After months of planning, the 2025 Diocesan Children’s Choir Festival attracted about 50 young people from eight parishes in the Diocese of Cleveland. The daylong event on March 15 included a workshop at St. Peter Parish in downtown Cleveland before the young people and their directors traveled to the nearby Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist for a rehearsal and to sing at the vigil Mass.
Michael Olbash was the guest conductor who led the students in the morning workshop session and directed the choir at Mass.
Olbash is nationally recognized for his leadership in sacred music education. He has been the director of sacred music at both major seminaries in the Archdiocese of Boston, Massachusetts and currently is music director of Pope St. John XXIII National Seminary in Weston, Massachusetts.
(See photo gallery above.)
He founded the Boston Chapter of the Choristers Guild and served as its president for eight years. He also served on the board of directors for the American Federation Pueri Cantores. Olbash is director of the upper school chorus at Immaculate Heart of Mary School in Harvard, Massachusetts. He is a member of the American Guild of Organists and has choirmaster and colleague certificates from AGO. In addition, Olbash has lectured at both regional and national conventions.
Olbash received the AGO Choirmaster Prize and the S. Lewis Elmer Award. He has served on the faculty for the Church Music Association of America at sacred music colloquia at Duquesne University, Wayne State University and the University of Illinois.
Olbash earned degrees from St. Joseph’s College of Indiana and Harvard University.
Participating parishes and choir directors were:
- Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Lorain, Angela Bak and Melissa Anderson, directors
- St. Charles Borromeo, Parma, Mara Wehrung, director
- SS. Edward and Lucy, Parkman, Glenn Turpin, homeschool music director
- St. John Neumann, Strongsville, Melissa Massery, director
- St. Joseph, Strongsville, Luke Massery, director
- St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception, Avon, Jolene Nelson, director
- St. Matthew, Akron, Bridget Jankowski, director
Auxiliary Bishop Michael Woost was scheduled to celebrate the vigil Mass, but he was ill so Father Joe Mamich, diocesan secretary and vicar for clergy and religious, filled in as the celebrant.
“Bishop Woost is very disappointed he couldn’t be here, but I am so pleased to be here,” he told the group before Mass began. Father Mamich said he recognized some of the young people from his previous assignment as pastor of St. Joseph Parish in Strongsville.
In his homily, Father Mamich talked about the Transfiguration of Jesus, noting the apostles who accompanied him to the mountaintop could hear his voice in the silence. He said we may listen to those who tell us we aren’t good enough, but may not listen to Jesus.
Traveling to the mountaintop was Jesus’ way of showing or revealing God’s plan. “He continued what had been promised in the Old Testament. The promise we have to look forward to is heaven,” Father Mamich said.
“To become the best, we have to listen to the voice of our coaches, our teachers and others. We’re called to listen to Christ, who tells us we are loved, we are his beloved. Today, be good listeners. Listen to Christ. Be God’s chosen ones and do what he tells us to do,” he added.
Prior to Mass, the choir performed a choral prelude featuring three songs. They were accompanied for one song by a bell choir consisting of participating choir directors.
The planning committee for the event included Bak, Meg Matuska and Nelson.
Sponsors of the festival were the Cleveland Chapter of the National Association of Pastoral Musicians; Diocese of Cleveland Office for Worship; John Keane, Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Parish; Lorain Knights of Columbus, Father Ragon Council 3269, Avon; Knights of Columbus, James L. Martin Council 637, Lorain and the music ministry of St. Joan of Arc Parish, Chagrin Falls.
After Mass, many of the children and choir directors posed for photos with Father Mamich and Deacon Matt Lawler, who assisted at the liturgy.