Liturgical Ministries (Opportunities to Participate)

Communion Ministers (Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion)
Extraordinary ministers of holy Communion are lay members of the parish who assist in the distribution of holy Communion. (A lay person is any member of the church who is not among the ordained clergy and not a member of a religious order.) Some extraordinary ministers assist with Communion at Mass; others take the Eucharist to area nursing home and care facilities.

Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion at Mass
For those who participate in this ministry, we ask for a commitment of at least one weekend Mass per month. Scheduling can be flexible for those who travel seasonally. Training is provided. We request that those participating in this ministry attend 1-2 formation opportunities each year. This is a wonderful opportunity to share the body and blood of Christ with your fellow parishioners. For more details and contact information for both youth and adults, see the Volunteer Flyer for Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion at Mass.

Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion at Nursing Home and Care Facilities
For those who participate in this ministry, the commitment varies depending on where the communion minister distributes holy Communion.

• At Lasata: 1st and 3rd Sundays each month and  two 5th Sundays per year. We ask for a commitment of just one Sunday per month or to be on the substitute list. The hours are 8:30-9:30 a.m.

• At Cedar Springs or Cedar Gardens: We serve these care centers every Sunday. We ask for a commitment of just one Sunday per month or to be on the substitute list. The hours are 9-10:30 a.m.

• At Harrison Home: We distribute Communion once a week to about six residents, usually on Wednesdays. We ask for a commitment of once per month. The time involved is about one hour during the day.

• At Ivy Manor: We distribute Communion on Sunday mornings to about 10 residents. Commitments are for particular Sundays or as a substitute. The time involved is about 30 minutes.

For more details and contact information for each of the above locations, see the Volunteer Flyer for Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion at Nursing Home and Care Facilities.

 

Funeral Mass Ministry
Funeral ministers are parish adults who serve as acolytes at Masses of Christian Burial. They set up for funerals, serve the Mass and act as ministers of holy Communion. They carry the incense and the cross. Funeral ministers are called upon approximately twice per month. By their loving service and demeanor, our ministers add distinction and dignity to the liturgy of the church. For more details and contact information, see the Volunteer Flyer for Funeral Mass Ministry.

Hospitality Ministries

Greeters
Greeters welcome parishioners and visitors to Mass. On special occasions, greeters may be asked to provide additional service, such as passing out palms to people as they enter the church on Palm Sunday. All parishioners, no matter their age, are encouraged to become greeters. Greeters arrive 20-25 minutes before Mass and are scheduled approximately once every 6-8 weeks. For more details and contact information, see the Volunteer Flyer for Greeters.

Ushers
Ushers assist with seating when needed, take up the weekly collection during Mass, give guidance for orderly procession to Communion, distribute the weekly bulletin after Mass, and help in other ways as needed. Ushers arrive about 15 minutes before Mass and stay about 10 minutes after Mass. The frequency of assignments depends on the number of available volunteers. For more details and contact information for both youth and adults, see the Volunteer Flyer for Ushers.

 

Lectors
The mission of the lector ministry is to proclaim the Scriptures at our weekend, weekday and holy day liturgies. Those participating in this ministry should be motivated by spiritual reasons: desire to proclaim the Word of God so that people listen and understand. Lectors must devote significant preparation time before each assignment. Helpful skills include public speaking ability and a willingness to respond to suggestions for improvement. Scheduling is based on lector time preferences. Adults and high school youth are welcome. Training and individual coaching sessions are provided. Lector assignments are approximately once a month, but can be scheduled less frequently. Adult lectors participate in 1-2 formation opportunities each calendar year. For more details and contact information for both youth and adults, see the Volunteer Flyer for Lectors.

Music Ministry
We share our musical talents in the celebration of the liturgy. Singing and musical accompaniment are part of this ministry.

Adult Choir
This choir sings weekly during the school year, usually at the 9:00 a.m. Mass. Rehearsals are held on Monday nights at 7:00 p.m. at SFB-North. Adults and high school students are welcome.

Youth Choir
The youth choir includes boys and girls in grades 2-8. This choir periodically sings at weekend Masses and some special liturgies. Rehearsals are held on Wednesdays from 3:30-4:45 at SFB School gym. A snack is provided at the beginning of the rehearsal.

Fire Choir
The Fire Choir is for musicians and singers who bring contemporary, prayerful music to our 6:00 p.m. Sunday Mass. Most choir members are middle school and high school students, but all ages are welcome.

Cantors
Cantors serve at all liturgies, including weddings and funerals, assisting the community’s participation in the sung liturgy. All cantors must belong to the parish adult choir and have a strong choral background.

Handbell Choir
The bell choir periodically provides additional accompaniment to our liturgies. Bell choir members must have prior music experience, preferably keyboard based. Rehearsals for the bell choir are on Monday nights at 6:00 p.m. Qualified musicians beginning at junior high level are invited to participate.

Instrumentalists
We are always in need of qualified instrumentalists with a firm musical foundation. Besides the traditional organ and piano, instruments used in our liturgies have included woodwinds, brass, strings, guitars and percussion.

For more details and contact information for the various music ministries, see the Volunteer Flyer for Music Ministry.

 

Servers (Grades 4 and up)
Mass servers assist the priest at the altar: light candles, join in procession, hold the Roman Missal (formerly called the sacramentary book) for the priest, greet people with the sign of peace, and give other help that is needed. All youth in our parish, grade four and above, are invited to become servers. They must have received first Eucharist. There is no upper age limit for servers. Usually servers are scheduled once every 4-6 weeks. For more details and contact information, see the Volunteer Flyer for Mass Servers.

"Behind the Scenes" Ministries

Chalice Purificator Linen Caretakers
We launder and iron the purificators used to wipe the chalices in the celebration of the Eucharist. The time commitment is about 3 hours, usually 2 times per year. For more details and contact information, see the Volunteer Flyer for Chalice Purificator Linen Caretakers.

Church Dusters
Church dusters keep our churches dust-free and looking good year-round. No heavy cleaning is required. All ages are welcome, from children through seniors. The total time commitment depends on how many teams have volunteered and which church you are dusting. The goal is to have each team scheduled just 2-3 times per year. The schedule is flexible. For more details and contact information, see the Volunteer Flyer for Church Dusters.

Lasata Monday Mass Volunteers
Our mission is to provide assistance at the Lasata Nursing Home so that residents can attend Mass and/or receive Communion. Masses are on the second Monday each month at 2:00 p.m. Volunteers help from about 1:15-3:00 p.m. and can choose how often they would like to help. For more details and contact information, see the Lasata Monday Mass Volunteers flyer.

Liturgical Environment (Flowers, decorations, etc.)
Our mission is providing an inspirational setting for our Eucharistic celebrations and liturgical seasons by enhancing the church environment with flowers, banners, etc. You can choose to help maintain the plants and décor on a rotating schedule which would involve about 2 hours per week. You can also choose to decorate for the major church seasons. This takes about 6 hours, 3 times per year. For more details and contact information, see the Volunteer Flyer for Liturgical Environment.

Sacristan Assistants
The sacristan assistants do weekly light cleaning in the sacristy, care for liturgical garments and articles, and clean items in the sacristy and sanctuary. Training is provided "on the job" by our pastor. The time commitment is approximately 1 hour per week, with slightly more time required during the Advent, Christmas, Lent, and Easter seasons. For more details and contact information, see the Volunteer Flyer for Sacristan Assistants.

Additional Information
For more information, contact the Office of Stewardship and Development at 262-377-1070, ext. 229 or send an e-mail.