Director of Liturgy and Music:  
Roger Mansen is a lifelong church musician and educator. He began his work at St. Agnes in October 2018. Prior to this appointment, Roger served the Immaculate Conception Church, Marlborough; Christ Episcopal Church, Needham; and St. Mary’s Church, Taunton. In addition to music ministry, Roger has performed as a baritone soloist for Oratorio and with the Longwood Opera Company. He also has served as an organ consultant and recitalist throughout the New England region.  As an educator, Roger introduces children, youth, and adults to the Arts, striving to teach through performance “the blessedness of selflessness.” For twenty-five years, Roger worked as a music educator in the secondary and collegiate levels, and is widely known for his work as a Choral Conductor and Director of Musical Theatre, earning the honor as a 1998 Presidential Scholar Teacher from President Clinton. He co-founded the Christ Church Concert Series, the Longwood Opera Summer Concert Series, and the Needham Interfaith Choir, providing a context for major choral works in the metrowest region. Roger maintains a private studio for organ, piano, and vocal coaching. A member of the American Guild of Organists, Roger holds Bachelors and Masters Degrees in Music from The Boston Conservatory, where he studied Choral Conducting with Mr. Alan Lannom and Dr. William Seymour, and Organ with Mr. Dowell McNeil and Dr. Philip Steinhaus.

St. Agnes Accompanist:  
Kimberly Howe has served as Organist/Pianist at St. Agnes Parish since 1997. As a pianist, she has made a particular specialty of the chamber music repertoire, and has performed solo and collaborative recitals with singers and instrumentalists throughout New England and beyond. She was Assistant Music Director of Prism Opera, in which capacity she prepared and performed in productions of Barber’s Vanessa and Britten’s The Turn of the Screw, among others, and she was also pianist for the Handel & Haydn Society’s acclaimed Vocal Apprentice Program. She has been a studio pianist for a number of prominent voice and instrumental teachers, including the late Robert Honeysucker, and she also played regularly for ballet classes, and has been an active piano teacher and vocal coach. Prior to coming to St. Agnes, Kimberly was organist for churches in Brookline and Lexington, and Winchester. Kimberly holds a BA in Piano Performance from UMass Lowell, and a M.Mus in Collaborative Piano from Boston University, where she studied with Thomas Stumpf. Kimberly resides with her husband and three sons in Ipswich.

We welcome you to our music ministry page in hopes that you will find here an opportunity to become involved in the worship life of St. Agnes and St. Camillus Parishes. All that we do at a Eucharistic Celebration is part of the greater prayer that brings us into the presence of God for worship, praise, and comfort. The readings, prayers, propers sung or spoken, as well as all of the hymns, anthems, and motets, are for one purpose, to bring us closer as the body of Jesus Christ.
 
“The musical tradition of the universal Church is a treasure of inestimable value, greater even than that of any other art. The main reason for this pre-eminence is that, as a combination of sacred music and words, it forms a necessary or integral part of solemn liturgy.” - Catechism of Catholic Church, 1156 

Parish Choir: Our Parish Choir is a 45 voice mixed choir of men and women. The choir maintains a wide variety of repertoire.  Styles include Chant and Early Polyphony through Baroque and Romantic Motets, continuing on with the finer side of Contemporary Music. The Parish Choir sings most Sundays at the 10:30 AM Mass as well as for most seasonal celebrations of Christmas and Easter. They rehearse on Tuesdays from 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM in the St. Agnes Choir Loft. 
 
Children’s Choir:  We are in the process of forming a new, expanded Children’s Choir Program. It is currently open to children in grades 2 and up. The choir rehearses on Tuesday evenings from 5:00 PM to 6:00 PM and sings for the 9:00 AM Family Mass on the first and third Sundays of the month. It is our hope that this program will grow quickly into divided choirs, serving both elementary-aged children and older teens. As this program continues to grow, we hope to involve youth of all ages in the worship life here at St. Agnes Parish.
 
St. Agnes Cantors: St. Agnes Parish is very fortunate to have a group of professionally trained cantors who serve our parish faithfully. They sing at all of the non-choir music masses on the weekends, Holy Days, and special occasions.  The cantors also form the nucleus of a smaller choir, the Schola, which sings for additional liturgies throughout the year. Cantors are also available for weddings and funerals and can be contacted through the office of the Director of Liturgy and Music, Roger Mansen.
 
Schola: The Schola is a small, select ensemble of mixed voices specializing in chant, polyphony, and a cappella choral works. This ensemble sings at sacred liturgies periodically throughout the year.
 
If you would like to join our vibrant music ministry program,  please contact Roger.
Come and see what all the singing is about!