Meet Your Day of Renewal Leaders
John K. Flaherty
Director of Music Ministry at St. Mary, Mother of God Church
Ministry Highlights
- 46+ years in pastoral music ministry
- Loyola Marymount University
- National Association of Pastoral Musicians
- United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
- National retreat and conference presenter
- Recipient of the Jubilate Deo Award
"Over the years, I have come to realize that music ministers spend countless hours helping to pray, but are rarely given opportunities to pray without carrying the responsibility of leading others in prayer. In addition, because music ministers are all laboring on the same day at the same time, music ministers don’t have the opportunity to experience their peers' labors along with the joys and challenges. This day was created as a sacred pause – a chance to receive in the midst of a vocation of giving."
John K. Flaherty has devoted more than four decades to serving the Church through music, liturgy, education, and pastoral formation.
He currently serves at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles and has ministered nationally through diocesan workshops, retreats, liturgical conferences, and formation programs, helping thousands of pastoral musicians deepen both their ministry and their spiritual lives.
John has presented throughout the United States and has worked with the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, national liturgical gatherings, and diocesan music and worship conferences.
He is the recipient of the Jubilate Deo Award, the highest honor bestowed by the National Association of Pastoral Musicians.
John is known not only for his musicianship and expertise, but for his ability to create prayerful experiences that invite ministers to slow down, listen deeply, and rediscover the joy that first called them to serve.
Malena Towers
Composer • Liturgist • Retreat Leader • Educator
Malena Towers is the Sacred Music Director at St. Mary, Mother of God Church in Middletown, NJ. She is a classical-operatic singer, choir and orchestra conductor, organist and pianist, who graduated with honors with a master’s degree from Southwestern Theological Seminary- University, in Fort Worth, Texas. She is the founder of the Glorious Choir Foundation at St. Mary’s Church, a Catholic sacred music choral program to bring the Gospel in song to the world.
Currently, Malena is a Doctoral Candidate in Music Education and Worship Studies at Liberty University. She also studied at Mannes and Princeton University operatic and sacred music programs. Back in November 2025, Malena and her Glorious Choir sang at the Vatican for the Choir Jubilee, which gathered thousands of Catholic choirs from all over the world. They received the Papal blessing of Pope Leo. Three years ago, Malena conducted 1000 voices for the 68th edition, and in 2024, she had the honor to be invited to conduct for their 70th edition of the Ocean Grove Choir Fest, the most prestigious Sacred Choir Festival of the East Coast. Malena has performed at Carnegie Hall, at The Lincoln Center, and at the National Opera Center in Manhattan, NY. Overseas, she has performed in several opera houses and theaters including Graz, Varna, Jerusalem, Alicante, Havana, Puerto Ordaz, Guayaquil, and more. Under her baton, this June 2026, the Glorious Choir performed for the first time at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in NY, the “Magnificat from John Rutter. She co-leads yearly mission trips and humanitarian aid to the churches in Cuba.