NEW EVENT:
Lector Workshop—You’re Invited! Reading scripture aloud is more than just reading well. Rather, we are called to proclaim fully all of the life within those words. This workshop will introduce practical techniques to transform reading into vibrant proclamation. Anyone who proclaims — lectors, deacons, presiders, cantors, catechists, ministry leaders — will benefit from learning how to make a proclamation really soar, and will leave renewed and reinvigorated for their ministry. Both experienced proclaimers and those new to the ministry are invited to attend and will benefit from this training.
About the presenter: Douglas Leal, a professional actor and director, has served the Church for over thirty years as a liturgist and lector trainer. Author of "Beyond Reading: Advanced Training for Proclaimers of the Word" (LTP), he was chief mission officer with Providence St. Joseph Health and director of adult formation for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. Douglas is a frequent speaker and retreat facilitator. He holds a master of arts from Boston College.
If you’re interested in attending this workshop on Saturday, September 21st from 8:30 am to 3:30 pm (with attending the 4:00 pm Mass as an option), please RSVP to Jerry Fairweather at 702-994-4154 or at stmlectorcoordinator@gmail.com. Please note that if you’re new and interested in joining the ministry, this is part 1 of the training. Part 2 will take place the following Saturday at 9:00 am.
Information about our Liturgical Ministries...
Altar Teams: At St. Thomas More, we don’t have altar servers, instead, we have members of the church community who work in teams to assist at Mass. One member of the altar team usually carries the cross in during the procession and out during the recessional. During Mass, the altar teams prepare the altar. Many of our altar 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, members of a ministry/organization here at STM, service teams, or groups of teens specifically for our 5:30 pm Life Teen Mass. For more information, please contact Deacon Bob Rudloff at 702-260-0311.
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 change throughout the year, the church has its own season that marks 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 or a Charlie Brown tree into a Jesse tree. If you can climb a ladder, lift a plant, iron linen, or decorate a Christmas tree, we can use you! For more information, please contact Lisa at 725-214-5655.
Extraordinary Ministers: It is a great privilege and honor to participate in this ministry. Any parishioner who is currently in their second year of Confirmation or 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 at various times. For more information, please contact Lisa at 725-214-5655.
Hospitality Ministers: 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 diverse 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 the liturgy and pass out the parish bulletins after Mass. Making people feel at home is a blessing and these people are called to extend that blessing to everyone. For more information, please contact Janie at 702-361-2780 or Lisa (for the 5:30 pm Mass) at 725-214-5655.
Lectors: Those who proclaim the Word of God during our Masses are called Lectors. They are trained & prepared by those responsible for our parish liturgy. Proclaiming the Word of God is a sacred task and it is by God’s grace, that a Lector does this well. At every liturgy, we as Catholics, include the proclamation of God’s Word as an essential part of our collective worship. Proclaiming the Word of God is much more than simply reading the text aloud. It requires that the proclaimer understands and reflects on the Word beforehand to grasp the message in its entirety, to understand its nuances and challenges, to “hear” the divine voice speaking through the text, and to present it to the people in a way that helps the Word come ALIVE. Good vocal and interpretation skills are crucial to this task as well as an understanding heart. For more information, please contact Jerry at 702-994-4154 or at stmlectorcoordinator@gmail.com