Photo Caption: Maralyn Guthrie sits at one of the two pianos in her Annawan home. This Sunday she will be honored for her 40 years of music ministry at Sacred Heart Church.

By: By Jennifer Willems

ANNAWAN — Over the years it has given Maralyn Guthrie great joy to hear people singing during Mass. As the music director and organist at Sacred Heart Church in Annawan since 1971, she worked very hard to make that possible.

“I’ve always been very interested in the congregation participating,” she recently told The Catholic Post. “That’s what I’ve always been enthusiastic about.”

From now on she’ll be doing that encouraging from the pew, however. On Sept. 8, her 87th birthday, Mrs. Guthrie decided it was time to step down and spend more time with her son Mark Guthrie of Annawan and daughter Jeanne Carroll of Wheaton, and her seven granddaughters and two great-granddaughters.

While she loved what she did, she admitted that sometimes it was hard to make things work during the holidays.

“I’ve always had church. I couldn’t have my family over the way I wanted to,” she said. “Now I can go.”

To thank Mrs. Guthrie for sharing herself and her musical gifts with them for more than 40 years, the members of Sacred Heart Parish honored her at an open house on Sunday, Oct. 14.

TO GOD THROUGH MUSIC
Mrs. Guthrie’s interest in music was inspired by her mother, who sang in the choir of their home church, St. Patrick’s in Rochelle. In time, young Maralyn would join her and by the age of 13 was accompanying the choir with the help of the Sisters of St. Francis of Clinton, Iowa, who taught in the school.

She went on to study music education at Northern Illinois University. While in DeKalb she continued to offer her gifts to the church through the Newman Center on campus.

Mrs. Guthrie worked as a music teacher for 30 years, most of them in Atkinson. She has also taught at St. Louis School in Princeton and Lyle School in Kewanee.

Her musical life has included playing the organ for 15 years at St. Mary’s and St. Francis of Assisi in Kewanee. Not only did she play for all the funerals, but assisted with countless weddings.

The experienced church musician never stopped learning. Mrs. Guthrie said she and a friend attended conventions of the National Association of Pastoral Musicians for 25 years to keep improving their skills and learning about the liturgy.

“I’ve always enjoyed it so much,” she said. “It has enriched my faith also, the experience of music.”

The most important thing she has done as a pastoral musician?

“Hopefully allowing the congregation, members of the parish, to have a wonderful experience of the liturgy in the church — in our church, our parish,” Mrs. Guthrie said. “That’s what I’ve always worked toward — appreciation of and better participation in the liturgy.”

She added that she has had wonderful help over the years from parishioners who have made themselves available to sing for confirmation and other special liturgies, and said, “I’ve appreciated that very much.”

When asked about her favorite hymns she found it difficult to chose, but offered “On Eagle’s Wings” by Father Michael Joncas, “Blest Are They” by David Haas, “One Bread, One Body” by Jesuit Father John Foley, and “Gather Us In” by Marty Haugen as a few well-loved songs.

Mrs. Guthrie has also been active with the Peoria Diocesan Council of Catholic Women, serving as president from 1972 to 1974 and as director of the Chicago Province of the National Council of Catholic Women from 1998 to 2000. She is currently secretary of the DCCW.

She may not be playing for weekend Masses at Sacred Heart anymore, but her musical days aren’t done. Mrs. Guthrie has two pianos at home — one that has been with her since she was 13 years old. The other belonged to her son and found a new home with her when her granddaughters moved away.

It sits in her dining room and if you drive by her house the odds are good that you’ll be able to savor some rich melodies.

“I play all the time,” Mrs. Guthrie said.