Janet Loo named to National Council for Liturgical Music
October 16, 2018
Congratulations are in order for Janet Loo.
The Campus Minister and Director of King’s University College Chamber Choir has been appointed to the National Council for Liturgical Music.
The honour came as a “total surprise” to Loo, who found out about the appointment through a phone call from the National Liturgy Office in Ottawa. Loo explains there was no procedure or application process prior to the appointment. Instead, her name had been suggested as a possible candidate, a recommendation enthusiastically supported by Bishop Ronald P. Fabbro of the Diocese of London.
Loo explains she, along with the other six members of the National Council for Liturgical Music, will be responsible for assessing music submitted by composers for liturgical use in Canada.
“The project of prime importance at the moment is the implementation of the new national hymnal, which is due to be released within the next couple of years,” Loo explains.
In addition to her new responsibilities with the Council, Loo continues her work with King’s Campus Ministry and teaching at the Don Wright Faculty of Music at Western.
Loo says she will be relying on her 23 years of experience in liturgical music leadership in campus, parish, and diocesan settings as well as her teaching experience. She adds her experience of working for the last 10 years at King's in Campus Ministry has significantly expanded her knowledge base and refined her liturgical sensitivity.
“I feel that the parish community at King's really supports and values music in the liturgy. These experiences have really allowed me to grow significantly in my work as a music minister,” Loo says.
She is grateful for the opportunity to work with King’s Chaplain, Fr. Michael Bechard, “who has passed on so much of his vast liturgical knowledge and guidance.”
Father Bechard says “Janet’s appointment is an acknowledgment of her great talent and dedication to ministry. It is a recognition that Christ the King University Parish is known for creating a venue where God and the community are celebrated and honoured. “
The National Council for Liturgical Music is a consultative body of seven members (two from each region of the country) which serves the Catholic Church in Canada, providing guidance and direction in the area of liturgical music to bishops, dioceses, and parishes. Loo will be joining Fr. Eugene Roy in representing Ontario.
Congratulations, Janet.