“Use the talents you possess...for the woods would be silent if no birds sang except the best”.  - Gretchen Jackson Clasby

Barbara Bailey

You've been an active member of St. Catherine's for many years. When did you first become a parishioner? 

I have been a parishioner at St Catherine of Siena since 1990, after my husband Jim and I moved to Mountain Lakes.  I had been participating in a musical at the Barn Theater in Montville, and mentioned to Jim that it was pretty there, and not too long a drive from where I was working in Nutley.  He had friends who lived here and suggested we look in Mountain Lakes, and we’ve been here ever since.

Jim and I were married in 1990, and have two adult daughters.  Danielle, who has a MS in Coastal Science from the University of Southern Mississippi, with a focus on shark science, and is currently employed at the University of Rhode Island; and Shannon who is pursuing her PhD in biochemistry at the University of Massachusetts Medical School.


Barbara,  husband Jim, daughters Shannon and Danielle.

Yes, though growing up, I always imagined living somewhere I thought was more spectacular in terms of nature: Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, or perhaps Colorado or Alaska.  While I’ve been able to visit all those places, New Jersey is home.  I spent roughly 2 years in Michigan for my first half of college at Michigan State, but happily transferred back to Rutgers, New Brunswick, NJ. (A much more moderate climate!)

I had originally planned to attend veterinary school, and was accepted at UPenn, but developed allergies to just about everything so I turned down the slot, a very hard decision.  I found entry level lab work for a New Jersey branch of a Swiss Pharma company, and there later changed to IT. Early on I was coding for small research applications, moved on to global collaborative projects and then to project management.  I enjoyed the opportunity to travel to several countries and work with global colleagues.

No, I grew up attending the First Reformed Church that was at the corner of our street in Secaucus, NJ.  I was active in teaching Sunday school from about 6th grade,  and in the church youth group in high school.  I also sang in the children’s choir from second grade through high school.  It was a small congregation, maybe 100 families, so it was very ‘do it yourself’ but very social and supportive.  I still have a love of the old hymns from my growing up experience.  I began to attend Masses after I met my husband, Jim, and decided to learn more and to become Catholic beginning in 1982. It has been a wonderful experience learning about the history and treasures of our Church.

I think my parents always were a good example in living a moral life, also memorably my 5th grade Sunday School teacher, Helen Henkel; and of course the saints.  I have especially appreciated learning more about Servant of God Fr. Walter Ciszek through the Lenten series ‘pray 40’ on the Hallow app.
https://www.hallow.com/

Definitely.  Through the teaching and gentle prompting of late Sister Bernadette, I joined the lay associates of her order (The Society of the Sisters of the Church) in 2009, and their commitment to daily Lectio Divina has helped me greatly to develop my prayer life, and has introduced me to a supportive group of Catholic women devoted to practicing and learning more about our faith.  I also helped start our Daytime Scripture Study group, and through this have come to know some terrific parishioners at St. Catherine’s and have been impressed to learn how so much of the New Testament is predicted or foreshadowed in the Old Testament.  I have joined with the newly established Evening Scripture Study, and it is a pleasure to see our new ‘students’ learn to appreciate the scriptural roots of the Mass from Edward Sri’s book.

St. Catherine's Daytime and Evening Scripture Studies can be found HERE. 

The Society of the Sisters of the Church commitment ceremony, May 18, 2024. Established in 1973 by several sisters of other charisms who felt the call to serve while living in the community, rather than in the convent.

Sister Bernadette (1930-2022). "Sr. Bernie" was a middle school art teacher and served St. Catherine's for many years.
The lay associates with Sr. Bernadette's at her 70th anniversary celebration of her vocation in 2019.

I remember singing along to children’s records, and then later to records of musicals, and singing for family and friends. I learned more about singing while in children’s choir at church, beginning in second grade. I thought seriously of studying music in college, but decided to study science as the more practical path.  Much later, I was able to have an early retirement and went back and attained a BA in music from William Paterson University.

I started listening to Mary Martin as Peter Pan, and later Julie Andrews in Sound of Music.  I enjoyed going to Broadway and classical dance shows and concerts. (They were much less expensive in the ‘70’s!) I was lucky enough to attend a performance of Man of La Mancha with Jerome Hines as Don Quixote which was amazing. While I was studying voice in college, I read a biography of Renee Fleming that revealed the challenges of training seriously as a musician.  I also very much enjoyed listening to Joni Mitchell and Carole King.

After singing with St. Catherine’s choir for a few years, I began cantoring with the help of Joyce Hooey who was a cantor here.  She helped me to get comfortable by ‘sharing’ a Mass with me; we would each do a section so it was a gradual process until I was clear on the sequence of the liturgy.

I have been singing with the Masterwork Chorus, a Morris County group, since 2005. I also have sung with their select chorus, ‘The Masterwork Camerata’ and currently sing with the recently formed Masterwork Women’s Ensemble.  It’s a great group of people, and while it is a non-denominational, non-profit, a lot of great choral works were written for Christian Masses, or based on stories from the Bible, like Elijah by Mendelssohn, or of course, Handel’s Messiah.

The Masterwork Chorus originated the tradition of singing the Messiah  at Carnegie Hall every year. (https://www.masterwork.org/ ) I also have accompanied a small chorus of local ladies since 2009.

Masterworks Chorus


 

I also play the piano, and was trying to figure out the keyboard since I was very little. (Apparently I wanted to explain it too). 

Barbara (preschool age)

I was interested in nature, animals, walking or hiking, and science.  I learned flute in elementary school, and played through high school. I do pick it up from time to time, but now mostly focus on piano and voice.  Recently I have been trying to learn cello, but the jury is still out on that effort! I love to spend time outdoors, and have hiked quite a bit in the northeast and also in several of the national parks.  For many years we enjoyed whitewater canoeing and kayaking, but now I’ve mostly switched to local walking, or stand up paddle boarding in Mountain Lakes, and occasionally getting out my bicycle on the Boulevard rail-trail.

How have you used your musical gifts and talents through the years?

I've always loved to sing and to play the piano.  I played for church growing up, and helped the youth group and the choir by playing and singing.  The youth group used to do a ‘sunrise service’ on Easter mornings and we would put together the reading and the hymns.  But sunrise wasn’t taken literally, and we started at 7:30 AM.  We also put together a performance of “The Christmas Carol” in high school, which was a lot of fun and also a lot of effort put in by everyone involved.  More recently I have filled in at the piano or organ as needed for St Catherine's, and for some Masses with the Associates of the Sisters of the Church.  I occasionally play at the Mountain Lakes Club, and have taught or coached a few voice students and piano students since 2009.


Mountain Lakes 100th Anniversary , 2011

I feel that singing is somehow a sharing of your soul and when I sing it feels very personal, therefore also daunting.

I have always been moved by singing in church, even growing up. I  especially felt uplifted singing with the choir at Easter or Christmas services with lots of music. Who doesn’t love that Glo-o-o-o-ri-a! From Angels we have Heard on High? That’s still true here at St. Catherine’s.  A couple of years ago, I attended one of the rosary sessions at the St. Thérèse shrine in Boonton, and noticed the group gathered there sang the ‘Ave’ after each decade.  I thought maybe I could help by playing the piano for them.  I enjoyed that, but it was a bit awkward lugging and setting up my keyboard outside.  I find it very peaceful to play for the Rosary in the church at St. Catherine’s, now that the group has moved here.  Sometimes when I play a bit before we start I find inspiration to play and sing a bit as well, something that previously was difficult for me.  I feel this is very much a blessing of the Holy Spirit. 

Barbara with Carol Bsarany (left photo) who leads the St. Thérèse Ministry and Deborah Tobia (right photo) friend and vocalist for prayer service.

The St. Thérèse Ministry at St. Catherine's can be found HERE.

Playing piano at St. Catherine's.

Many things, but primarily getting together with our daughters, singing beautiful music, moments of ‘flow’ at the piano, enjoying our new puppy, being on the paddle board here in Mountain Lakes and stepping out into nature.


Barbara with her dog Rusty.