In Support of a Downtrodden Music Director

Dear Mikey,

It was good to speak with you, and my statement is below.  I would prefer to remain anonymous on the website.  You may edit as necessary, as long as you don’t change the essence, and you may include the disclaimer if you see fit.  Also, please feel free to share my contact information with Mai, if she needs a sympathetic ear.

Disclaimer – I have never served in the military, but I support members of the armed services, many of whom I have taught.  I also am a mainline Protestant (Episcopalian), not a Catholic; Some years ago, I retired from serving part-time as a church musician (for half my life at the time).

I have sung, directed choirs, and played the organ in eight different denominations, including three and one-half years in a large Catholic church.  (I also have counted several Catholic priests among my friends.)  Church musicians are usually underpaid and often forfeit expectations and benefits common in other jobs, but they do it out of love for their profession.  Nevertheless, they do deserve adequate compensation for their service, and I believe it is absolutely wrong to have services displaced, finances controlled, resources cut, and one’s own faithful’s contributions misdirected by an advocate of another religious group in order to subsidize that group.  

Moreover, as one familiar with Catholic liturgy and calendar, I would guess that the improper contract and work statement revision without consideration of Catholic liturgical requirements involves (among other things) elimination of pay for Holy Days of Obligation.  Not only are these required by the Church, but in my experience, they are well-attended, and, in fact, some of them are observed, if not required, by many mainstream Protestant denominations.  These days’ services are indispensable parts of Catholic religious observance.

I’m also guessing that much of the problem does not arise from adherents of mainstream traditional denominations, but rather from a few evangelical fundamentalist sects, including the many so called “non-denominational Christians,”  who cultivate ignorance of Christian history and theological development, and invent their beliefs from a few selected passages.  In recent years, whatever they call themselves, some groups like this have become more openly disdainful of mainstream denominations of all stripes, as well as Catholics.  I find these groups very aggravating, not to mention threatening.

I certainly hope that this case can be appropriately resolved, and the manipulation, misdirection of funds, and apparent prejudice stopped, if necessary, by carrying the matter through Archbishop Broglio to the Secretary of the Air Force, the Secretary of Defense, or even President Biden.  In my opinion, this kind of flagrant prejudice, discrimination and financial redirection is unconstitutional malfeasance that needs to be stopped by whomever has the authority.  In the meantime, I wish Mai the best and send, if nothing else, moral support.  MRFF has much experience combatting this kind of prejudice and favoritism in the command structure.  I very much support your work and wish you success is combatting this egregious abuse.

All the best,

(name withheld)

---