Elaine Rendler-McQueeney, a longtime author, teacher and music
minister in the Arlington diocese, received the 2020 Jubilate Deo lifetime
achievement award from the National Association of Pastoral Musicians, in
recognition of a “substantial contribution to the development of pastoral
liturgy in the United States.”
Her lifelong contributions “have profoundly shaped the musical
worship of the church,” said Jeremy Helmes, chair of the NPM board of
directors.
NPM announced the award at its virtual members meeting Sept. 16.
An in-person presentation is planned for next summer at the 44th annual NPM
convention in New Orleans.
Rendler-McQueeney has been editor of the quarterly magazine
Today’s Liturgy for more than 30 years and has published two collections of
columns from the magazine. She also is co-author of “Celebrating Marriage:
Preparing the Roman Catholic Wedding Liturgy.” She has led events around the country
focused on the preparation of music ministers.
She holds a doctor of musical arts degree in organ performance
from The Catholic University of America. For many years she was the director of
the Georgetown Chorale in Washington, then worked at St. John Neumann Church in
Reston and as a campus minister at George Mason University in Fairfax. She
currently serves as a professor of music theory at George Mason, commuting (and
telecommuting) from her home in West Virginia, where she is music director and
organist at St. Agnes Church in Shepherdstown.
She also was recognized by the NPM in 1993 as pastoral musician
of the year.
