Charlie Dispenzieri

Pastoral Associate

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317-466-3355

I have served in Church ministry since 2nd grade where I participated in the children's choir and as an altar server. During my high school years, I worked part-time for my parish cleaning the school, counting money on Sunday mornings, and singing in the adult choir. At this time, I began composing music for horn lines as well as choreographing drum and bugle corps. My Church ministry included serving as a Lector and usher. During college, I became more involved in conducting and working with ensembles and running sound for various churches. I was chosen to serve on the parish liturgy committee and started to train liturgical ministers.

After college I met my wife, Peg, who is a pastoral musician and educator, and together we ministered in several churches where I served as the Music and Liturgy Director, both in the Archdiocese and the diocese of Lafayette-in-Indiana. During that time, my liturgical ministry also included working with the Office of Worship and serving on the Archdiocesan Liturgical Commission which allowed me to grow even deeper in my love for the liturgy of the Catholic Church.

After earning a Master's degree in Liturgy, I began instructing a variety of online courses for the University of Dayton which included Liturgy, Sacraments and Sacred Scripture. I continue as an adjunct at UDayton today and am blessed to also teach Liturgy courses for Saint Meinrad School of Theology and the Diocese of Lafayette in their Deacon Formation Programs. I am a published author of "Understanding Liturgy: Making Sense of the Rites and Rituals of the Catholic Church" which is used in the courses I teach at Saint Meinrad and for the Diocese of Lafayette. I have been blessed to be a Liturgical Master of Ceremonies (MC) for many bishops during conventions and in parish liturgical settings. Most recently, from 2013-2021, I was the Director of Worship at Saint Elizabeth Seton Catholic Church. I am grateful to be the Pastoral Associate at Saint Pius where I'm responsible for all areas of Liturgy (including training and scheduling of all liturgical ministers except musicians) Bereavement, Pastoral Care, Senior Adult Ministry, and those ministries in the Christian Service Commission.