Alter Servers

The ministry of serving at the altar is an offering of spirit to the most important event in our faith:  The Divine Liturgy of the Mass.  Anyone over age 11 and has received First Communion is invited to serve.  Altar Servers arrive 15-20 minutes prior to the Mass for which they are to serve.  You will be asked to serve about once a month, although you may be asked to serve more often if we need you.  Formal training for Altar Servers happens once or twice a year, depending on how many new servers there are.  New servers are always welcome and training can be arranged to help someone new get started

Acolytes
The Acolyte assists the celebrant at the altar.  They are installed as extraordinary Eucharistic Ministers so that they can distribute Communion during the Mass in which they are serving as Acolyte.  This service at the altar is for men who are over 18 years old, have received the sacrament of Confirmation and are practicing Catholics. 

Extraordinary Eucharistic Ministiers

Extraordinary Eucharistic Ministers are non-ordained ministers who help with the distribution of Holy Communion at Mass.  They are practicing Catholics who have received  the sacrament of Confirmation and are over 18 years old.  They are installed by our pastor, and their names are sent to the Archbishop.  A person can be an Extraordinary Eucharistic Minister for only one parish.  Their attire should reflect a reverence for the Eucharist.  To become an Extraordinary Eucharistic Minister one needs pastoral approval, training (which takes place in the fall), and commissioning

Extraordinary Eucharistic Ministiers for the Sick

This ministry is to serve those who are confined to home for a length of time, not those who are unable to come to Mass on a particular Sunday.  Each parish commissions its own Ministers and then they are approved by the Archbishop.  Therefore, a person in this ministry may not serve more than one parish or substitute for those from other parishes.
Bringing Communion to the homebound is distinct from distributing Communion during Mass.  Therefore, people who do one of these ministries do not necessarily need to do both ministries.  Those who have been trained for one of these ministries and would like to do the other ministry, need to contact the pastor about training for the new ministry in order to participate.

Lectors

To become a lector one should be an active parishioner over 18 years old and have the ability to proclaim the Scriptures clearly and with a good control of the English language.  The also need to participate in the training for lectors, which takes place in the fall.  Lectors should dress in a way that they will not be remembered for.  They are encouraged to participate in our parish Bible studies and various adult education opportunities.

Sacristans

Sacristans assist the celebrant by preparing the sanctuary for the liturgy.  This includes preparing the books, linens, and vessels for Mass.  Sacristans are assigned to perform their duties on weekdays, weekends and holy days.  The pastor selects sacristans after an interview process.

Ushers

Ushers help seat parishioners at Mass, take up collections, guide parishioners to receive Holy Communion, and assist with various situations that may arise.

Choir for the 11:00 Sunday Mass

The choir sings at the 11:00 a.m. Mass on Sunday mornings.  Our goal is to lead singing and provide music as a meditation for prayer and reflection.  There is no audition process for joining the choir beyond the demonstrated ability to climb the circular stairwell up to the choir loft.  It is a ministry of service and that service requires dedicated attendance at rehearsals; both Wednesday evenings at 7:15 p.m. and Sunday mornings at 10:15 a.m., and Mass.  The Wednesday evening rehearsals are held from the Wednesday before Labor Day through the Wednesday before Pentecost.
Music for the 11:00 Mass is traditional with attention to texts provided in the Lectionary and Graduale Romanum.  The choir’s repertoire includes Gregorian chant, music of the Renaissance, Baroque, Viennese Classical, Romantic and Modern eras.  We usually sing in four parts (SATB) and often sing without accompaniment (a cappella).  This should not discourage anyone from joining the choir.  It is challenging and the challenge builds the skill of each singer and the choir as a whole. 
New choir members are always welcome.  Altos, Tenors and Basses are always needed.  During the choir year (Labor Day through Pentecost) the best way to join the choir is to first attend a rehearsal, Wednesdays 7:15 p.m. in the Choir Loft. 

Ministries for Cleaning the Church

This valuable ministry is open to all who would like to help prepare the church for the weekend Masses.  They dust, sweep, and vacuum the interior of the church.  To help, just show up on any Friday morning at 8 a.m. 

Flowers for the Church

Anyone who would like to help with the donating and/or the arranging of the flowers please contact the Altar Society, which is in charge of this ministry.  You can call the parish office to get the current contact person for the Altar Society