Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion

Contact Person: Bette McIntyre    cament@vnet.net

Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion serve the Body and Blood of Christ to those assembled for Mass.  Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion are baptized and confirmed Catholics in good standing that have attended a training session and are committed to responsible service. Some Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion take Communion to shut-ins and the ill, also.  After a training period, Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion are commissioned by the pastor.  A typical gift of time is one hour and fifteen minutes at Mass once every four weeks on Sunday and forty-five minutes at weekday Mass. Interested high school students should already be confirmed and be over the age of 16 and get special permission from the pastor.

Lector

Contact Person:

Being a Lector is a very special stewardship opportunity.  Lectors proclaim the Word of God during Mass through the readings from the Sacred Scriptures. Jesus is present at this time since it is He Himself who speaks when the Holy Scriptures are read in church. Prospective lectors must have received the Sacrament of Confirmation and be a Catholic in good standing.  A new lector is commissioned by the pastor after they have attended the necessary training sessions.  Commissioned Lectors receive a Lector’s workbook to help them prepare for their readings.  They typically serve one time in every five weeks.  They spend time preparing prior to serving. The amount of time varies depending on the Readings. Interested high school students should already be confirmed and be over 16 yrs. and get special permission from the pastor.

Greeter

Contact Person: Jim Breslin    jbreslin@windstream.net

Greeters are liturgical ministers who distribute materials, help with seating, take up collections and assist with order at Communion.  By their ministry of hospitality, greeters are in the forefront in setting the tone of the parish to newcomers.  A typical gift of time is one hour every two weeks or so during Mass.

Sacristans

Contact Person:  Robert Williams   rwilliams24@carolina.rr.com

The Sacristan prepares the Church for celebration of the Mass, oversees the care of liturgical vessels and vestments, and secures the building after Mass. The Sacristan attends a training session and is committed to responsible service.  Time commitment would be 2 hours per Mass as scheduled.

Adult Music Ministries

Contact Person: Dr. Dylan Savage  dylans@saintjamescatholic.org

The Adult Choir enhances the liturgy of the Mass by leading worship and praise and by providing music that will enhance prayer and meditation of the congregation for the 11:30 Mass. This choir also participates in the annual Eucharistic Congress, and provides special music to highlight the seasons of the church year. There are no auditions and this ministry is open to anyone who desires to participate in this vital ministry. There is currently a need for more members, especially male or low voices. No one EVER has to sing alone! Rehearsal is every Wednesday evening from 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm.
Parish Cantors bring the song of the assembled community to life and assist the people so that their song may be prayer, from the heart as well as the voice. Cantors meet periodically for training and rehearse briefly after the Adult Choir rehearsal. Cantors are needed for the 8:00 and 11:30 Sunday Masses.

Mary’s Visitors

Contact Person: Lynne Parette   lparette@gmail.com

Mary's Visitors meet on Thursdays at 9:00 am at the parish office and from where they go to visit and distribute Holy Communion to homebound Catholics and those in area nursing homes.  The Pastor and Parochial Assistant offer the sacraments of Reconciliation and Anointing of the Sick to those on the Mary's Visitors list and also visit those in the hospital.  Anyone who is an Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion or is thinking about becoming one is welcome.  You can be commissioned just to distribute Communion as a member of Mary's Visitors.  There is also flexibility in visiting those on the list on days other than Thursdays if that more appropriately suites your schedule.  Gift of time is about 1-2 hours per week depending on whether you attend the meeting. (Please contact the parish office if you know of someone who would like to be added to the visitation list).

Altar Care

Contact Person: Robert Williams   rwilliams24@carolina.rr.com

Altar care volunteers are responsible for the care of altar cloths, altar linens and arranging the floral decorations for each season.  Church seasons are Advent, Christmas, Lent, Easter and Ordinary time and dictate the decor of the altar.   A typical gift of time would be eight hours per month.