Sallie Kelton honored for reaching hearts during her 23 years at St. Pius X
Sallie Kelton, pictured by her piano, recently retired after serving as St. Pius X Church’s music minister for more than two decades. (Photo provided by Terry Rumley)GREENSBORO — At a retirement luncheon celebrating Sallie Kelton’s 23 years as music minister at St. Pius X, the assistant music minister, Brian Otter, reflected on Kelton’s time at the parish.
“St. Pius X will never be the same,” Otter remembers saying when Kelton arrived in Greensboro more than 20 years ago. This mother of three and Kentucky native has blessed the parish in her vocation as music minister, mother, wife, friend, mentor and more. While most people consider her voice and unique piano style as her gift to the parish, it is her gift of bringing others closer to Christ that is the legacy Kelton leaves St. Pius X.
“Think of this. Sallie has brought thousands of people closer to Christ through her ministry,” said Otter.
Addressing Kelton, he said, “You have been present for almost all the high points in our lives: our children’s baptisms, our first Communions, our confirmations, our weddings, our children’s weddings, anointing of the sick and funerals of our loved ones. I cannot think of a more powerful way to serve the Lord as a lay person,” he said.
The retirement luncheon, held Aug. 1 in the parish’s Simmons Center, was hosted by the parish office staff and Monsignor Anthony Marcaccio, pastor. “What makes our parish so successful is its level of engagement,” Monsignor Marcaccio told Kelton. “Your ministry of music has helped engage our parish towards its goal of full, active participation in the liturgy.”
The celebration was filled with special music, gifts and reflections of gratitude for the musician. Kelton has not only reached hearts at St. Pius X, she is well respected in the Catholic music community at large. She has developed lifelong friendships with Catholic singer/songwriters Sarah Hart and John Angotti, who shared warm regards in a recorded video. Kelton’s close friend Tony Hayes performed “While You’re in the World” by Elton John, and Monsignor Marcaccio presented Kelton with a check to Caring Services Inc., an addiction recovery facility Kelton has supported ever since losing her son Griffin in 2015.
Parishioners Rebecca and Michael Schlosser called Kelton’s 23 years at St. Pius X a gift. “Sallie’s inspirational voice is truly her God-given ministry,” Rebecca Schlosser said. “She played at our son’s funeral and at my mother’s funeral. When we entered the church for our son’s funeral Mass, Sallie played ‘Be Not Afraid.’ I listen to that song and ‘On Eagle’s Wings’ almost every day now when I walk. We love Sallie. We will desperately miss her.”
In 2019, Sarah Hart invited Kelton to share her video testimony at the Los Angeles Religious Education Congress as part of Hart’s presentation “The Song of Women: Raising the Voice of the Feminine in our Church.” Five women shared personal testimonies of how God has used their gifts and even their pain to inspire hope in others. Hart was moved by how God has used the loss of Kelton’s son to unveil a new purpose in her life – using her voice not only for song but for prayer and advocacy as well.
Kelton’s hope for the parish community and music ministry of St. Pius X is that they will continue to share God’s love through prayer and song and that people will walk away from each liturgy with gratitude and love in their hearts.
As she always says, “God is good … all the time.”
— Georgianna Penn, Correspondent