Liturgy Volunteers
Liturgical Ministries - Mass
Mass Coordinators
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Must possess a deep love and reverence for the Eucharist Must be good at organization and love working with people
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Work with the Liturgy Director to ensure that things run as planned at Sunday liturgy
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Coordinate all of the ministries at a particular Mass
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Ensure all ministry spots are filled
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Coordinate special activities with priest, liturgist, ministers & parishioners
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Substitutes are also needed to fill in for the regular Mass Coordinators.
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Initial training – one 3 hour session required
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Ongoing formation - meet seasonally
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Serve on a rotating basis.
Eucharistic Ministers
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Must possess a deep love and reverence for the Eucharist and a joyful desire to share it with the community
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Must be a Confirmed, Catholic in good standing with the Church
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Must be officially mandated for service by the Diocese of Joliet (obtained by the parish)
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Special Ministers have a few additional jobs at the altar and may be scheduled more frequently
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Initial training: One 2 ½ hour session
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Ongoing formation - attendance at a yearly workshop expected.
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Serve at two or three liturgies each month
Lectors/Commenatators - Adults
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Must possess a love and respect for the scriptures
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Adults and high school students gifted with public-speaking skills
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Proclaim the scripture readings,
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Read the Opening Comment, Penitential Rite, Prayers of the Faithful and Announcements, etc.
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Initial training – Three 2 hour sessions required
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Ongoing formation:
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attendance at one or two workshops per year
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practice at home before reading
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Serve once or twice a month.
Great site for Lectors! www.lectorprep.org
Lectors/Commentators - Children
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Must possess a love and respect for the scriptures
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Children in grades 3-8 gifted with public-speaking skills
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Initial training provided
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Ongoing formation – required monthly sessions to review skills and to practice on the microphones (much like choir practice)
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Serve a few times a year at
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some 9:00 AM and 12:15 PM Sunday Masses
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at other special liturgies
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at Sacramental celebrations
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at prayer services
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at WINGS events.
Host Teams, Ushers (Hospitality Ministers)
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Must love people, be gracious and hospitable, love to smile, like to talk with people
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Can serve either as individuals or as teams (families).
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Arrive about 20-30 minutes before Mass to ensure that all is ready.
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Duties include-
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reserving pews,
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greeting people at the door,
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seating people,
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keeping the communion procession orderly,
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taking up the collection,
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choosing individuals to present the gifts,
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passing out bulletins
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warmly bidding farewell to parishioners
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Initial training – one 3 hour session
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Ongoing formation - attendance at a yearly workshop expected.
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Serve about once a month.
Ministers of the Altar (Altar Servers)
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Must be reverent and prayerful while ministering
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A minimum of two Ministers of the Altar is needed for each Mass - households or groups of family members or friends may take on this ministry together –adults and children serve together
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Perform certain tasks at the altar that help the flow of the liturgy -duties include lighting the candles,carrying the processional cross,setting the altar table for the Eucharistic celebration,and various other tasks as decided upon seasonally by the liturgy planners
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Initial training: One 2 ½ hour session
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Ongoing formation - attendance at a yearly workshop expected.
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Serve at one or two liturgies each month
Other Liturgical Ministries
ART & ENVIRONMENT BOARD AND SEASONAL DECORATORS
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Responsible for the appropriate decoration of the liturgical space.
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Members of the Board are expected to have or to develop an understanding of art in general, liturgical art the liturgical seasons the principles of liturgical decoration.
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Must read Art & Environment in Catholic Worship and Built of Living Stones
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Board members meet monthly.
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Seasonal Decorators are called as needed.
SACRISTANS
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Ensure that liturgical supplies are kept on hand,
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Some light cleaning, polishing and dusting
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Provide for the maintenance of the candles, altar linens, and vestments
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Asked to do other duties as needed.
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Initial training-hands on shadowing
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Duties performed at the convenience of the Sacristan.
PLANT MAINTENANCE IN CHURCH
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Must love living plants, and know how to care for them
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Caring for the plants is arranged to fit the schedules and needs of the people and plants involved.
(If you drop off your child at school, lector rehearsal, music lesson or choir rehearsal, this might be just the thing for you to do as you wait.)
LITURGY PLANNERS
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Must possess a love for and an appreciation of liturgy, ritual, prayer, scripture, and worship.
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Assist in preparing weekend and special seasonal liturgies.
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Individual planners are each assigned to write the Prayers of the Faithful, Lamb of God tropes, comments, etc., as needed for a few Sunday of the year.
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Initial Training: a series of sessions on the principles of liturgy planning.
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All planners meet together before each liturgical season to plan and make choices for the season.
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Seasonal planning sessions take place at a time convenient for all involved.
LITURGICAL DANCERS/CHOREOGRAPHERS
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Occasionally, liturgical dancers are incorporated to enhance the celebration of our liturgies, WINGS events and other special services.
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Individuals with experience in choreography and dance are called as needed
SEWERS/TAILORS
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Individuals skilled at sewing or serging are needed for mending or to sew new altar linens, baptismal bibs, banners, hangings, etc.
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Sewers are called as needed and work is done in your home at your convenience.
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Occasionally the expertise of a tailor may be needed to design and sew liturgical vesture.
LITURGY OFFICE HELP
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Individuals with a couple of hours to offer on either a regular or occasional basis can help
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Copy and assemble wedding and funeral booklets,
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Collate information packets for sacramental preparation,
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Help prepare ministry schedules for distribution
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Assist with other miscellaneous clerical duties
Baptismal Ministries
BAPTISM PREPARATION FACILITATORS
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Must love children
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Must appreciate the importance of working with families at a critical stage of their faith life
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Must understand the importance of Baptism in the life of the church
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Conduct the monthly, 1-1/2 hour baptismal preparation sessions that teach the theology of baptism and the responsibility of the family in the faith life of the child
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Baptismal Preparation sessions are held on the second Sunday of the month here at church
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Initial training: sessions to explain the theology of Baptism, the elements of the Rite and the responsibility of the family as primary catechists of those being baptized- then, mentoring by an experienced baptismal preparation facilitator
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Ongoing formation – As needed
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Facilitators are asked to conduct a few sessions a year.
BAPTISM LITURGY PLANNERS/COORDINATORS
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Must appreciate the importance of working with families at a critical stage of their faith life
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Must understand the importance of Baptism in the life of the church
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Responsible for the preparation of the baptismal ceremony for a specific date.
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The families of all the children being baptized on a particular date meet with the planner in the planner’s home the week of the baptism
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Planner attends the baptism and serves as sacramental coordinator on the day of the baptism, ensuring that all materials are prepared and the service flows smoothly
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Initial training: sessions to explain the theology of Baptism, the elements of the Rite and the responsibility of the family as primary catechists of those being baptized-mentoring by an experienced baptismal liturgy planner
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Ongoing formation – As needed
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Planners are assigned to plan and coordinate baptisms several times a year
Marriage Ministries
MARRIAGE PREPARATION FACILITATORS
Our engaged couples complete the FOCCUS premarital inventory and are given the option of attending a series of five Marriage Preparation sessions in the home of a married couple of St. Raphael or a Diocesan Marriage Preparation Weekend. If they choose St. Raphael’s Sponsor Couple program, they meet with a Sponsor Couple five times.
SPONSOR COUPLES
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Must be willing and able to share their experience of marriage and love with the engaged in an honest and loving manner.
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Must appreciate the importance of working with adults at a critical stage of their faith life
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Discuss the FOCCUS results with the couple
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Work with the couple using the "For Better and Forever " workbook
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Are trained in the theology of Christian Marriage and covenant love.
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Initial training – one four hour session
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Ongoing formation – one or two additional sessions a year
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Couples are asked to sponsor one or two couples a year and conduct marriage preparation sessions in their home at the convenience of the engaged couple and the sponsor couple.
WEDDING COORDINATORS
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Must desire to serve others in a joyous ministry
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Must understand the Catholic marriage ritual
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Must appreciate the importance of working with adults and their families at a critical stage of their faith life
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Conduct the wedding rehearsal with another hostess (usually the evening before the wedding
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Arrive about an hour before the wedding to make sure that all is ready for the celebration and to greet the couple, the family and guests.
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Ensure that the liturgy or ceremony runs smoothly
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Stay afterwards to make sure that everything is put away before the regular weekend liturgies.
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Initial training – Hands on training with an experienced wedding hostess
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Wedding hostesses serve once or twice a month (most busy time of the year is May through the end of October)
Funeral Ministries
FUNERAL MASS COORDINATORS/WAKE MINISTERS
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Must be compassionate, caring and a good listener
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Preferably, funeral liturgy ministers are those who have experienced the death of a close loved one and have gone through the grieving process themselves.
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May have gifts in singing/playing an instrument (for wake services)
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Meet with a pastoral staff member and the family of the deceased at the Church (usually during the day) to plan the funeral liturgy.
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Assist the family in choosing appropriate prayers, scripture readings, music, etc.
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Trained to understand the Order of Christian Funerals and basic liturgy planning principles.
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Trained in grief support
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Trained to preside at wake services and the committal service at the cemetery
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Called as needed (usually with less than 24 hour notice)