By Irene Wehner

For two hours of practice every Wednesday evening, Mrs. Richard Dailey, better known as Pat, 28, and a mother of two children, dedicates herself and her music to the youth choir of Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish. She helps the teens of IHM learn to praise their Lord and express their love for Christ through modern songs every Sunday at 6 p.m. Mass.

During the summer, Father Noel Burtenshaw, Pastor of Immaculate Heart of Mary, decided that the young adults of his parish should be able to participate in parish affairs and that the Catholic Church should offer some positive activities for youth to prepare them for their future in the Church, so IHM formed a Youth Choir.

To lead the youth choir, Father Burtenshaw would need someone young and vivacious who could teach music to the teens while making their songs of praise to the Lord rewarding and fun. He found everything he wanted in Pat Dailey. Previous to her selection as Youth Choir Director, Pat has been singing for the Folk Group at Immaculate Heart of Mary. "At the time I was asked to direct the youth choir, I was searching for some way to use my voice and my musical ability to do the Lord's work," said Pat. "I was frustrated to see others using their talents for God, and to know I wasn't doing enough. It might sound silly, but I truly believe the Holy Spirit stepped into my life and gave me this opportunity to use my voice for loving God."

Pat might best be remembered by the parishioners of Our Lady of the Assumption and her ex-classmates at St. Pius X High as Pat Marder. In fifth grade, she moved to Atlanta from New Jersey. She attended Our Lady of Assumption grade school and then went to Pius X High School until her senior year, when her family moved back to New Jersey. But Pat returned to Atlanta in 1965 to marry Dick Dailey of IHM Parish, and a graduate of Marist High.

All Pat's musical talents were concentrated into ballet lessons, and accordion lessons. She taught herself guitar and piano. "I guess I must be able to sing, although I've never had any formal training," said Pat. "I can remember my mom was always putting me in talent shows. In third grade she dressed me up as a rose, stuck me up on stage, and had me sing my best song – “My Wild Irish Rose."

And so, Father Burtenshaw got his wild Irish rose, as well as a new leader to organize his youth choir, Pat Dailey.

Because of her love for singing and expressing her feeling in songs, Pat accepted the challenge of organizing a group of teens into a choir. "I love to sing," said Pat. "Whenever I sing I think of my parents because they lived their lives together like a beautiful harmonious love song. But besides that, I love teenagers; I never really stopped being one myself."

"When Father Burtenshaw first asked me to head the choir, I felt very unworthy and frightened! How could I make a bunch of teenagers sound good? But now I realize that what matters is that the congregation sees them radiate Christ's love through their songs. To sing is to praise the Lord twice," said Pat.

After finding the director for his choir, Father Burtenshaw placed several announcements in the IHM parish bulletin, requesting interested teens to join the choir. Currently, there are 28 members in the group, and it increases each week. "The heart of our choir is God. Before and after each practice we ask God to be in the center of our actions and our songs by joining together in shared prayer," Pat stated thoughtfully.

The songs which the youth choir sings come from several sources: plays such as "Godspell" and "Superstar," some from other religious albums; and others are made up. Their songs tell the world what is in their hearts and how they feel about God. They are exciting and expressive. In harmony, they shout their feeling for the Lord. In one of their songs they unite and shout God's love, "That is how it is with God's love, you want to sing it fresh like spring, you want to pass it on."

Not only are the teens' songs reflective of Christ's love, but so are the activities of the group. They live what they sing. Their involvement has helped to make them more aware of each other's need and the needs of the world outside of their environments. One Saturday evening they went to sing Christmas carols for the Atlanta Women's Work Release Center, a home for ex-prisoners from the State Prison, and later this year they will sing at Buford State Prison for boys.

Pat enjoys her involvement with the youth choir, and she feels as if she has attained a much more meaningful relationship with Jesus Christ, a oneness, a unity with God through His young people.

The teens in the choir express various opinions as to why they belong: Ken Baker, 17, says it gives him a spiritual fulfillment; for John Dailey, also 17, the choir offers him a happy way to praise God and a new way to establish relationships with lots of different people; Dana Williams feels that since joining the choir she has obtained a more meaningful relationship with Jesus. "I think everyone in the choir feels closer to God, because when we say our shared prayer together there is never a sound," stated the reflective 16-year-old.

The different teens express different reasons as to why they joined the IHM Youth Choir. Some have joined because they like to sing, and others say that it is a lot of fun. But, no matter what their reasons for joining or singing, there is one fact about which they all agree, and that is how great their director Pat Dailey is.