JOB TITLE: Organist & Music Director
REPORTS TO: Pastor
SALARY: $58,000 +
BENEFITS: Through the Diocese of Baton Rouge Plan
DATE REVISED: June 16th, 2026
CONTACT: 225-635-3630, mail@felicianacatholic.org
GENERAL SUMMARY
The Director of Liturgy & Music is responsible for working with the pastor, singers (both volunteer and hired), musicians, sacristans, and other liturgical ministers to plan, prepare for, and execute all liturgical and musical functions in the parish.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
- High School Diploma
- Bachelor degree in music or higher preferred
- Has experience with accompanying for and leading choirs and cantors for Catholic liturgies
- Other Qualifications:
- Proficiency in simple, noble, accompaniment on the organ
- Proficiency in contemporary piano accompaniment for more modern praise style music for periodic post-communion hymns throughout the year
- Preferably the ability to play these instruments and cantor Masses that, for various reasons, might lack a specific cantor
- Ability or openness to direct both the English and Latin chant ordinaries and propers, including the Gregorian propers for vigils for holy days
- Ability to work with Google Docs & the Source & Summit online platform
- Ability to recruit, coordinate and communicate with, and direct paid singers, forming a small professional choir for special liturgical celebrations (Easter, Christmas, Pentecost, Christ the King, Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel)
- Ability to teach volunteers and raise their level of understanding and performance, while also having the ability to prudently and charitably limit singing of some singers when pieces seem too difficult or would require too much practice time
- Openness to implementing the musical vision for Catholic worship envisioned by the Second Vatican Council and the subsequent relevant guidance of the universal church and the USCCB
- A commitment to a charitable and Christian practice of interaction with the members of the choir, cantors, and hired singers and musicians
- A commitment to refrain from publicly expressing any views or practices that contradict the official doctrinal and moral teachings of the Catholic Church
- Available to lead music for funerals during the week
INSTRUMENTS IN USE
- Ahlborn-Galanti Digital Organ 2100 (Mount Carmel)
- Ahlborn-Galanti Digital Organ 2400 (Perpetual Help)
- Yamaha G3 Piano (Choir Rehearsal Room)
- Significant organ upgrade envisioned for restoration
PHYSICAL DEMANDS
Can accompany four Masses on the weekends and other special solemnities that might fall on the week.
WORKING ENVIRONMENT
- Office/Church indoors
- Participate in weekly daytime staff meetings to ensure the evangelical mission of the parish
ESSENTIAL JOB DUTIES / PERFORMANCE STANDARDS
Essential Job Duty: Accompanist & Director of Music
Weight: 75%
- Execute and coordinate music for all weekend and holy day liturgies including Christmas & Easter
- 3 at Our Lady of Mount Carmel. 1 at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Mission (Jackson, LA)
- Execute and coordinate all music for funerals, including recruiting cantors
- Coordinate substitutes when not available for any of these liturgies and pay the substitute unless the absence is due to approved sick or vacation time
- Work in collaboration with the pastor on planning music for liturgies throughout the year
- Providing any singers, musicians, or substitute accompanists with PDF documents of all necessary music for liturgies
- Lead weekly choir practices during specified times of the year for both children choir and adult choir
- Conduct all choral and motet pieces, either with full volunteer choir or just the paid choir
- Direct music for vacation bible school each year
- Lead music for family adoration hour monthly
- Lead music for youth way of the cross during lent
- Coordinate music for 1st Communion & Confirmation liturgies
- Coordinate music for Lenten missions
- Music for other events as needed
Essential Job Duty: Liturgy Coordinator
Weight: 25%
- Schedule all liturgical ministers and distribute monthly schedules to ministers and to office staff
- Work in collaboration with the pastor in creating the worship aids for weekend Masses and holy days
- Prepare money counter bags for all collection Masses
- Prepare liturgy binders for weekend and holy day Masses including intercessions and commenter announcements
ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS
Our parish is currently engaged in a capital campaign to renovate our historic 150+ yr. Old church in St. Francisville. Included in the renovation is a restored choir loft and improvement to the liturgical instruments. Also included is an expansion of the church and a return to earlier historic floorplan and hardwood surfaces to improve acoustics. The music director will be an important part of planning for that restoration.
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