Description of Worship Committee Ministries

The Baptism preparation program provides the parents of newborns both the liturgical background of the sacrament as well as an introduction to the parish family of Immaculate Heart of Mary.  The team consists of couples who, as parents of young children, have gone through the process themselves and share their experience, as well as the priests and members of the staff.  Preparation classes are held the first Sunday of each month.

Children's Liturgy of the Word, or CLOW, is offered on most Sunday’s at the 10:30 am Mass. CLOW is a liturgical experience of God's presence in the ritual proclamation of the Word.   During Mass, after the opening prayer, the children and their leader are excused from the assembly to gather in a separate worship space where the scriptures are proclaimed in language they can understand.  The children return to sit with their parents for the Liturgy of the Eucharist.

The Ministry of Extraordinary Ministers provides special and unique opportunities for its members to assist our priests and serve the people of our parish.  Our most obvious activity is at Mass when we help to distribute the Sacred Eucharist in the form of bread and wine.  Perhaps even more rewarding are our visits to the sick and homebound at the Seniors Housing Center and Ashbrook Nursing Home when we share the Eucharist with those unable to celebrate Mass with us in person.

Proclaiming the Word of God is an important part of the liturgical celebration.  The connection between the Word and the liturgy is enhanced by the lector who brings the Word of God to fellow parishioners.  Lectors must have received the sacrament of Confirmation.  Public speaking experience is a plus but not required.  Training sessions are required which include background, lector procedures and techniques for proclaiming scripture.
Lectors are assigned a specific Mass time and are scheduled to lector once every 7 or 8 weeks.  When personal conflicts prevent a lector from serving an assigned Mass, it is his responsible to arrange a substitute from our list of lectors.  All are invited to use their voice as God's instrument for good by becoming a lector at Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish.

The music ministry has two main purposes: to praise and glorify God and to inspire the congregation to do the same. Our choral groups include a children's choir, an adult choir and a contemporary ensemble. Each group rehearses on Wednesday evenings in the church and provides the music for the 10:30am Mass from September to June. Our cantors lead the congregation in song at all other masses and at the 10:30am Mass during the summer. We are always looking for new members to enrich our ministry.

The hospitality minister/usher's role is to greet parishoners as they enter the church to make them feel welcome, and to assist with seating with particular attention paid to the needs of the disabled.  The ushers also assist with the weekly collection, distribution of the parish bulletin, and in the straightening up of the church before and after Mass.

Youth Altar serving is one of the greatest honors available to the youth of our parish and a great way to experience Mass by playing an integral role in the celebration.  Masses are held on Saturday at 5:30 pm and Sundays at 7:45 am, 9:00 am, 10:30 am and 12 noon.  We usually have anywhere from 2-4 servers at each Mass, 3-4 are preferred.  A schedule is prepared and posted outside the altar server sacristy.  Any youth parishioner is eligible to serve after their first communion and after attending the youth altar server training which is usually held twice a year.

If you are interested in becoming a youth altar server, please contact our altar server coordinator Rich Duthie via email at Duthie@comcast.net.