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The National Association of
Pastoral Musicians
NPM is an organization for anyone who recognizes and supports the value of musical liturgy. We are choir directors, organists, guitarists, pianists, instrumentalists of all kinds, priests, cantors, and pastoral liturgists. We are members of contemporary ensembles, handbell choirs, and choral groups. Some are young people in high school and college, while some are veteran directors of music ministries.We foster the art of musical liturgy. The members of NPM serve the Catholic Church in the United States as musicians, clergy, liturgists, and other leaders of prayer.
The Metuchen Chapter of NPM hosts numerous events throughout the year, helping local church musicians to grow in faith and skills. The Chapter was named “Chapter of the Year” in 2016.
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NPM Metuchen and the Diocese of Metuchen present a virtual retreat
Reimagining Faith, Hope and Love in 2020
Tuesday, September 1 | 7 p.m. - 9 p.m.
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About our virtual retreat:
COVID-19 has changed our world. Illness, death, job loss and uncertainty are prevalent, while social distancing and the sacrifices surrounding music and worship make it hard for us to cope.
Recent awareness of social justice issues relating to racism and law enforcement compels us to confront our own prejudices and leaves us wondering what steps we can take to create a culture of life, especially for the vulnerable.
Our speaker, Sr. Sandra De Masi, will help us explore the ways faith, hope and love enable us to navigate these challenges. Three musicians of the Metuchen Diocese, Aida Gamboa, Mike Burns and Edna Arguello-Hitchner, will offer short reflections.
There is no fee to register, but the NPM Board asks that you please consider making a $10 donation, or be as generous as your means allow, to the Samaritan Homeless Interim Program (SHIP). More information on SHIP can be found at the bottom of this page.
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About our speaker:
Sr. Sandra De Masi is a Sister of Saint Joseph of Chestnut Hill-Philadelphia, PA, serving as pastoral associate for liturgy at Saint Rose of Lima Parish, Short Hills, NJ. Sr. De Masi presented the liturgy breakout for the 2019 Metuchen NPM Skills Enrichment Seminar, where she also presided at Morning Praise.
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About the Samaritan Homeless Interim Program:
Proceeds collected will be donated to the Samaritan Homeless Interim Program (SHIP), a faith-based, interfaith and community-funded organization that creates programs and offers services to to respond to the needs of the poor and working poor in and around Somerset County.
Services are tailored to each individual's need and vary in duration according to each individual or families situation. SHIP provides this unique population with critically needed emergency interim services. These services may include advocacy, emergency interim housing, interim counseling, and support services, that greatly enhance their chances of regaining their self-sufficiency again. SHIP is dedicated to improving the quality of life for the poor. Clients are eligible to apply for all of SHIP's Programs and Services.
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Meet the Board of Directors
Barbara Sanderman
Retired from a 26-year career in Church Music within the Diocese of Metuchen, Barbara Sanderman is the director of Caritas Chamber Chorale. Founded in 2005, the Chorale is dedicated to serving the poorest of the poor through the art of sacred music and performs for the benefit of the Adorno Fathers’ Africa Mission.
Barbara has long been active in NPM in both the local Chapter and at the national level, including acting as the Local Chair for the 2008 Easter Region NPM Convention in East Brunswick, NJ where Caritas Chamber Chorale and the Metuchen Diocesan Chamber Choir collaborated in performance.
Dolores Savare
Dolores (Dee) Savare is Director of Music at Saint Joseph’s Church in High Bridge, where she has played and directed the adult and children’s choirs for the past 40 years. She has served as Recording Secretary for the Metuchen Chapter of NPM for the past 2 years.
Early in her career, she maintained a private teaching studio of 40 students in her home. She has also worked as a Regulatory Associate at RWJ Pharmaceutical Research, in Raritan.
Jean Lyons
Jean has been involved in church music since grade school as a choir member along with studying piano with a private teacher. She then studied organ and harp in high school while accompanying various school and church liturgies. Jean has spent many years in music ministry in varying capacities: organist, cantor, choir member and music director. She has been the Director of Sacred Music at Our Lady of Fatima parish in Piscataway for the last 10 years. Jean holds a Certificate in Church Music from Westminster Conservatory and a M.S. degree from Long Island University. She also spent many years working in the pharmaceutical industry, while serving as a church musician.
Michael Burns
Michael P. Burns is Director of Liturgy and Music at Blessed Sacrament Church in Martinsville, NJ. Mike holds a Master of Theological Studies in Word and Worship from Catholic Theological Union.
Mike has served in parish ministry as Director of the Catechumenate, Director of Religious Education, and Parish Business Manager. Mike is a former auxiliary staff member of the Office for Divine Worship, Archdiocese of Chicago.
Tara Smith
Tara Smith has been active in music ministry for over 20 years at her home parish, St. Matthias, Somerset, where she serves as a cantor and choir member. She has served on the NPM Metuchen Chapter Board since 2017. Tara graduated from Bloomsburg University in Pennsylvania with a bachelor’s degree in Communications, specializing in Public Relations, and a minor in Spanish. She currently serves as the Associate Director of Communications for the Diocese of Metuchen. Tara and her husband, who plays violin alongside her in the choir, live in Flemington with their three children, Bridget, Connor and Caroline.
David Jules
David Jules is in his seventeenth year as Director of Sacred Music at St. Matthew the Apostle Church in Edison. He directs three vocal choirs, three handbell choirs, teaches in the parish school, and is director of the drama club production and vacation bible school.
He also enjoys singing with two other groups, the Triad Vocal Chamber Ensemble and the Starlite Chorale.
Jill Szabo
Jill Szabo has been involved with the local NPM chapter for over 20 years and served on the committee for the 2008 Regional NPM convention in East Brunswick, NJ.
She is one of the assistant music directors at St. Matthias Church in Somerset where she directs a contemporary choir and a youth handbell choir. Jill has been a music teacher for over 20 years and lives in Somerset with her husband Randy, son Zachary, and cat Gracie.
Nick Greco
Nick started singing at a young age and sang with the World Children's Choir with performances at the United Nations and Carnegie Hall. As a teenager he sang in an off-broadway production of "Runaways."
He studied voice at Westminster Choir College and is the Director of Contemporary music at Mary, Mother of God in Hillsborough. He resides in Flemington with his wife and children.
Joan Best Seamon
Joan Best Seamon is the Pastoral Associate for Liturgical Music at The Catholic Community of St. Matthias.
The St. Matthias Music Ministry includes 9 choirs, all leading and inspiring the assembly in sung (and rung!) prayer.
Joe Cullinan
Joe Cullinan has spent 21 years as a Pastoral Musician, including time spent leading song as an accompanist at Our Lady of Mt. Virgin in Middlesex, pianist and songleader at St. Peter’s in New Brunswick, and the Director of Sacred Music at Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Bernardsville. He is currently the Director of Sacred Music at Our Lady of Mercy in South Bound Brook.
Joe is a proud graduate of St. Thomas Aquinas (formerly Bishop Ahr) High School in Edison, and is currently in his 13th year as the Director of Choral and Instrumental Music at STA. Joe resides in Fords with his wife, Katie, and his two daughters - Annalee and Carolynn.
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