Still haven’t decided on whether to attend the Diocesan Liturgical Conference May 29-30?

ValLimar Jansen, highly regarded singer, cantor and recording artist, will make any doubts about going disappear.

She comes with the message of diversity and plans on introducing a full range of music in terms of culture in the Church. Jansen’s topics will be interesting to directors of liturgy and music ministry, choirs and cantors, instrumentalists, teachers and catechists, RCIA coordinators, those interested in preparing funeral rites, the sacrament of the anointing and anyone interested in learning more about the liturgy and the power of music in liturgy.

“What I want to show is we as Catholics, we have this full range of diversity not only in terms of who we are culturally, ethnically or racially but who we are in terms of the genre of music that makes us feel most worshipful,” Jansen said.

Jansen will be giving a major address titled “The Rich Diversity in Black Catholic Worship.” She will talk about the celebration of the many sounds and the rich gifts black Catholics give to the Catholic faith in North and Central America as well as the West Indies, Ethiopia and Nigeria.

“When people think about African American, they usually think about gospel, but I’m doing a full range of music not just gospel,” Jansen said.

She will also be presenting a general music session about processional music. Participants will participate in singing appropriate processional hymns, with an emphasis on music of African American composers, including Jansen’s own work.

Jansen’s workshop, But I Can’t Sing!, will help teachers/catechists how to use music in prayer services, gatherings and youth events, even if they cannot sing. They’ll learn how to find songs that have Roman Catholic theology and are also exciting to youth. Participants will actively participate in this workshop and experience practical ideas, demonstrations and suggestions for immediate application with classroom prayer as well as gatherings at youth events and liturgy.

Jansen is encouraging participants to come with an open mind and plans on helping attendees connect with younger generations.

“I’ll be singing all kinds of music to show the type of music youth like as well as introducing the youth to cultural music that they should be holding on to,” Jansen said.

For more information on the conference, call Rosalind Sanchez at (409) 924-4321. Registration information will be in upcoming issues of the East Texas Catholic and online at www.dioceseofbmt.org.