Some of the mother-daughter duos of NPM (from left to right): Jeannie Downey-Vanover; Rebecca Vanover; Karen Thomas; Julie Thomas; Paula Vasey; Libby Vasey; Cynthia Plazek; Amanda Plazek-Bruce
Happy Mother’s Day! We’re so pleased to bring you this week’s episode as we celebrate the mothers of NPM. Whether you have children, or you simply have a mothering influence on someone in pastoral ministry, the women of NPM are a mighty force to be reckoned with, both in our association and our Church as a whole.
Before we get into the episode today, I wanted to share a sneak peek of the next two weeks of the podcast. We are celebrating mothers over the next few weeks on the podcast! This month we’re celebrating mothers in all forms, including the mothers of our own association and Mary, the mother of us all. Tune in next week for a multi-part series celebrating the many Faces in which we see and worship the Blessed Virgin Mary. We’ll explore the different ways we honor her, both in feasts and cultures and devotions across the world. Do you celebrate Mary at your parish? Maybe you celebrate with a Mass for the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, or provide a Marian concert each year. We want to hear from you! Email us with your Marian story at ministrymonday@npm.org. Your story could be featured in the coming weeks of the podcast.
This week’s podcast honors the mothers of our association and the love and support they show everyone, especially their children. So many parents bring their children to church with them as they minister, and they also do so at NPM events! Today we feature three mothers who have brought their daughters to NPM events for many years.
We start with Jeannie Downey-Vanover and Rebecca Vanover, a mother-daughter duo who are both very involved in NPM in their own right. Rebecca is a former NPM intern and constant volunteer for events, and Jeannie is one of the driving forces behind the Emerging Leaders Institute, a mentorship program for pastoral musicians of all ages and levels. Jeannie is also the chair for the NPM Interest Section in Youth.
Our next duo is Paula and Libby Vasey. Paula has been an NPM member for ten years. Her daughter, Libby, is also a former NPM intern and was one of the official NPM convention photographers in Raleigh, North Carolina. Libby and Paula live in the Diocese of Columbus, Ohio.
Our last mother-daughter duo is my mom, Cindy. I grew up sitting on her organ bench and turning her pages as she played her postlude, as she was a full-time Director of Music in the Diocese of Pittsburgh for 30 years. I grew up going to both local and national NPM events with my mother, and today I get to speak with her about the role NPM has played in her life, both as a mother and a pastoral musician. You may even hear a bit about the fun we have through NPM along the way as well.
Among all of the interviews I had for this episode, I noticed a few things:
When it comes to conventions, the food matters. We seek out the good stuff when we are in a new city.
When it comes to the association, the people matter. Our encounters with one another make a big impact on us, well past a chapter event or a convention. They help us feel accepted, and that we belong there. And for that, I thank the association. You give so many of us a place that makes us feel like we truly belong.
I want to say, too, that these women interviewed today only represent some of the families that travel to the NPM convention together! If you have a story like these and want to share it for a future podcast, email us at ministrymonday@npm.org. We’d love to hear it.
And thank you to all of the mothers of NPM, whether you have brought your son or daughter to an NPM event or not. Your presence as a member shows that we are filled with those who are mothers, and those who have a mothering influence on so many in their music ministries.
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