Editor’s note: This article is part of a series of interviews with men and women in the Notre Dame community who have responded to God’s call to holiness in different ways. Here, Steve Warner shares his own vocational journey as well as advice for discernment.

 

Irish Rover: How would you describe vocation in a general sense?

Warner: There is a marvelous etymological and musical way to understand the word “vocation”: “finding your voice.” I have come to appreciate greatly what it means to find your voice—whether you are a university president, a composer, a teacher, a poet, a scientist, an ethicist or a vocalist. “Finding your voice” means embracing what God created you to be, owning your strengths and your weaknesses and putting them to service, for both your Maker and for the People of God.

What is the mission of the Notre Dame Folk Choir, and what role do you play as its director?

A lot of people think that the word “folk” in our name describes a genre of music we like to sing, as if we simply did songs by Bob Dylan or Peter, Paul and Mary; or that the term came about because the choir was formed close to that period of time in American pop culture. But they would be incorrect.

The vast majority of our music is material that can be sung by everyone; thus, it belongs to the people—the “folk.” Our goal is to create music that helps the assembly members themselves “find their voice” and enter into a relationship with God. My task, as steward of the Folk Choir, is to make sure that we are constantly engaging, encouraging and enabling congregational song.

What is the importance of music in worship and liturgy?

I cannot imagine praying without singing. But that is a personal response, perhaps biased around my own experiences.

Music is an incredibly powerful way to express realities, whether they be joyful realities, sorrowful ones or statements of our story of faith. Putting what we believe into song makes those beliefs more present to us, more tangible, more visceral. And so it is quite understandable that church leaders over the ages—from “Tra le sollicitudini,” issued by Pope Pius X, to “Music in Catholic Worship,” put forth by the US Catholic Bishops in 1972, as well as many other publications—stress the importance of song wedded with prayer.

How does the ministry of the Folk Choir fit into the larger mission of the Church as a whole?

The goal of the Folk Choir is not music per se. Music is a means, not an end. Music is a means to deepening a relationship with God, a way to evangelize in a most powerful way, a way to embrace beauty and grace and wed it to the Word.

Evangelization is key. We are not meant to squander our gifts, keeping them, “like a light under a bushel basket.” We are meant to take our gifts to the world. As Pope Francis says, embracing the joy of evangelization is one of the key components of being a Christian.

What is your personal vocation story? What steps led you to where you are now?

I earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Religious Studies from St. Michael’s College in Vermont. At the same time, I had to earn my way through college by singing in lounges—think Billy Joel’s “Piano Man” with all its cast of characters. That work formed me as a guitarist, and it allowed me to get through college without a huge debt over my head. But it also opened me up to the desperation of lonely people, people who simply hung around in bars because they had no place to call home.

In the midst of this stint, I had an opportunity to travel overseas with a very accomplished entertainer. That experience was a negative one, opening me up to the underbelly of the entertainment industry—yet it showed me that, if I were to use my musical skills, they needed to be put to the service of the Church, and not to mere entertainment. I came back from that trip resolved to complete my degrees in religious studies and liturgy.

Two years later, I arrived at Notre Dame, and the following year, founded the Folk Choir.

Did you ever seriously consider another vocation or career?

When I decided to move into ministry, the year was 1977, and I was in New England. The notion of paid, professional lay people was almost unheard of at that time. Even when I began my studies at Notre Dame, there was barely any scholarship money available to the laity. So my parents were very concerned about this move. My father, in particular, felt I was making a serious career mistake. But I never questioned what I was meant to do.

What role does prayer play in your vocation?

There are people I know in music ministry that actually cannot “double task”—in other words, their prayer life is separate from their work. I cannot do that. Over the years, I’ve learned that all the decisions that go into my liturgical work, even the routine, mundane ones like putting a capo on a guitar or organizing my choral folder, are all part of prayer.

The Trappists say: “Ora et labora.” “Work and prayer.” Mine would be slightly different: “Ora est labora.” If I am true to the gospel and to the spiritual journey, my work is prayer.

What is the most fulfilling part of your vocation?

Standing in front of the Folk Choir every week is one of the greatest blessings of my life. Even on my worst days, I never cease to wonder or give thanks for the energy and selfless commitment of these remarkable men and women. They truly are ambassadors of faith to me.

What is the most challenging part of your vocation?

I am a composer, and writing is a deeply personal thing—kind of like taking your faith journal and putting it out on a billboard. It is never an easy process, approaching the Word of God and having the audacity to put it to song. I would say that this is one of the more challenging parts of my vocation. And yet the risk-taking has also led to great reward.

Michael Infantine is a sophomore studying PLS with a minor in Netflix. Contact him at minfanti@nd.edu.