God's Gifts
Music's a gift that keeps on giving
By KATIE LEFEBVRE, Globe staff reporter
Posted June 27, 2002

CARROLL - Music is one of God's gifts that keeps on giving. Marcy Anderson uses her talent of music quite well as the director of music and liturgy at St. Lawrence Parish here.

Anderson has been playing and singing music since she was a child. Even in the eighth grade she was in the choir, playing the piano and taking voice lessons. She attended the Robert Wagner Choral Workshops when she was younger to help enhance her musical talents, saying that she grew up "full of music."

Since that time, she has gone to college, been a teacher and secretary and is now a full-time music director.

Anderson was the part-time music director at the parish while being a teacher and secretary. After her position as a secretary was taken over by a computer, she needed to find another job.

"The Holy Spirit wouldn't be quiet," she explained. "I wanted the music director job to be all or nothing or I would leave."

She went to the priest at St. Lawrence and asked that her part-time position become full-time. He thought about it and she became what she is today.

"Music is in our souls," she said. "It is a powerful way to lift our voices to God. Music is a natural way of praising God."

Besides overseeing music and liturgy for the Masses at St. Lawrence, she is also the accompanist - playing piano and organ - and has a strong cantor program of people from the fourth grade through the retired, along with families.

"Marcy is wonderful," said Katie Fitzpatrick, a member of a family cantor group. "She uses the music to enhance the Mass."

She directs five choirs the Resurrection (funeral choir compiled of retired parishioners), Hosanna, Celebration (sing in parts accompanied by piano, guitar, etc.), men's and children's.

Much more than a full-time job, Anderson attends National Pastoral Musicians conventions, learning how to better bring even more music into her parish.

"I feel like I was given the gift of music," she said. "In the parish setting, I am able to get the parish singing. There is a power in music. If I can leave people humming after Mass, then I have done what I was meant to do."

Besides directing and formulating the liturgy, she also arranges music. She said that arrangementing music is her "strong point." She blends the music to make it work for the occasion.

Talents are something that God gives everyone and people use them in different ways. Anderson's talent of music is something that she shares with her parish and many others. She doesn't hide the fact that it is something God gave her to use.

God gave her the gift of music, and she tried to suppress it for a while. In the end, he spoke so loudly to her that she just couldn't deny the fact that music was where she was supposed to be.

God speaks to people in mysterious ways and some don't listen. Anderson decided to listen to her call and is happily doing what she was meant to do all along.