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Altar Teams
Altar Teams prepare the altar and carry the community’s
gifts to the altar. Many of our altars
teams are composed of families serving together, but teams
are not formed exclusively by families.
Other groups are welcome, such as friends who attend the
same mass, or members of service groups.
Environment Committee
"The goal of the
church environment is to decorate our worship space in a manner
that enhances the celebration of the liturgy and helps
foster a sense of community within the assembly." Just like
the seasons that mark the liturgical year where the colors
and the outside environment changes throughout the year, the
church has its own season that mark the liturgical year with
colors and symbols that reflect the meaning of the season.
We are the people who turn a piece of fabric into a drapery
or banner, a Charlie Brown tree into a Jesse tree, or change
the holy water bowl in the entry into a desert experience
for Lent. If you can climb a ladder, lift a plant, iron
linen, or decorate a Christmas tree, we can use you!
Extraordinary Ministers
When you see the
different people distributing Eucharist in the form of bread
or wine, have you ever thought about doing it yourself? Or
do you feel you're not "worthy" enough to do it? In turning
to lay people to help distribute Eucharist, the Church is
actually returning to the way things used to be done -
involving the members of the congregation in the Eucharist.
It is a great privilege and honor to participate in this
ministry. Any parishioner who has received the sacrament of
Confirmation and who attends Mass each week may be a
minister. The only other requirement is a love and
understanding of the Eucharist. Training sessions are held
every six months and last about 2 1/2 hours. Depending on
the Mass, ministers are called upon to help every two to
three weeks.
Liturgy
Preparation Team
"The church
earnestly desires that all the faithful be led to that full,
conscious, and active participation in liturgical
celebrations called for by the very nature of the liturgy.
Such participation by the Christian people as a chosen race,
a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's own people (1 PT
2:9 see 2:4-5) is their right and duty by reason of their
baptism." CSL #14 The Liturgy Preparation Team meets
to prepare regular Sunday and special liturgical
celebrations that are prayerful and meaningful for those who
attend. Keeping in mind the current events of our world and
the needs of the global church as well as our local church,
we compose the prayers of the faithful. We also suggest
blessings for special events such as back-to-school,
mother's and father's day and help to plan for communal
anointing and penance services. Anyone with an interest or
background in liturgy is invited to consider this ministry.
Ministers of Hospitality
Welcoming and
greeting friends is natural; welcoming and greeting
strangers is critical in a Christian Community. Just as God
welcomes and embraces all, so must every Christian family.
The community of St. Thomas More is a large and diversified
population. Greeting and welcoming each other is everyone's
task but it is carried out in a special way by the Ministers
of Hospitality who stand at the doors of our church to
receive us when we gather for worship. Their ministry is to
extend hospitality, to assist parishioners with seating,
special needs and general questions. They take up the
collection during liturgy, pass out the parish bulletins
after Mass and help find seating when crowds are large.
Making people feel at home is a blessing and these people
are called to extend that blessing to those who come to join
us for liturgy.
Ministers of the Word
Proclaiming the
Word of God is a sacred task and the skill to do it well is
a grace. At every liturgy we Catholics include the
proclamation of God's Word as an essential part of our
worship. Proclaiming the Word of God is much more than
simply reading the text aloud. It requires that the one
proclaiming understands and reflects on the Word beforehand
to grasp it's essential message, to understand it's nuances
and challenges, to "hear" the divine voice speaking through
the text and to present it to the people in a way that will
enable them to "hear" it as well. Good vocal and
interpretation skills are critical to the task. So is an
understanding heart. Those who exercise this ministry during
our liturgy are called lectors. They are trained &
prepared by those responsible for our parish liturgy.
Music
Ministry
We are most visibly
the body of Christ to the world when we gather on Sunday as
the Christian assembly. Therefore, how we pray and worship
is extremely important. St. Thomas More has an active music
ministry to help us in our sung prayer. This ministry
includes cantors, small groups, an adult choir, teen band,
LIFE TEEN band and a children's choir. Everyone is welcome!
"When in our music God is glorified, and adoration leaves no
room for pride, it is as though the whole creation cried:
Alleluia! Let every instrument be tuned for praise! Let all
rejoice who have a voice to raise!"
Click below to view a copy of the
Liturgical Ministry Schedule
June - August Schedule
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