Therese Doan: Why I'm in the Choir

I am Therese Doan, born and raised a “cradle” Catholic in Saigon. As a child, I joined the Eucharistic Youth Movement. At age 12, I played harmonium at the youth mass. Eventually, I was chosen to replace the aging church pianist for three years before I escaped from Vietnam. In 1979, I formed a children’s choir for the Vietnamese church in Oakland. Instead of teaching Catechism, I shared my faith through “singing and making melody to the Lord with [my] heart” (Ephesians 5:19). I was conducting and/or playing instruments, but what I really wanted was to SING!!!

Finally, I got to sing after two decades of straying from the Church. I was married, had three children, worked as a nurse, and basically did not make time for church. But it was the singing that brought me back to my God. Together with my son Hugh who was a senior at SI College Prep, we joined the choir at St Ignatius church in 2001. I continued with the choir after Hugh went off to college.

Life has been eventful, yet nothing fazes me. I don’t always pray. I sing. “To sing is to pray twice” (St. Augustine). Singing for me is like doing yoga – uniting voice, heart, and soul. It is my way to focus entirely and completely on God.

Being a music minister has been my joy, honor, and privilege. I would love to share all that with you. We have a wonderful group of people in our St Ignatius choir. Come sing with us!