Schwend joins diocesan staff

By KATIE LEFEBVRE, Globe staff reporter
May 8, 2008

Surrounded by liturgical materials, the new director of the Office of Worship for the Diocese of Sioux City said he is looking forward to working with the priests, deacons and other leaders of liturgy.

"I look forward to learning together," said Adam Schwend. "There is a lot of new stuff coming down - the English version of the Roman Missal. I want to work with people now, before it is out, saying this is going to happen and why it is happening. I want to get out there and work with the pastors, the bishop and the lay folks to be able to improve what is already very good liturgy."

He added that there is "always room to improve" and he will be helping with that.

"The bishop has made it one of the major points of his episcopacy that liturgy be done in a very excellent way and that Sioux City will become a beacon for the church in America. That is what I am really looking forward to," said the director of worship.

Schwend is a native of Tillamook, Ore., and began working in the diocese April 7. He moved to Sioux City with his wife, Amelia, as well as his "two daughters," Boots (purebred mutt) and Clara (cat).

He has a bachelor of arts degree from Pacific University in Forest Grove, Ore., a suburb of Portland, studying theology and music with an emphasis in vocal performance.

Schwend had been living in Beaverton, Ore., also a suburb of Portland, for about five years. He worked as director of music at St. Francis Church in Sherwood, Ore., and St. Pius X Church in Portland, Ore.

"I spent a number of years at St. Pius X," he said. "It was my biggest assignment."

Working at the parish level, Schwend noted, will assist him in this new diocesan position. He knows what someone in the parish can handle and will try not to send people in the parish too much.

In his previous position, he served as master of ceremonies and planned liturgies for Cardinal George and Cardinal Levada.

Schwend plans to put together a new sacramental and liturgical handbook. He said it is his "biggest goal" at the moment and wants to get the resource into the hands of the priests and pastoral ministers.

"It is certainly not meant to be an imposition of more rules on priests. It is supposed to be more of a relief for priests," he said. "Instead of pastoral ministers having to go to the pastor, they will have the handbook. Hopefully it will be a load off the priests. They can go about liturgical life with the general instruction of the Roman Missal and with the particular law of the Diocese of Sioux City in their hands."

While the Office of Worship is an advisory office to the bishop, Schwend stressed that he wants the laity and priests to know that he is a reference and tool for them as well.

"One of the things I enjoy most about the job is answering the calls from the folks in the parishes. I enjoy answering the calls from the priests who want to know 'How do we do this? Is it the best way to do that? What are your suggestions?'" he said. "I want everyone to feel free to give us a call or drop us an e-mail. We are here to help."