A church of almost 20,000 parishioners is required to have an adequate number of masses as well! At St. Anthony’s Church, there are different choirs for around 4 masses everyday on weekdays and 7 masses on Sundays. The masses are in English, Konkani and Marathi and have dedicated choirs for the same. Their soulful singing encourages greater participation from the congregation at the Holy Eucharist and creates the right spiritual ambience.

The choirs of St. Anthony’s Church are a part of the Parish Liturgical Team which works on the liturgy & hymns for these masses. The choirs then meet up, once or twice a week for practice. There is also a meeting of all choirs held once a month. Feedback from the congregation, a dress code that’s appropriate for the Holy Eucharist and training sessions are an integral part of the monthly meeting. The choirs make a conscious effort to learn new hymns and parts of the liturgy, which then are also taught to the congregation. St Anthony’s parish also organises an annual picnic for the Parish Liturgical Team which is a great opportunity for the teams to come together and build deeper relationships. The parish also adheres to all the guidelines laid down by the Archdiocese of Bombay when it comes to hymns from the official hymnal, along with instructions for weddings, funerals, sacraments, feasts, etc. The church has recently upgraded to newer mics and a piano to enrich the quality of sound.

“Singing is praying twice!” says St. Augustine – and the choir members take that very seriously! Parishioners are welcome to join the various choirs of the parish by getting in touch with the respective choir representatives as below: