Music Ministry at St. Justin Martyr Parish

The Music Ministry at St. Justin Martyr brings together the faith experience and diverse talents of many people who come together to lead the worshipping community to a fully, conscious and active participation in the Liturgy.

"The whole point of our coming together is the common worship and praise of God. Whether or not we arrive at that goal is first judged by the participation of the assembly. Only when each person joins his/her heart and voice to our common prayer can we truly say that our parish has arrived at that goal. And so, it is not simply from a musician's point of view that we need to pray our songs. We do not just have "music at liturgy," but we have a "musical liturgy." It is therefore important that all of us pray the song prayers that are chosen. Even those who cannot sing or who don't feel that they sing well, should be encouraged to pick up the hymnal and pray the words with the rest of the assembly." (Ministry Resource Update - June 2010"

Our Music Ministry tries to reflect the tradition and teaching of the Church that music is "more holy in proportion as it is more closely connected with the liturgical action, whether it adds delight to prayer, fosters unity of minds, or confers greater solemnity upon the sacred rites." (Sacrosanctum Concilium, 112)

Our Music Ministry sings at the following Masses.

Saturday 5:00PM - St. Cecilia (Youth) Choir: This group of young people provide music for the Saturday 5:00pm Mass. Young people who like to sing or who play a musical instrument are invited to join. 

Sunday 8:30am - St. Francesca Choir: We are a chamber choir of about 20 singers. We sing every Sunday morning at the 8:30am Mass. We invite people of all ages and musical abilities to join this choir.

Sunday 10:30am - St. Gregory Choir: This is the largest choir in the parish, with a membership of forty singers. This choir sings at the Sunday 10:30am Mass. St. Gregory Choir, along with our parish choirs, present an annual Advent Concert in December which successfully raises funds for our Parish community. St. Gregory Choir invites new members of all ages and abilities. Tenors and Basses for our Men's section are especially welcome.

Sunday 12:30pm - Children's Choir: The Children's Choir sing every Sunday at our 12:30pm Mass. This choir provides a wonderful opportunity for young people from ages 7 to 12 to fully participate in the liturgy of the Mass. Rehearsals take place every Tuesday evening from 4:45 pm to 6 pm in the Church. These practices are a way for the children of the parish to come together to meet new friends, while at the same time learn more about singing and the music of the Church. If you have a child who would like to participate in the Music ministry, submit your requests here: Children's Music Ministry Registrations (ages 7 to 12)

Our Music Ministry offers further oppotunities to members who gather more expertise. Experienced choirists might have the chance to participate in cantor training and in singing the weekly psalm as a soloist. If you are interested, contact our Music Director - Julia Iacono-Hauser through the Parish Office: 905.479.2463 or email stjustinmartyrun@archtoronto.org.