Music Interns Boost Church Programs

June 14, 2026

By Elizabeth Williams

In paragraph 112 of the Sacrosanctum Concilium, the Second Vatican Council stated, “The musical tradition of the universal Church is a treasure of inestimable value, greater even than that of any other art."

To emphasize this, some parishes in the Diocese of Des Moines are finding creative ways to supplement their music program staff. One parish in particular hired a summer music intern when it was facing the challenge of not having a music director for its school.

“I first thought of the idea when I was in Creston and the parish had a connection with Southwestern Community College which has a renowned music program,” Father Adam Westphal of St. Thomas Aquinas Church in Indianola said.

 At his current parish, Fr. Westphal knew an internship would first have to be included in the budget, as would a director of music which the parish was seeking.

“It took us four years to rebuild our financial position to afford a music director,” Fr. Westphal said. “[A parish needs] to look at this long-term. No one these days seeks to work at a parish for free just for the experience.”  

For their paid internship, St. Thomas Aquinas offered a part-time position of 20 hours per week.

 Emma Lynch (nee DeVries) was the recipient of the internship at the Indianola parish. After her sophomore year at the University of Mary, the sacred music major worked as music intern while living at home in Des Moines.

“In college, you learn the academic and theology side and maybe even ‘how to plan’ music for a wedding or a liturgy. But actually working in a parish is a very practical way to get valuable, real-world experience,” Lynch said.

Lynch said that her own diocesan musical education greatly impacted her trajectory. 

“I was blessed with really great mentors growing up,” Lynch said. “I took piano lessons, joined the Children’s Choir at the Basilica and took organ lessons there. I accompanied choirs at a young age.”

As an intern at St. Thomas Aquinas, Lynch helped plan the music for weekend liturgies, led rehearsals, and accompanied and sang with the choir.

“All the musicians were very open to working with me. And since the church did not have fulltime music director, I could have an input in building the music program. It was a very positive experience,” Lynch said. “And when I did my practicum at a parish in Bismarck, which was required for my major, I felt really prepared.”

St. Pius X in Urbandale has also had a summer music intern. Benjamin Lockwood was studying music at Wartburg College and asked if he could intern at St. Pius X. Music coordinator Cathy Moellenbeck took him on. Because it was a last-minute decision, the program didn’t have it in their pre-planned budget to hire an intern, but was able to compensate Lockwood as a cantor.

Moellenbeck said a spring semester intern would greatly benefit the program at St. Pius X.

“The perfect time to have an intern is in the spring. You have Lent and Easter, the sacraments of First Communion and Confirmation, Trinity Sunday, Corpus Christi, Pentecost. But it is important to think ‘outside the box’,” Moellenbeck said.

For example, a music intern doesn’t have to be a sacred music major. Music education or choral conducting majors could benefit from interning with a church choir.

“Parishes can work with area schools of music. College students could work over Christmas Break or on weekends or over Spring Break. It gives them a taste of how to work with a choir,” Moellenbeck said. “Also, it shows that being a parish music director can be a very fulfilling career."  

Lynch said that "it’s tragic that many parishes do not prioritize liturgical music, especially since it forms ‘a necessary or integral part of the solemn liturgy’ according to Vatican II.”

Fr. Westphal agreed, stating that advantage of offering a music internship is that it gives young people the opportunity to grow into the music ministry. 

“It’s important to cultivate the culture of good liturgical music,” Fr. Westphal said. “For our parish, it helped us understand more of what we wanted in a director of music ministry.”

He continued, “we want to recruit more people to go into music ministry as a career. It not only benefits our parish but other Catholic parishes. Not a lot of people know you can go into this and make a living,” he noted. “And we hope to continue to hire summer music interns.”

Meanwhile, Lynch graduated this past May with a degree in Sacred Music. Her new, full-time job is music director at St. Thomas Aquinas parish in Indianola.

Promoting and supporting parish music ministry is the goal of the National Pastoral Musicians (NPM) organization. Both the national organization and the local chapter offer extensive resources and formation opportunities for musicians serving the Catholic Church aligned with its teachings. NPM provides a hiring guide and a webinar, and its principles apply to parishes of any size. For local assistance, contact the Des Moines NPM Chapter at desmoinesia@npm.org.

For more information on hiring church directors of music visit: https://npm.org/2025/01/23/revised-hiring-guide-for-directors-of-music-now-available-from-npm/