Organist & Music Director – Senan Whelan

In January 2005, Senan Whelan joined St. Jude’s as our Organist and Music Director. Senan began his career in 1969 as an Organist in Dublin, Ireland and has been a church Organist since his teenage years.

Before his move to Canada in 1998, he was Director of Music at St. Michael’s, Vaucluse, NSW, Australia. It was in that parish where, from 1992, he worked in conjunction with the then incumbent and noted Australian composer and liturgist, Lawrence F. Bartlett.

He was Organist and Choirmaster at the church of the Epiphany and St. Mark, Parkdale, Toronto from 1998 to 2004.

In addition to giving Organ recitals in Ireland and Australia, Senan is also an accomplished Viola player winning awards in Ireland and playing in Symphony Orchestras in Ireland and Australia.

Besides the M.T.S. (Master of Theological Studies) degree from the University of Toronto, (Trinity College,) he holds a B.Sc. (Honours) degree from the National University of Ireland (U.C.D.), both Fellowship (F.T.C.L.) and Licentiate (L.T.C.L.) diplomas in Organ performance from Trinity College of Music London and the Licentiate (L.R.S.M.) diploma of the Royal Schools of Music, London in Organ teaching. He has also worked extensively as a Computer Systems Analyst / Programmer in Ireland, the U.S.A., Australia and Canada.