Joanne Werner enhanced decades of diocesan musical worship

Joanne Werner sits at the piano at St. Michael Parish in Bedford. (NTC/Richard Rodriguez)

BEDFORD — Be it religious or secular, musician Joanne Werner has always considered music among God's greatest gifts.

“For me, music is just part of my soul,” Werner said. “I grew up with and always had a huge appreciation of it. Music can take you to a different place, and sometimes we all need to escape a little bit into some beauty and loveliness.”

Such has informed Werner's lifelong passion for music of all stripes.

“I'm more of a classically oriented person though, like others, I grew up during the Beatles, and they were my thing too,” Werner said. “My mother was also a musician, a piano teacher. So music was all around as I grew up and always very important to me.”

It's through serving the Church, however, that Werner made her true musical mark.

She recently retired from St. Michael Parish in Bedford after 22 years having served as director of liturgy and music among other responsibilities during her time there.

Previous to that, she served long musical stints at St. Catherine of Siena Parish in Carrollton and St. Philip the Apostle Parish in Flower Mound.

Along the way, Werner served with the National Association of Pastoral Musicians, as both a member of the director of music ministries board and chair of the board of directors. Known nationally as a clinician for cantors, Werner has led more than 50 cantor workshops across the U.S. Under her direction of St. Michael's Adult Liturgical Choir, she has organized and overseen international trips with the choir to Italy, Hungary, and other locales, including a performance before Pope Benedict XVI at a general audience.

Born and raised in Great Falls, Montana, Werner underwent Catholic education throughout college, which led to her musical career.

“In sixth grade, one of the sisters, bless her heart, decided I should play organ for morning Mass,” Werner said. “We went to Mass every morning before school, which was still in Latin. So I played the organ and sang the chants, and that's how it all started.”

A music degree from Holy Names University in Oakland, California, followed as did a master's degree in vocal performance and piano.

Marriage brought Werner to Texas where she landed at and volunteered to help with the choir at St. Catherine, leading to part-time then full-time employment.

“I grew a lot [at St. Catherine], left after 10 years, and went on to St. Philip, which was another wonderful experience,” Werner said. “I've just had wonderful opportunities and couldn't say no to the liturgy.”

Attending a regional convention at St. Patrick Cathedral in 1989 opened opportunities for participation in national organizations, working with cantors and musicians throughout the country, and in 2002, her position as director of liturgy and music at St. Michael.

More than music

The enjoyment factor of music is important, of course, but, from a worship perspective, it's deeper than that, Werner stressed.

“It's so important that the Church wrote a document just on music,” Werner said. “On how music should be done for liturgy. That's how important and integral it is to the celebration of the Eucharist.”

It's important that music during Mass complement but never distract or become the focus of the celebration, Werner added.

“The goal is for people to be aware and paying attention to the music but realize it's prayer, not entertainment,” Werner said. “They're not there for a concert. Which is why I've always been very intentional in looking at the Scriptures to determine how the music can amplify and fortify those messages.”

Passing it on

Cantors and others involved with choir at St. Michael commend not just Werner's love of music but more importantly her passion for sharing and passing on her gifts to others.

“She's a wonderful director who is able to get the best out of people,” said St. Michael parishioner Dennis Emerson, a former cantor and choir member. “When I moved here from Tulsa, it took one visit to St. Michael to know this was my new parish and Joanne [Werner] and the music program was a big part of that.”

Current cantor and choir member Ann Zang agreed.

“When my husband and I moved to Texas in 2011, St. Michael's choir was one of the first things that made Texas feel like home,” Zang said. “That choir was a reflection of Joanne's approach to music. We never performed so much as we always worshipped God, and that makes a difference. I've been singing in choirs since I was 6, and Joanne was far and away the best parish director I've sung with.”

Zang credited Werner's personal touch.

“She always brought out the musicality, the faith, the meaning of what we were singing,” Zang said. “She has a gift listening and diagnosing. I've seen her work miracles with voices. She put her heart and soul into the cantors and choirs, and we felt and reciprocated and responded to that.”

Parishioner Jeanette Cole said Werner played a role in increasing her involvement in the Church and encouraging her daughter.

“Because [Werner] is so open, nurturing, and supportive and was always there for us,” Cole said.

St. Michael's current music director, Gayle Lambert, concurred.

“Joanne is an outstanding musician and vocalist who willingly shared her knowledge,” Lambert said. “She's very open and approachable in sharing her expertise and can take anyone and challenge them in a safe environment and help them grow. She has a unique talent for that.”

What lies ahead remains to be determined, but for now, Werner said she looks forward to enjoying music from the pews. Werner added that her love of music will always remain.

“Music puts me in a different place,” Werner said. “If there's one thing I'm sure about heaven, it's that we're going to have music there.”