The Soundtrack of a Faithful Life: How Natalie DeJarlais Helps Our Parish Sing

Some people serve the Church for a season. Others become part of its heartbeat.

For the past three decades, if you've prayed, sung, celebrated, mourned, married, or worshiped at St. John the Evangelist, chances are you've experienced the assuring, faithful presence of Natalie DeJarlais. But how well do you really know her?

You may know her as the woman at the organ. The choir director. The cantor. The person who somehow knows exactly when to extend a hymn, coordinate a wedding rehearsal, comfort a widow, and still lead the congregation in song.

To know Natalie is to understand that none of this happened by accident. Her life has always been set to music, in tune with the heartbeat of God.

A Young Girl at the Organ Bench

Long before she became one of the most beloved and hardest-working ministers at SJE, Natalie was a ten-year-old girl sitting at an organ bench. Her parents got her involved with lessons right away.

She was “so talented” — it was quite evident to everyone who heard her play — but talent alone doesn't explain everything. 

Natalie grew up with an active Catholic family in a vibrant Catholic parish where faith wasn't simply attended; it was lived. She grew up in her faith and she loved it!

As she got older, there were summer programs, volleyball leagues, softball teams, parish outings, choirs, and friendships that would last a lifetime. And she can recall this like it was yesterday. As a freshman in high school, Natalie joined the guitar Mass choir. Soon, mentors recognized something special and invited her deeper into parish music ministry.

At age 16, she played her first funeral. Most teenagers are nervous about giving a speech in class. Natalie was helping families say goodbye to those they loved most.

She may not even realized it then, but God was already teaching her one of the lessons that would define her life: music isn't performance. It's ministry.

The Girl Who Wasn't Athletic

Natalie laughs when she tells people "everyone knows I’m not athletic."

What she doesn't immediately mention is that she was a theater kid. And thank goodness she was, because that's where she eventually met her husband Mark.

The setting sounds like something from a movie: community theater productions, rehearsals several nights a week, cast parties after performances, and young adults trying to figure out what came next in life.

Out of college, Natalie joined community theater productions at St. Victor and with the Main Square Players. She loved musicals and found friendship, laughter, and purpose on stage.

Then came a production of Guys and Dolls at St. Jude Parish in South Holland.

Mark was in the alternating cast. But their worlds overlapped. He played softball with some of the actors. Natalie already knew his sister from high school and Girls Club activities. After rehearsals, the cast gathered at a local bar on Tuesday and Thursday nights.

One evening, Mark bought Natalie a drink. Later, he walked her to her car. That's how some love stories begin — with sweet, simple kindness.

A few months later, they found themselves at Gino's in Harvey. They talked. They laughed. They discovered their grandparents had bowled together years before and that they shared some interesting Italian family heritage. Her maiden name is Gambino by the way!

And somehow, both of them simply knew.

They didn't date long. They didn't need to. They got engaged and the rest is their story. This August 8, Natalie and Mark will celebrate 39 years of marriage.

Raising a Family of Faith

Together, Natalie and Mark built something beautiful: not just a marriage, but a Catholic family.

Their three sons grew up at church. Not just attending church but living it.

They served Mass. They participated in religious education. They joined youth ministry programs, apologetics groups, retreats, service trips, and leadership experiences. All three  served in various liturgical ministries all the way through high school. They found opportunities to grow through programs like Life Teen and Steubenville conferences.

For Natalie, faith formation was never about checking boxes. It was about building foundations.

Today, one of the greatest joys of her life is witnessing the next generation—the children and grandchildren of families she once ministered to—raising their own children in the faith.

She sees toddlers becoming disciples. She sees young parents teaching their children to pray. And she sees third-generation Catholics choosing faith not because they have to, but because they want to. This includes her own son Nick, his wife Heather, and their two sons.

And she lights up when she talks about it. "That's the exciting part," she says. "Seeing the fruits."

The Place That Felt Like Home

Natalie first came to SJE 30 years ago. She remembers the feeling vividly.

She already knew some of the musicians and parishioners. The church itself looked very different than it does today. But something deeper struck her immediately. "It just felt like home."

It wasn’t because everything was perfect or polished but because there was something profoundly spiritual happening here.

At the time, Natalie was balancing what seemed like several lifetimes at once—traveling between SJE and her parish in Illinois where she was still helping out. She was teaching music, directing theater, raising children, serving as a music director, and helping lead liturgical music ministries.

Eventually, a phone call changed everything. In 2001, fellow musician, Tina, needed an accompanist for the Masses here at SJE under the new pastorship of Fr. Sammie Maletta.

That invitation led Natalie to St. John in a deeper way—and eventually to one of the hardest decisions of her life: officially leaving the parish where generations of her family had worshiped.

It wasn't easy, but sometimes God calls us to leave home so we can help build another. And he doesn’t always make it easy. And after much prayer, she gave her yes to this next chapter.

The Ministry Nobody Sees

Most parishioners see Natalie on Sunday. What they don't see is everything that happened before Sunday arrived. The meetings, planning, rehearsals, and phone calls. There are funerals, weddings, baptisms, and special worship events.

She oversees countless details that determine whether worship feels chaotic or prayerful. There are split-second decisions about extending music because a family needs another moment to say goodbye, or shortening a song because Father made it to the altar quicker than the week before.

After decades of ministry, Natalie has developed what can only be described as holy instincts.

She reads the room. She anticipates needs before others notice them. She knows when to speak and when to remain silent. And while quite often she does have to speak up, Natalie understands that ministry is not so much about being seen. It's about helping others encounter God.

"I feel privileged," she says quietly, "to be with people in both their saddest and most joyful moments."

Some things You May Not Know

Natalie was born on Christmas Day—so yes, you could say she truly is a "Buon Natale!" (Italian for "Merry Christmas!"). It's a birthday that's as memorable as the woman herself.

She's also left-handed, and as the saying goes, many left-handed people are especially creative. Considering her lifetime of making beautiful music, directing choirs, and orchestrating countless liturgies with grace and precision, that certainly seems to fit.

And after spending her days planning, rehearsing, coordinating, and caring for others, Natalie has one delightfully ordinary way to unwind: she simply enjoys watching TV (especially Jeopardy) with her husband. It's a quiet reminder that even someone whose life has been devoted to serving others appreciates the simple gift of relaxing at the end of a busy day.

Because behind the organ, behind the music, and behind every beautifully planned liturgy is a woman whose greatest gifts are her joyful faith, generous heart, and wonderfully genuine spirit.

The Sound She Loves Most

After 30 years of ministry, thousands of Masses, countless weddings, and hundreds of funerals and baptisms, what is Natalie's favorite sound?

It isn't the organ. It isn't the choir. It isn't even one of her favorite hymns, though she deeply loves The Goodness of God and the majestic beauty of O God Beyond All Praising.

It's something simpler. She loves hearing the congregation sing! For Natalie, the goal is to invite people into worship. And perhaps that's the best way to understand her life.

For nearly 30 years at SJE, Natalie DeJarlais hasn't simply provided the soundtrack for parish life, she has helped generations of Catholics find their own voice—and sing.

Thank you, Natalie, for all you do!