Liturgical Ministries

All liturgical ministries exist as part of the assembly.  In the liturgy all is Christ. Christ in the presider. Christ in the Word proclaimed. Christ in the transformed bread and wine of the sacrificial meal. 

Christ in the people, all transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit. This is the life we are all called to share.  Some of us have a distinct ministry to help us all (including ourselves) live what we are called to be - the one Body of Christ.

There are many ways of living ministry, all of them woven tightly into one another. Here are some thoughts on a few of them, would you like to take part?  

Bereavement Ministers help a family prepare for the Vigil Scripture Service and Funeral Mass. They are an outreach of our Parish Community ministering to families during their time of loss. Please contact Mary Lou Juster to be a part of this important ministry. 

Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion: Through the celebration of the Eucharist, Christ makes us his very Body, his sacramental presence before the world.  Eucharist is a communal event in which we as a community become Christ. To be a lay eucharistic minister is to participate in the building up of the Church as the Body of Christ.  

Persons who are sick and those who are aged are a special concern. Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion to the Sick and Homebound receive a blessing as a send off within the liturgy.  These ministers bring the Eucharist and hospitality of the entire parish on Sunday and weekday mornings from Mass. 

Lectors: In the proclamation of the Scriptures, the Word of God takes on flesh through the minister of the word, the lector.  

Altar Servers: Young men and women of the parish 5th grade and older come for training during the Lenten season and prepare to be altar servers.  Students usually serve twice a month; on Sunday and during the week.  They also prepare to serve weddings, funerals and other prayer services throughout the year. 

Ushers and Greeters are our living worship aids as they assure our temporal needs are met, freeing us to focus on the liturgy.  The ushers collect the Sunday Offertory, select the gift bearers, keep the communion procession reverent and orderly and distribute bulletins after the Mass. 

Friday Friends meet immediately after Friday morning Mass, a generous group of volunteers to straighten missals, hymn books and place in pews the offering envelopes.

Altar Care and Environment Volunteers work on Thursday mornings immediately after Mass to prepare for daily and weekend liturgies by cleaning, dusting and watering plants, checking vestments and sacristy supplies.  Environment is prepared to enrich our prayer and highlight each season. 

As you read through the various ways for living ministry, which struck you as particularly important in your life right now? All ministries are scheduled and require once a week or once a month commitment. Which way offers you the most challenge? If you would like more information about any of these areas of service or would like to volunteer, please contact Mary Lou Juster at 714-528-1487 x221 or mljuster@stjosephplacentia.org

Let us all go forth to live the life we proclaim.