Archdiocese of Cincinnati's

A Music Ministry Experience for Young People in Grades 8-12

Mouseover a staff member for a short biography

Brian

Jeremy

Karen

Bob

Emily

Michael

Allison

Brian Bisig is the Director of Music and Worship at St. Michael Church in Sharonville, Ohio, where he has served since 1996. He serves on the National Council of NPM and assists on various projects in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati. Brian also teaches private piano, organ and voice lessons and composes liturgical music for the church. He particularly enjoys teaching and working with young musicians. Brian and his wife, Jen, live in Sharonville with their two daughters, Julia and Rachael.

Jeremy Helmes currently serves on the Campus Ministry team at the University of Dayton as a liturgist, after nearly a decade of service to the archdiocese as a parish liturgist and musician.  He is currently pursuing an MA in Theological Studies, concentrating in Sacramental Theology and Liturgy. He is the chair emeritus of the Archdiocesan Worship Commission, having also served on the subcommittee for Liturgical Music. He recently completed a term on the Board of Directors for the National Association of Pastoral Musicians' Director of Music Ministries Division. He is a frequent clinician/presenter for local, regional, and national conferences on liturgy.   He lives in Cincinnati with his wife, Karen, and their toddler son, Nathan.

Karen Kane has been the Director of the Worship Office for the Archdiocese of Cincinnati since June of 2003, when she became the first lay person to head the office. Karen previously served as the Assoc. Director for several years. She holds a Master’s in Liturgical Studies from the University of Notre Dame and a B.A. in Church Music from the College of St. Teresa, Winona, MN.  Karen is a local and national speaker on liturgy and the RCIA. Before arriving in Cincinnati, Karen lived in Albuquerque, NM where she was a parish musician and liturgist.   After several years of serving in parish music ministry, she taught sacramental theology at a high school and directed the high school choir. Karen is the proud mom of two teenage girls who are very involved in theatrical productions in their high school/middle school in Cincinnati.

Bob Wurzelbacher is the Assoc. Director of the Office of Youth and Young Adult Ministry, and also shares the position of music director at Our Lady of the Rosary Parish in Greenhills. Prior to that he served as Director of Youth Ministry at St. Gertrude Parish in Madeira for four years. He holds a Masters Degree in pastoral ministry from the Oblate School of Theology in San Antonio, TX. His musical accomplishments include directing a youth choir and ensemble for three years in San Antonio, TX, as well as a contemporary campus ministry choir in Austin for three years. He was also fortunate to be chosen as part of a military choir in Lourdes, France while serving in the US Army, and to direct an ensemble that led worship during World Youth Day in Toronto, CA.  He lives in Cincinnati with his wife, Cindy, and year-old daughter, Ellie.

Emily Strand is Campus Minister for Liturgies at the University of Dayton. There she coordinates campus liturgies and provides catechetical programs and opportunities for students who serve as liturgical ministers. She also serves as a cantor for the University community and adjunct professor for the Religious Studies department. Emily has a B.A. in theology from the University of Evansville and an M.A. in theological studies with a concentration in liturgy from the University of Dayton. She serves on the Archdiocesan Music Ministry committee, and participates in Prison Ministry at Lebanon Correctional Institute. Emily is also a pop-folk songwriter, recording artist and performer who, in 2004, was awarded a John Lennon International Songwriting competition Grand Prize for her song “Lou”. In her spare time she enjoys reading, playing music and spending time with husband Matt.

Mike Dailey is the Pastoral Musician at St. John the Evangelist Church in West Chester, where he oversees an active music ministry with three choirs, a parish orchestra, and a hand bell choir. He is also a composer of liturgical and choral music, and his works have had premiers in churches throughout the United States, Great Britain and France. Mike has served as a board member of the National Pastoral Musicians Cincinnati Chapter, and is a member of the Archdiocesan Music Committee. This is his third year teaching at LAUDATE. In his spare time, he enjoys reading, travelling, hiking and canoeing. He lives in Fairfield Township with his wife Irene and their dog, three cats and two cockatiels.

Allison Leigh is the Campus Minister for Retreats and Faith Communities at the University of Dayton. She primarily coordinates teams of student retreat leaders and oversees the small faith sharing group program called PORCH (People of Respect, Compassion and Hope). Allison is also a freelance designer, and can be found doing a number of projects for Campus Ministry and other non-profits. Allison has an M.A. in Pastoral Ministry from the University of Dayton. Prior to returning to UD for her current position, Allison lived in Iowa and worked at the Newman Center serving Drake University. She also lived in Alaska while doing a year of service with the Jesuit Volunteer Corps. Allison currently lives in Dayton. In her spare time she enjoys training for marathons and triathlons, and cheering on the Xavier Musketeers in NCAA basketball.

Doug's bio