From the bulletin of St. Raymond's Cathedral in Joliet:


Dear Parish Family:

I am very pleased to announce that Dr. Randall Swanson has accepted the position of Director of Music for the Cathedral parish and the Diocese of Joliet. He will assume his position on September 4 and will be the principle organist beginning the weekend of September 8-9. Please read Dr. Swanson's biography on the next page. As you will see, Randall brings a tremendous amount of experience and talent to our parish. The search committee was inspired by his musicianship and his spirituality that was at the foundation of many of his answers to our questions.

The recruiting and hiring process for this position took more than two months, with more than 50 resumes received from throughout the U.S. We chose to interview 11 people and invited four individuals for a second interview and audition. It was an arduous job for the nine members of the search committee, but through it all, our prayer was for guidance from the Holy Spirit. One of the aspects of the Cathedral of St. Raymond that I greatly appreciate is that we are a Cathedral AND a thriving parish community. With the distinction of being the Mother Church comes the responsibility to be the model for parish life for the greater Diocesan Church. All of the Church's Sacraments and ministries are oriented to the Holy Eucharist, “the source and summit of the Christian life.” (Lumen Gentium , no. 11) Because of this truth, our Cathedral parish should aspire to set the standard for worship and liturgical life for the Diocesan Church. This was the guiding principle for our search. We sought to hire an individual who can foster great music for our parish and our Diocesan Church.
The Second Vatican Council affirmed that “the musical tradition of the universal Church is a treasure of inestimable value, greater even than that of any other art.” (CSL, 112) It has long been understood that great music has the potential of connecting us with Beauty; connecting us with the Divine.

We will host a mini-concert and dessert reception with Randall, tentatively scheduled for September 30. This will provide our parishioners the opportunity to meet Randall, and to give voice to your hopes and aspirations for our music program.
I am very grateful to the individuals who comprised our search committee. They worked with tireless dedication to attract a strong individual to continue our parish's esteemed musical legacy. I am also grateful to all the musicians and cantors who have fostered our worship in song during this interim period.

In peace and prayer,
Very Rev. Brad Baker
Rector