Therese is a third generation parishioner of Infant Jesus. Her father, Al Kopcienski, has been a Trustee of Infant Jesus Parish and member of the Finance Committee for many years; her mother, Honor Kopcienski, was church organist at Infant Jesus for over 40 years, before her retirement. Therese was born and raised in Mount Sinai, and has spent most of her life there except when away attending college and for the first four years of her married life. Therese attended Infant Jesus School, as did six of her seven brothers and sisters, and her father before them. Therese was graduated from Earl L. Vandermeulen High School in Port Jefferson and then continued her studies at SUNY Geneseo and the Manhattan School of Music.

Music has always been at the center of life for Therese. Therese's musical training began at an early age. Having an accomplished pianist, accompanist and organist for a mother, all of the Kopcienski children were given piano lessons. In fact, Therese took piano lessons from Dolores Butera, Infant Jesus' long-time organist. Therese began singing in the Infant Jesus Choir, which she now directs, when she was in eighth grade. When Therese was in High School she began studying voice, and attending master classes, with Eleanor Steber, a world-renowned opera singer from the Metropolitan Opera and teacher at Juilliard. While at Manhattan School of Music, Therese studied voice with Suzanne Sten-Taubmann, a member of the faculty and also a Metropolitan Opera star. Therese has performed with the Philadelphia Orchestra, under the direction of Eugene Ormandy, and has performed with Robert Shaw, the premier choral conductor of our time. She is a member of MENC, NYYSMA, the Rockville Centre Chapter of Pastoral Musicians, and the DDMD of the National Association of Pastoral Musicians.

When Therese returned to Port Jefferson and Infant Jesus Parish in 1984, after living in upstate New York, she began cantoring at the 10:30 and 5:00 masses, when the concept of a cantor or leader of song at our liturgies was being brought back. She had been trained as a cantor by Laetitia Blaine in 1983, through the National Association of Pastoral Musicians cantor training program. Therese was appointed Director of Music at Infant Jesus in 1987 and in 2001 her position was expanded to Directorof Music and liturgy.

Therese and her husband Clark, also a musician at Infant Jesus, have been married for twenty-one years and have four children, John, Christen, Mary Liz, and Luke. In her spare time Therese enjoys gardening, golfing and going to Yankee games.