By KATIE LEFEBVRE, Globe staff reporter
March 11, 2004

KINGSLEY - One St. Michael's parishioner has been using her talents to bring music to the church for 30 years.

Dorothy Berens has been playing the organ since she was a little girl. She would play during the summer when the Servant of Mary Sisters would come to town. She commented that she has played by ear as long as she can remember.

"I think I started playing regularly 30 some years ago," said Berens. "I love it. I play by ear, but I play by note also."

She graduated from Briar Cliff College with a degree in music in 1946. She started taking pipe organ lessons from Sister Arnold Staudt at Briar Cliff in 1981.

"When Father Fisch said 'we might buy a pipe organ,' I just about went out of my mind," said Berens. "I could not believe it. He said, 'maybe you would like to take lessons.' I have been taking them from Sister Arnold ever since. She has taught me the feet and the pedals."

Berens added that Sister Arnold helps her to remember what music to play at different times of year. There are now more rules to go by than when she started playing. The church has certain music that needs to be played at specific times of year.

"It is different now that the people are supposed to sing," said Berens. "It used to be choir and organ, and now it is the people that are singing. You need to go both ways, I think. You have to have choir, but it's nice to have the people participate, too."

She has seen God in her life through a lot of things that have happened to her family. All five of her children are pretty active members of the church, noted Berens. One of her sons is a deacon and also enjoys music. Two of her daughters and a granddaughter are in major symphonies. Another son is in an 80-person choir.

"Music has kind of trickled down through the family," said Berens. "One time my kids said, 'every time we come home, mom, you are going out the door to play for something at church.' I never thought about it. I guess it was the Masses and stuff, but they come first."

"I pray every day when I sit down at the organ that things will go well," said Berens.

She is the organist at every weekend Mass - one Saturday and one Sunday. She had played for daily Masses for years until she had both of her knees replaced and the priest told her she didn't have to anymore. Besides weekend Masses, Berens also plays for weddings. She commented that she has three weddings coming up this spring to play for.

"Some people say, 'are you going to play forever?'" noted Berens. "I hope I can, as long as I can get over here to the church. I hate missing it. I don't want to see a church without any music. When I do go, it is hard to get a substitute."

The only time Berens does not play is when she goes out of town to see her children who all live far from Kingsley.

Other things that Berens participates in at St. Michael's are being a part of the guild, bringing food to different events and as she said doing what she is supposed to do. She also visits people from the parish that are sick and goes to see people in the nursing home regularly. At the nursing home, Berens plays oldies music, with a couple of ladies singing along, for the residents once a month.

"I go to these things and learn more all the time," said Berens. "I love playing and it is a gift that God gave me. I think I should pay it back."