Discovery, Connection, and Music
Getting to Know Erin Taylor, CFAM Liturgist and Music Director
By Barbara Allison
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Erin Taylor, who became the Liturgist and Music Director of the Center for Faith, Action, and Ministry (CFAM) at Saint Mary’s College in early September, is perennially open to possibilities. It’s that sense of discovery that led her to become a Catholic, learn to play the organ at age 20, and move to South Bend to earn her Master’s Degree in Sacred Music from the University of Notre Dame in 2024.
Her love of music runs as deep as her Virginia roots. She grew up in the United Methodist Church, surrounded by music. “My Mom put me in the choir at our church when I was in kindergarten,” said Taylor, who noted that voice is her first instrument. “I was also very involved in choir in middle school and high school. I always felt like I was pulled into every kind of music possible at church. I didn't realize that I grew up very blessed in sacred music until looking back on it much later.”
During her freshman year at the University of Mary Washington (UMW) in Fredericksburg, Virginia, Taylor met some Catholic students when she attended a campus event called Christian Unity Week. “You're still a first-year, you're still trying to meet people and make friends,” she said. Later, she ventured over to the Catholic community at UMW.
“Every Tuesday was ‘pizza with the Pope’, where they had the absolute worst pizza. It was always buy-one-get-one-free, horrible pizza and papal encyclicals. I went to one, and I was captivated. I hadn't experienced the depth of theology that I was then exposed to in the Catholic faith. The existence of a catechism really made sense to me,” Taylor said. “This campus ministry had absolutely out-of-this-world formation.”
Taylor originally planned to pursue an undergraduate degree in music education. Along the way, she decided it wasn’t the right path for her. “I dropped the education part, and I just went on with my music degree, a BA in music,” she said. “I started taking organ lessons then. So that's when I really shifted my path.”
It was at this time that she met her mentor and organ instructor David Mathers at Saint Mary of the Immaculate Conception Church, also in Fredericksburg. “During my senior year, he took me on as an intern and taught me organ lessons,” Taylor said. “[Mathers] brought me to my first convention for Catholic Church musicians. My life definitely changed because of it.
My hope for Saint Mary's is that we expand our repertoire for liturgical music in every direction. Our students are wonderfully varied and wonderful in their experiences and traditions, and that should be better reflected in the liturgical music. CFAM is really dedicated to everyone feeling like they belong.
- Erin Taylor
“He was so patient and helped me understand that when you're working in a parish, planning liturgies with families, and leading a choir, that other people also have hopes for liturgical music that are always worth considering. That's still relevant to my ministry here today,” Taylor said. “Here, we have students from various backgrounds and diverse liturgical traditions who also are very passionate about liturgy and music.”
When Taylor moved to South Bend to earn her Master’s of Sacred Music from Notre Dame, she began playing at various churches around the area, including Augustana Lutheran Church in Elkhart, Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in South Bend, and Saint John the Evangelist Catholic Church in Goshen.
During the 2024-2025 school year, Taylor began working with Saint Mary’s Professor of Music and department chair Nancy Menk, which was her introduction to the College. “We worked together a little bit at Notre Dame when I was doing my master's. She's phenomenal,” said Taylor, who, in addition to her new role in CFAM, is also a voice instructor in the Department of Music. “[Nancy] is so supportive of my work here.”
Balancing both roles is something Taylor sees as mutually beneficial to both the Department of Music and CFAM. “My hope for Saint Mary's is that we expand our repertoire for liturgical music in every direction. Our students are wonderfully varied and wonderful in their experiences and traditions, and that should be better reflected in the liturgical music. CFAM is really dedicated to everyone feeling like they belong,” she said.
Taylor collaborates with CFAM student interns Izzy Bergeron and Hannah Teich, both third-year students, to prepare for Sunday evening’s Mass in Holy Spirit Chapel. “Izzy helps me select the music for each Sunday, prepare binders, and communicate with musicians. She takes the lead on a lot of those things,” Taylor said. “Hannah writes all the intercessions, and I collaborate with her a little bit on that.” Hannah, a religious studies and theology major, is interested in a future in ministry; and Izzy, a nursing science major, is a skilled musician who was involved in music at her hometown parish. “I had a great mentor in college, so I take it seriously. It's a lot to learn,” Taylor said.
As she continues to grow into her new roles at Saint Mary’s College, Taylor aspires to foster a community of unity through liturgy and music. “My hope is that we can represent the various liturgical and musical heritages that we all bring to the table, but also have a mindset within those various traditions that we are worshiping together, united as a community,” she said.
December 2, 2025