to build sustainable structures that maximize local gifts and create a vibrant parish music program.

Ideal for priests, music directors, and parish or finance council members.

Sacred Music Leadership Summit
Two Days to Transform Your Music Ministry
CISM and Franciscan University of Steubenville
October 16, 17

Learn more and register here. Note that this registration is separate from the online workshops, but related through the topic.

Whether you're strengthening an established music ministry or building one from the ground up, the Sacred Music Leadership Summit will help you renew and elevate your Catholic parish or school music program. Through presentations, hands-on workshops, collaborative planning sessions, and discussion, you'll discover practical ways to cultivate music that deepens prayer, enriches the liturgy, and strengthens your parish or school community.

Designed for priests, parish staff, music directors, principals, parish council members, and other Catholic leaders, this two-day summit combines theological vision with practical instruction to help you develop a clear plan for your own parish or school.


Catholic Funerals: Implementing and Singing Sacred Music

Two Mondays: Oct.19, 26

5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Pacific | 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Eastern

with Dr. Jennifer Donelson-Nowicka

This workshop explores the Church’s teaching on sacred music as it applies specifically to the funeral rites, guiding priests, music directors, and parish musicians on implementing policies and preparing music that are both liturgically appropriate and pastorally sensitive. Participants will learn to sing the theologically rich music of the Requiem Mass, as well as discuss practical strategies for implementing beautiful, reverent, and dignified sacred music in real parish settings—whether resources are abundant or limited. Sample funeral Mass policies will be presented, alongside discussion of pastoral challenges like family requests, cultural expectations, and the need to foster both consolation rooted in Christian hope and prayer for the deceased.

Ideal for priests and music directors.


Three Different Approaches to Gregorian Rhythm and How to Sing Them
Three Mondays: Nov. 9, 16, 23
5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Pacific | 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Eastern
with Dr. Charles Weaver

Three ways to sing the Church's chant with beauty!

Discover the Church's Gregorian chant with fresh ears by singing it according to different styles. The principles articulated by mensuralists, Dom André Mocquereau, and Dom Eugène Cardine will be presented.

Ideal for musicians with experience singing Gregorian chant.