“Let us bow down in worship; let us kneel before the Lord who made us. For this is our God, whose people we are, God’s well-tended flock.”

- Psalm 95:6-7

The Holy Eucharist, the Mass, is the greatest form of worship that one can give to God. Why? Because it is given to us by God. Human beings did not make it up, but rather at the Last Supper Jesus took the Passover meal and changed it. He made it into the sacrifice of Himself on the Cross. The Mass does not sacrifice Jesus again, but rather “re-presents” the one and same sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross.

When the Church comes together to celebrate the Eucharist, it does not simply come as a crowd. There are a variety of ministries and roles.

The clergy has responsibilities in the Mass, whether it be the bishop, priest, or deacon. The lay faithful also have responsibilities. The first and foremost role is as the assembly, participating fully and consciously in the sacred rites.

But there are other roles that the lay faithful can be asked to do. These ministries are found at St. Francis Xavier Parish. They assist the clergy and assembly in praying the Eucharist well.

Altar Server:

An altar server assists the priest with the rites of the Eucharist. They assist with the holding of the Roman Missal and setting the altar. At Saint Francis Xavier, those who have are in 3rd grade or older can be altar servers.

Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion:

An extraordinary minister of Holy Communion assists the priest by helping to distribute Holy Communion during Mass. The ordinary minister of Holy Communion are the priest and deacon, but when numbers and shape of the building warrant it, lay faithful may assist in this ministry. In order to be an extraordinary minister of Holy Communion you must be a confirmed Catholic who has a great faith in Jesus being present in the Eucharist.

Greeter:

A greeter assists before Mass by greeting people who come to the outer doors of St. Francis Xavier Parish. They provide a warm hello and smile to those who have made the decision to worship Jesus Christ that day. This is a great ministry for whole families.

Lector:

A lector assists at the Eucharist by proclaiming the Word of God from the Ambo. They also lead the assembly in the Universal Prayers.

Music Ministry:

Music ministry is essential to good Eucharist. We are blessed to have a couple of musicians as well as three choirs. As a member of the music ministry you assist as part of the choir. You must be able to sing, though you do not have to be a great singer.

Usher:

A usher assists in the Eucharist is several ways. Before Mass, they greet people coming to Mass at the doors to the sanctuary. During Mass they take up the collection. At all times, they are there to assist people in this worship experience.