Liturgical
Ministries
Liturgical
Ministries
Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion
ALTAR SERVERS
Boys and girls in 5th grade and older have a chance to honor God through service at the altar. Servers are put on teams, which serve on a rotating basis. Training for new servers is held as needed. For more information, please contact ministry leader K.C. Susko at 845-1329 or e-mail jmkcsusko@gmail.com.
CHURCH ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE
A group of parishioners plan and decorate the church according to the liturgical seasons. If you are creative, can sew, or are interested in helping, contact ministry leader Betsy Maxwell at 626-9246 or e-mail bandjmaxwell@bellsouth.net, or contact the office at 626-6977.
Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion
Parishioners interested in serving as Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion must attend a training session provided through the Archdiocesan Office of Worship. Permission and recommendation from the pastor is also required. For more information, please contact ministry leader Curry Holifield at 845-3863 or e-mail cr4654@aol.com.
MINISTRY OF THE WORD
MISSION STATEMENT:
Mary, Queen of Peace Ministers of the Word strive to enhance the celebration of the liturgy by proclaiming God's living Word in a confident, persuasive, and convincing manner.
VISION STATEMENT:
With the guidance of the Holy Spirit, all Ministers of the Word are focused on improving the proclamation of the Word through education, preparation, and spiritual development. This vision will be reinforced by an annual retreat and periodic training for active ministers.
PRINCIPLES:
Ministers of the Word (along with other liturgical ministers) should annually receive the blessing of the assembled community at Mass.
Ministers will be expected to attend one of three training sessions offered annually and the annual retreat.
Having two ministers at each Mass, while providing more opportunities to serve, is distracting. The additional duties of the minister at the 8:00 Mass do not warrant assigning two.
Ministers will not be rotated to different Masses.
The number of ministers will be limited to no more than required for service at least every other month. Considering the current Mass schedule of 4/weekend plus holy days and vacations, this number will be approximately 40. New applicants will be put on a waiting list until trained and will then be worked into the schedule as soon as possible, possibly beginning on a substitute basis.
A mechanism will be developed for evaluating ministers.
The steering committee will meet at least twice annually, once to plan the retreat and once to evaluate the retreat and the progress of the ministry.
For more information on weekday Lectors, please contact the ministry leader, Clarke Montgomery at 845-8958. For more information on weekend Lectors, please contact the ministry leader, Mike Holland at 626-5066 or mcholl@bellsouth.net.
MUSIC MINISTRY
The Music Ministry offers a wide variety of enjoyable opportunities for parishioners to serve at the liturgy. The four choral ensembles, the two bell choirs, and the cantor program provide enough diversity for any volunteer musician to find a comfortable place. Music ministry yearly calendar.
9:30 Choir: This dedicated group formed in 1989 to sing traditional music monthly at the second Mass on Sundays. In 1998, they were combined with the contemporary choir to form a creative energetic ensemble. Piano, guitars, bass, percussion, trumpet, flute, and other instruments accompany the four-part voices who occasionally sing a cappella. An eclectic blend of traditional and newly-composed hymns keeps our musical heritage alive. The choir meets Thursdays at 7:00 p.m. and Sundays at 8:45 a.m. before serving at the 9:30 a.m. Mass. 9:30 am Ordinary Time music schedule C
11:30 Choir: This Traditional ensemble serves at the 11:30 a.m. Sunday Mass. Supported mainly by organ, trumpets, flutes and other classical instruments, this choir practices on Thursdays with the 9:30 choir at 7:00 p.m. and Sundays at 10:45 a.m. prior to serving at the 11:30 Mass. 11:30 am Ordinary Time music schedule C
Super Choir: Once a month, when the children's choir serves at Mass, and on several special occasions throughout the year, the 9:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. choirs combine to form Super Choir. Practice is usually on Thursday evenings, depending upon the date of service. In Jubilee Year 2000, Super Choir recorded a CD containing 19 of our favorite hymns, songs, and anthems, copies of which are available through the parish office or the Music Director.
Seraphim Singers: Our children's choir has served on the first Sunday of each month at the 9:30 a.m. Family Mass, replacing the 9:30 a.m. Adult Choir, since April 1996. Participants must be in third grade as of September 1 of the current school year. They rehearse on Mondays from 4:15 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
6:00 pm Youth musicians: Our newest addition to the music ministry, the 6:00 pm mass offers an opportunity for Young people 7th grade or older. This group often sings in two or three-part harmony and, while most of the music is familiar contemporary music from the hymnals, the 6:00 pm Youth musicians present a repertoire comprised largely of Praise and worship music. The 6:00 pm Youth Musicians rehearse on Sundays from 4:30 p.m. to 5:45 p.m., before singing at mass.
Cantor Program: Often, singers feel called to serve outside of a musical group. We have many courageous volunteers who serve as cantors at the 9:30 and 11:30 a.m. Sunday liturgies. The music director prepares them with workshops, rehearsals, a Mass book, and Compact Disc recordings when needed. The cantorial ministers are well supported by the assembly. 5:00 pm Ordinary Time music schedule C Cantor yearly schedule
Hand bell Choir: In October 2002, our new Hand bell Choir began recruiting members and rehearsing music for their first service at Christmas Midnight Mass. The first three octaves of bells, contributed as a memorial to deceased parishioners, provide beautiful instrumental accompaniment to liturgies during festive seasons and on solemn occasions. Dedication and faithful service are key qualities of the ensemble's membership, many of whom are reading music and playing an instrument for the first time. The Hand bell Choir rehearses on Tuesdays from 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Chime Choir: This instrumental group is composed of children in third grade or older who play hand chimes – the durable, elementary version of hand bells. They practice on Tuesdays from 4:15 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., learning good ringing technique, the reading of simplified musical notation, working as a team, and serving in ministry. The Chime Choir will serve on selected Sundays, and special masses with the Seraphim Singers.
Preludes Ministry: Occasionally, instrumentalists who volunteer for ministry are unable to participate in one of our ensembles. To respond to their need to share their musical gifts in service, we have established the Preludes Ministry, using music to help provide the proper environment as we gather for liturgy. Musicians are scheduled on a rotating basis, with plenty of opportunities to play.
Recruitment for all programs is ongoing, so one needs only to appear at rehearsal to join a choir. Periodic gatherings are planned which enable the musicians to develop their social relationships as well. For more information, please contact the Music Director through the Church Office.
USHERS
Making the assembly feel welcome at all times, ushers are a very important ministry of hospitality. Ushers are an integral part of the liturgy, and are dedicated to the Parish mission of building vibrant Catholic community.
Opening doors with a warm smile and expressing warm words of welcome, ushers are the first contact to the assembly at arrival. Ushers help the assembly to find comfortable seating, to gather and carry up the offertory gifts, and to process in an orderly fashion to receive the Holy Eucharist. Ushers are available to assist with emergencies, and at the conclusion of the Mass, ushers open doors, hand out the bulletins, and offer pleasant farewell to the assembly.
If you are interested in being a regular usher at a weekend mass, please call Larry Saunders, Usher Ministry Leader, at 985-792-1882 or contact by email at larrysaunders@charter.net
LITURGY OF THE WORD CHILDREN
On Sunday during the 8:00 and 9:30 a.m. Mass, we offer Liturgy of the Word for children in grades first through fourth. The children are dismissed from Mass with a facilitator. They listen to the Gospel read from the Children’s Lectionary and then discuss the Gospel on a level that is appropriate to their age. Registration is not required to attend. For more information, please contact the ministry leader, Sandy Hinrichs at 875-0279 or e-mail hinrichs22@bellsouth.net.