The Diocese of Saginaw Chapter of the National Pastoral Musicians (NPM) received the Chapter of the Year award from the organization in honor of their outstanding support of pastoral musicians.

Leona Jones, chapter treasurer and director of music at St. Elizabeth Parish in Reese, and Laura Bush, Saint Mary University Parish, chapter event coordinator and minister of music at St. Mary University Parish in Mount Pleasant, accepted the award at the NPM convention in Reno, Nevada, in July.

“We are very excited to have been chosen,” said Saginaw Chapter Director Jeffery Hirvela, who serves as the director of music and liturgy at St. Dominic Parish in Saginaw. He added that it had been one of the chapter’s goals since it was founded about five years ago. “It was a very happy and surprising moment when I received the phone call from the NPM president, Jennifer Kluge, that we had been selected. It was a true honor to have Leona and Laura attend the national convention and receive the award on behalf of our entire chapter.”

NPM is an organization that was created to support and encourage pastoral musicians from around the country while fostering the art of musical liturgy. Members serve the Catholic Church as musicians, clergy, liturgists and other prayer leaders.

“We try our best to offer our chapter members a good mix of social and educational opportunities to meet and learn more about liturgical music in the Diocese of Saginaw,” Jeffery said.

To learn more about the diocesan chapter of NPM, visit www.scnpm.org.