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"All temporal and spiritual goods are created by and come from God. That is true of everything human beings have: spiritual gifts like faith, hope and love, talents of body and brain, cherished relationships with family and friends, material goods; the achievements of human genius and skill; the world itself." from the USCCB Pastoral Letter; "Stewardship, A Disciples Response" Stewardship of Talent Sharing the gifts that God has given us is the greatest way for us to show our gratitude for what we have received. Involvement in parish life not only blesses St. James with your particular talents, it also blesses your life with the joy of friendships made, the pride of talents shared and the rewards that come from a deeper understanding of your faith. |
Acolyte 
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. Altar 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 who is 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. New servers are always welcome and training can be arranged to help someone new get started. Extraordinary Eucharistic Ministers 
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. 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. Lectors To
become a lector one should be an active parishioner over 18
years old 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. Ushers Ushers help seat parishioners at Mass, take up collections, guide parishioners to receive Holy Communion, and assist with various situations that may arise. |
and have the ability to proclaim the Scriptures
clearly and with a good control of the English language. They
also need to participate in the training for lectors, which
takes place in the fall. Extraordinary Eucharistic Ministers to the Homebound This
ministry is to serve those who are confined to home for an extended period 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. 
Flowers 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. Flowers are arranged on Saturday mornings. Church Cleaners 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 7:30 a.m. |
Stewardship is a complete lifestyle, a life of total accountability and responsibility acknowledging God as Creator and Owner of all. The responsible management of the time and talent God has given us. It enhances our relationships with God and one another. Office Answer the Phone and Door Come in for several hours occasionally (on call) to answer the door and phone during meetings and busy times for the staff. Bulk Mailing We use bulk mailing quarterly for statements, annually for the Annual Appeal and our newsletter several times a year. Help is needed to fold, stuff and seal. Data Entry and other Specialized Office Tasks We need volunteers for other office tasks (some require background checks). Check with us on needs and qualifications. Facilities and Grounds Painting, repairing, cleaning We often have work parties for special needs: Repainting a room or portion of a building, spring cleaning in the Hall, preparing the Church for Easter or Christmas. We need “able-bodied” men and women who can do some lifting and moving to set up and take down for Open Houses, dinners and other functions. Gardening Each summer we have monthly work parties to keep our yard and gardens looking great. All help is welcome from weekly lawn mowing to bark dusting every couple of years, to spring planting, flower deadheading and fall clean-up. Woodworking or special talents If you have a special knack or talent for something, please let us know. Perhaps there is a way you can share your ability to paint, finish furniture, or do tile work, or provide licensed electrical or plumbing work. Let us put your name on a list to call when we have a project. Religious Education Programs The Faith Formation of our parishioners is an important service to St. James. Each year teachers, aids and helpers are needed for our Religious Education program. Hospitality staff and sponsors are needed for our R.C.I.A. program. |
Altar Society St. James’ Altar Society provides care for the altar, service as requested by the pastor, and fellowship and spiritual growth for its members. We welcome any and all people of the parish to join us. We meet on the second Tuesday of each month, from September through June, at 10:30 a.m. in the parish hall. Our meeting ends in time for the rosary and Mass. After Mass, three or four members host a lunch. Our responsibilities include providing flowers for the altar each week, caring for the altar linens and helping to keep the church clean. We also provide lunches or light refreshments following funerals at the request of the pastor and the families of the deceased. Our fund-raisers include the Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper, and an annual Holiday Bazaar in the Fall. We also host a coffee hour after Sunday Masses on the third Sunday of each month year-round. Money raised has gone towards refurbishing our historic altar and stained glass windows, and replacing linens and vestments as needed. For more information please call the parish office to get the current contact person. Men's Group The Men’s Group at St. James is open to all men of the parish. The goal of this group is to increase fellowship among the men of the parish, as well as help our pastor and our parish in any way we can. The group meets once a month with Fr. Dominic to reflect on the Gospel reading for that coming Sunday’s Mass. We have a lively discussion about the message of the Gospel and its application to our lives. After the Gospel, we discuss how the Men’s Prayer Group can be of service to the parish. This meeting begins at 8 a.m. on the third Saturday of each month. Men's Group hosts a breakfast for the parish after each Mass on the 4th Sunday of each month. We have also assisted in setting up chairs for the Mass on memorial day, spreading bark dust in the flower beds and generally keeping the kitchen clean. For more information, or to join this group, please call the parish office. Benedictine Oblates The Oblates of St. Benedict are Christian individuals or families who have associated themselves with a Benedictine community in order to enrich their Christian way of life. They are lay people who wish to apply the teachings of the Rule to their lives in the world, their family circles, their places of work, and their civic and social activities. Oblates seek God by striving to become holy in their chosen way of life. By integrating their prayer and work, they manifest Christ's presence in society. Oblates strive after stability and fidelity in their lives by regular worship with other Christians and by the support they give to the social and educational apostolate's of their local parishes and the Church as a whole. Oblates need not be Catholic. We gather once a month to study the Rule of Benedict and other books and materials. We look for ways that we, as lay people, can practice Obedience, Stability and the Reformation of our lives. We support each other and the monastic community in prayer. Oblates have a strong sense of community and connection to each other and to the monastery where they made their oblation. We meet in the Annex at St. Joseph Church at 7 p.m. on the fourth Monday of each month. Please call the parish office for contact information. Serra Club The mission of the Serra Club is to foster and affirm vocations to the ordained priesthood and vowed religious life. Through this ministry our members strengthen their Catholic faith and spirituality. Serra International was made part of the “Pontifical Work for Priestly Vocations within the Sacred Congregation for Seminaries and University Studies.” There are over 12,000 Serrans in 332 Serra Clubs in the United States |
"Whatsoever you do to the least of my people, that you do unto me.” (Matthew 25:40) “For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink…I was naked and you clothed me” (Mt. 25:36) “I was in prison and you came to me.” (Mt. 25:36) "I was a stranger and you welcomed me” (Mt 25:36) | |
Outreach Ministries at St. James: Pier Giorgio Agape Ministry The Pier Giorgio Agape Ministry hosts a weekly “Frassati Supper”, every Thursday in the Lower Hall from 5-6:30pm. A free meal to help the homeless and those in need. Come join us and help by volunteering your time and talent. Come early to help prepare the meals and setup, or stay after to help clean up. You can also help the hungry by fundraising/dontations. Any and all help is greatly appreciated.
What does “agape” mean? The most distinctively Christian form of love. Used by Christ to describe the love among the persons of the Trinity, it is also the love he commanded his followers to have for one another (John 13:34-35). It is totally selfless love, which seeks not one's own advantage but only to benefit or share with another. — From the Modern Catholic Dictionary by Fr. John Hardon |  BLESSED PIER GIORGIO FRASSATI |
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St. Vincent de Paul Inspired by Gospel values, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, a Catholic lay organization, leads women and men to join together to grow spiritually by offering person-to-person service to those who are needy and suffering in the tradition of its founder, Blessed Frédéric Ozanam, and patron, St. Vincent de Paul. The St. Vincent de Paul center is located at 2456 NE Stapleton Rd, Vancouver, WA. (360) 694-5388. If you have donations for St. Vincent de Paul you can leave them in the donation bin that is in the St. Vincent de Paul closet located at the back of the Church. We are in need of usable clothing, household items, and non-perishable food. Call St. Vincent de Paul for a list of their current needs. St. Vincent de Paul currently has about 75 active volunteers who generously give nearly 1,200 hours per month to help the poor in our community. The Society offers a wide range of ways that you can help and most volunteer opportunities take place at our food and clothing bank on Stapleton Road:
Programs In addition to our daily operation of providing food and clothes to the poor, St. Vincent de Paul also conducts several Special Programs to further help needy families in Clark County.
For more information, or to volunteer please call (360) 694-5388. W.H.O. - Winter Hospitality Overflow Winter Hospitality Overflow (WHO) was designed to fill the gap between limited shelter space and the sharp increases in the number of individuals and families seeking shelter during Vancouver’s coldest winter months. WHO guests are offered a warm shower, nourishing food, case management, and a place to rest their head, as well as the warmth of a caring community working to address the most basic of human needs. Without these added beds many would have been forced to the streets to endure even the harshest and most dangerous weather months of the year. Overnight Shelter Volunteers Local churches of all denominations have combined efforts to donate over 12,000 hours of service. Churches are asked to staff the shelter for a week at a time. St. James staffs the shelter for one week each year, usually in January. The shifts include evening, overnight, and early morning time periods. This a wonderful opportunity to meet other volunteers and hear inspiring stories from our guests. Duties may include: greeting guests, serving/preparing food, safety checks, collecting bedding, wake up calls, general hospitality. As winter arrives, see the bulletin for information about when St. James will staff the shelter. To help with St. James assigned weeks, please contact the parish office or see the contact number listed in the bulletin during the winter season.
Birthright Birthright is a practical emergency pregnancy service. Our aim is to help distressed, pregnant women feel loved, supported, accepted, worthwhile, hopeful and encouraged. We seek to motivate a woman to find her own inner strength and make her own decision, without coercion, regarding her pregnancy. Women of all faiths, even those without one, are welcome to our services. Birthright is a positive response to a woman who does not want to be pregnant. We are here to help you in making a decision about your pregnancy. We will listen to you through one-on-one contact to provide personal attention. We want you to know the many options available to you. We exclude family planning counseling and instead focus on a gentle, loving alternative to abortion. We want to help you whether you are single or married regardless of age, race or religion. We offer free pregnancy testing, completely confidential help, non-judgmental and caring advice, friendship and emotional support, prenatal information, maternity and baby clothes, housing referrals, social agency referrals, information on other community services, adoption information, as well as legal, medical, and educational referrals. If you have any donations for Birthright (baby and maternity clothes, baby supplies, etc.), you can leave them in the bassinet located near the main doors of the Church. For more information call 360-694-8156 or go to www.birthright.org. We also have a hotline open 24/7 at 1-800-550-4900.
Clark County Right To Life Clark County Right to Life is a local affiliate of Human Life of Washington and can be reached at www.HumanLife.net. Opportunities for volunteering include working at our booth at the Clark County Fair and speaking to school, community or church groups about the right to life that we all share from conception to natural death. There are many opportunities for prayer that come up throughout the year as well. To join the mailing list please call (573-7459) or write to: Clark County Right to Life PO Box 1652 Vancouver, WA 98668.
Other Pro Life Organizations Other local ProLife Organizations include: the Vancouver Pregnancy Resource Center, the Family Education Center and Pregnancy Care Centers in Battle Ground and Camas/Washougal. Legacy of Life provides housing to women who have been made homeless because of their pregnancy. To take action politically, contact LifePac, Life Issues/Family Ethics Political Action Committee, of SW Washington. Learn more at www.LifePac.org. Abstinence education is an important part of changing the community’s approach to life issues. According to state statistics, over 1,200 Clark County children were aborted in 2004; many of these cases come from the misuse of sexuality by teenagers. You can learn more about the efforts of the AWARE (Abstinence, Wait-training And Relationship Education) program in local schools at www.AwareProgram.net. Your efforts and prayers for these ministry opportunities make a difference! Prison Ministries Volunteer to pray and share the faith with men and women inmates on Monday mornings at the Jail Work Center, or evenings at the Clark County Jail. Background clearance and orientation provided at the Sheriff’s Department. |