The director of music at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City will be a keynote speaker at an upcoming liturgical conference in Fort Dodge.

The conference, to be held by Holy Trinity Parish, will begin at 9 a.m. Oct. 15 at St. Edmond Catholic School, 801 N. 22nd St. Check-in will start at 8:15 a.m.

Jennifer Pascual, the cathedral’s director of music, will talk about the importance of liturgical music in today’s church during a keynote address. She will also conduct smaller group sessions on music planning.

Pascual has been the director of music at the Manhattan cathedral since 2003. She has a doctorate degree in organ music performance from the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York. She also has a master’s degree in piano performance from Mannes College of Music in New York City, Pascual earned bachelor’s degrees in music performance and music education from Jacksonville University in Jacksonville, Florida.

In 2008, she prepared all the music for Pope Benedict XVI’s visit to New York City. During that visit, she conducted the music for masses at St. Patrick’s Cathedral and Yankee Stadium.

The Rev. Brent Lingle will be the other keynote speaker at the conference. Lingle, the director of worship and vice chancellor of the Diocese of Sioux City, will speak on conscious, active participation in mass.

Other presenters will include Matthew Geerlings, director of scared music at the Cathedral of the Epiphany in Sioux City, and the Rev. Patrick Behm, of Holy Trinity Parish.

”If you are involved in sacred music or liturgy in your congregation or have a general interest in the subject, I would encourage you to attend,” said Jason Swedlund, an organizer of the conference. ”You would be hard pressed to find four greater presenters in their respective fields than these four.”

”This is open to any and all that would like to attend,” he added.

There is no charge to attend.

Lunch will be available for $5.

To register, go to www.holytrinitywci.org.