Liturgical Ministries

Would you like to become more deeply involved in the liturgy and worship at St. Mary and Mathias? Our wonderful God has blessed each of us with many talents and sharing your talents with our Catholic community helps build our church. We are all called to share our time, talent and treasures.

Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion
Helping distribute the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ during Mass is a great privilege and calling from God.  It is a very important service to our parish and church community.

Sacristans 
The role of the sacristans is to prepare the sanctuary and altar for the celebration of the Mass and other liturgical events.  This includes having enough bread and wine to be consecrated;  the sacred vessels clean and readily available for deacons or servers; the appropriate scriptures marked for Mass of the Day; Lights and sound systems turned on; and whatever else is needed for the smooth performance of the liturgy.  Following the service, the items are cleaned, stored and secured unless another Mass follows.  Candles and lights are extinguished and the PA system turned off after the last service of the day.

Lectors
The purpose of the lectors is to proclaim the Sacred Scriptures at Masses and other liturgies. Lectors proclaim normally the readings from the Old Testament and the New Testament prior to the reading of the Gospel. The lectors also read the prayers of the faithful after the homily unless there is a deacon. 

Ushers
The purpose of the Hospitality Ministry is to create and promote a warm and welcoming atmosphere  for worship at weekly Masses. This dedicated team serves at the Masses by greeting guests, handing out bulletins, ushering people to an open seat, and helping with the weekly collections.

Altar Servers
Altar servers (Grades 3 through High School) assist at Masses throughout the week and weekends. Adult Male servers assist with funerals. Servers are scheduled on a rotating basis. 

Music 
If you have the gift of music, then these groups may be just the right ministry for you. The adult choir, cantors and musicians serve the worshiping community of St. Mary and Mathias during liturgical celebrations by supporting and encouraging a singing assembly.  They consist of singers who serve as scheduled and a variety of instrumentalists who serve either weekly or as needed for special celebrations. 

Children's Liturgy of the Word
The children’s liturgy offers a place for children to gather during the Liturgy of the Word at Mass, where scripture, prayers, singing and discussion can be presented in a manner that is easy for children to understand.

Audio/Visual Ministry
Also nicknamed "God's Eyes" ministry by the parish youth, A/V ministers asisst in the running of Audio Visual equipment that streams the Mass into Gannon Hall for a more handicap accessible viewing option. A/V Ministers also use the equipment to record homilies and special services.