Welcome, Troy!
This past weekend, the Shrine welcomed Mr. Troy Lawson, Jr. to our team as the new Director of Sacred Music.
Troy is a Roman Catholic organist and choir director who specializes in the liturgical implementation of Sacred Music and chant in both the Roman and Anglican traditions. Troy grew up in Harford County, Maryland, and has served professionally in this role for the past ten years throughout the Catholic Archdiocese of Baltimore and the Episcopal Diocese of Maryland. Troy initially began studying the organ at age 15 under the direction of Dr. Richard Allen at Saint Patrick’s Roman Catholic Church in his hometown of Havre de Grace, MD. He continued his general studies and graduated from Harford Community College with a two-year degree in music at 19, during which time he continued to study organ privately under Dr. Richard Allen and Mr. Paul Binko (Director of Music at Saint Mary’s Seminary and University). Troy then studied organ under Mr. Tim Murphy at Towson University before accepting his first large position as the Director of Music at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic Church in Essex, MD, where Troy remained for seven years. After briefly serving as organist and choirmaster at Saint Peters, an Anglo-Catholic Episcopal church in Ellicott City, MD, Troy served as a substitute organist in both the Baltimore and Philadelphia regions as he continued to search for his next position. Troy has spent many Sundays and Holy Days substituting at Saint Patrick’s Catholic Church in Rittenhouse Square, as well as the Shrine of the Little Flower in Baltimore. Troy’s home parish is currently Mt. Calvary Catholic Church in Baltimore, a Roman Catholic Congregation of the Ordinariate of the Chair of Saint Peter. Mount Calvary’s motto is “Lifting up Christ in the Beauty of Holiness.” This is a perspective and mindset that Troy is very passionate about and that he carries with him each day as he approaches his work to lift up Christ through worship, and as we lift our voices to Him in song!
Troy is very excited to begin serving at the National Shrine of Saint Rita of Cascia where he looks forward to leading people to Christ through music, through the intercession of our patron saint, Rita of Cascia.
We are grateful and excited to have Troy here with us! Please continue to pray for and welcome him to the Shrine.