SPIRITUAL LIFE COMMISSION
Mission
The purpose of this committee is to assist the pastor of St. Joseph Catholic Church in enhancing the growth of our spirituality by making suggestions and implementing ideas. The Spiritual Life Commission helps direct the liturgical life of the parish, as well as foster and promote the spiritual growth of all parishioners, enabling them to understand what it means to respond to their baptismal call by worshipping and ministering to the gospel. The Spiritual Life Commission desires to lead the faith community of St. Joseph parish into a fuller and richer relationship with God by providing experiences of the Eucharist which foster an understanding that “liturgy” is the work of the people and is a living, dynamic experience and by providing other opportunities for prayer and spiritual growth. Its vision includes spiritual enrichment opportunities through liturgy, and other expressions of prayer that offer fitting praise to God, represents the community of St. Joseph, invites the Assembly’s full, conscious and active participation and empowers the community to live out their faith in their everyday lives.
The Spiritual Life Commission is responsible for:
- Coordinating the liturgical ministries of the parish including the music, sacristans, lectors, Eucharistic ministers, ushers, servers, greeters, and Liturgical Captains.
- Fostering dialogue between liturgical ministers and committees in order to ensure that liturgical and spiritual programs are meeting the needs of all parishioners.
- Evaluating, periodically, the weekend liturgies and other forms of prayer experiences, drawing upon the insights and feedback of parishioners.
- Promoting spiritual enrichment through various forms of liturgical and prayer experiences which may include the liturgical component of parish missions, retreats, days or evenings of recollection, communal praying of the rosary, Advent and Lenten programs.
- Fostering an annual evaluation of parish programs of spirituality in order to discover what is working and what more might be needed in order to meet the diverse needs of the parishioners.
Meetings will be held quarterly at the discretion of the coordinator and will be announced in the Parish bulletin and verbally announced at each Mass the weekend prior to each meeting. Membership includes the Pastoral Associate and the leads of each liturgical ministry of the parish. Any parishioner may attend the Spiritual Life Commission meeting. Questions should be addressed to the Spiritual Life Commission Coordinator.
Music Ministry
The Music Ministry is a prayer-centered service ministry, dedicated to the Liturgy of the people and our parish. As such, it is focused on welcoming, encouraging the song of the assembly, and supporting each other in our love for the Lord.
Extraordinary Ministers of the Holy Communion
This ministry is a very important part of the Liturgy. They assist the priests as lay persons in the distribution of Holy Communion. Each minister is chosen for their devotion to the Eucharist. It is one of the most spiritual and satisfying things that one can do for their fellow parishioners and for themselves.
Lectors Ministry
Lectors are trained lay members of the parish who proclaim the word of God through readings of scripture and who present the Prayers of the Faithful as written by the Liturgy Team. Lectors also provide the readings, intercessions and announcements during the Mass
Gift Bearers Ministry
Gift Bearers bring to the altar, the bread, wine and gifts at each Mass. This is an ideal ministry for families, to process forward as a family to present the gifts to the priest. It gets your children involved with the Liturgy very early; however, all are welcome and encouraged to participate.
Altar Servers
Servers are people of the parish who assist the priest and Eucharistic Ministers during Mass and other services.
Ushers Ministry
The Ushers Ministry provides several services to our parishioners, before, during, and after Mass. Their responsibilities include the following:
- Assist before Mass by helping to find seating and answer any questions parishioners may have
- Always be available in case of emergencies to assist someone who may become ill, provide first aid, or assist during an emergency evacuation
- During Mass, assist with the collection and gifts; and after Mass make sure the bulletins are distributed.
Greeters Ministry
Greeters make sure that the people attending weekend masses feel welcome as they enter church. Greeters’ responsibilities are completed in plenty of time for volunteers to participate in the liturgy.
Mass Captains Ministry
The Mass captain ministry is new in our parish. They oversee and have an understanding of all of the other liturgical ministries. They ensure that all volunteers scheduled to serve have arrived and communicate any pertinent information to the volunteers if necessary. If someone is missing, he/she will attempt to recruit a replacement from the congregation assembled for Mass. They handle any issues that come up prior to Mass.