The Cathedral of Saints Peter & Paul - Cathedral Lector and Eucharistic Minister Schedules

Welcome to the Ministry of Extraordinary Minister of the Eucharist!

"The Eucharist constitutes the very life of the Church, for the Lord said, I am the bread of life. No one who comes to me shall ever be hungry, no one who believes in me shall ever thirst."

"In every celebration of the Eucharist there should always be a sufficient number of ministers for the distribution of the Eucharist. Priority is always given to ordinary ministers (bishops, priests, deacons) and auxiliary ministers (instituted acolytes). When there are large numbers of the faithful present and there are insufficient ordinary and auxiliary members at hand, special or extraordinary ministers properly appointed beforehand should assist in the distribution of Communion."

Your willingness to serve as an Extraordinary Minister of the Eucharist, reflects not only response to your Baptismal call to serve the people of God, but a commitment to Christ as you share in the preaching, teaching and leading aspects of the church. You offer the Eucharist, recognize the Body of Christ in those to whom you offer Eucharist and ultimately you act as the Body of Christ by fully participating in the life of the parish and the wider community. Your willingness to commit to a monthly schedule, to prepare properly for your service and to arrive on time dressed appropriately for your assigned Mass, further reflects that commitment.

General Ministry Information

    * In the Diocese of Providence, all Eucharistic Ministers are appointed by the pastor/Bishop for a term. After consultation with the pastor, issues a written invitation in the name of the pastor to those parishioners either or both have deemed to be appropriate members of the ministry.

    * Those invited to serve in this ministry are designated only for service in this parish. Eucharistic Ministers should not take it upon themselves to bring Communion to a parent, family member, friend or
        neighbor, unless permission is given from the pastor or his designee, of the parish in which the person resides.

    * The selection of and invitation to serve as an Extraordinary Minister of the Eucharist is a reflection of the diversity of the parish. An invitation to join the ministry does not mean that one is "better or holier
       than another", nor is an invitation indicative of a reward of some sort. Diocesan guidelines for invitation to service in this ministry clearly indicate that an invitation to serve ...not create an elite in the church
       community.

    * Your respect for the Ministry should be reflected in your appearance and attire; appropriate attire includes being properly groomed and wearing a suit and tie or clean, nicely creased trousers with shirt and
       tie or nice sweater; pants suit or skirt or slacks with blouse/sweater. Please note: no jeans or shorts at any time! Jewelry or clothing which would be distracting to the Assembly should not be worn.

Before Mass Information

    * On the day you are assigned to serve as an Extraordinary Minister of the Eucharist, it is appropriate and a good practice, to develop the habit of taking time to prepare for your service with quiet prayer and
       if possible, a reflective reading of Scripture.

    * Plan on being at the Cathedral at least 15 minutes prior to your scheduled Mass time and go to your seat within the Assembly. This allows the sextons to know that you are present for your assigned Mass
       and able to fulfill your ministry.

    * Your hands should be clean, with neatly trimmed and clean nails. It is good practice to wash your hands with soap and water before the liturgy, this is particularly important if you are a smoker. You may
       wish to do this prior to mass in the sacristy.

    * Your participation in the liturgy should be whole and complete, by paying respectful attention to the proclamation of the Word, joining in the singing and offering the peace greeting, etc.

At Mass Information

    * You should sit in the Assembly with family or friends, within the 1st few pews on the Blessed Sacrament side of the Church, close enough to the altar to move there easily during the sign of peace within the
        liturgy.

    * If, at the Mass to which you are assigned, there is the unexpected presence of a deacon or another priest you may be asked to refrain from coming forward.

    * Ministers come forward to the altar, during the "Sign of Peace", and stand behind the Celebrant. Time your arrival to precede the Celebrant's readiness to begin the Breaking of the Bread as this is a
       significant liturgical action. There is no need to continue the peace greeting on the altar as your attention at this time should be focused on the altar.

    * You should participate in the singing of the Lamb of God chant.

    * You receive Communion after the celebrant. After those on the altar have received Communion, you go to your stations at the front of the Church. One minister goes to the front of the altar steps and stands
       shoulder to shoulder to the celebrant to distribute Communion. One minister stands by the piano and the other by the pulpit.

    * You should be alert to the needs of the faithful in the first row or two on either side of the Church, as often, physically challenged or elderly parishioners are there, to whom you should bring the Eucharist
        so they do not have to come forward.

    * When offering Eucharist, state in a clear, audible, but not loud voice,"The Body of Christ." This is a faith statement and should not be modified in any way under the guise of making it more "meaningful" by
       such statements as "Take Jesus", "The Precious Body of Jesus" etc. These statements DO NOT profess the faith of the Catholic Church regarding the meaning of the action at that moment.

    * When offering Eucharist, do not state a person's name, even if you know it. This fragments the common unity of the assembly. When you say some names and not others, it implies some are more important
       than others.

    * Remember - you are a presence of Christ to each person as you minister, so, smile kindly, and refrain from appearing annoyed or stern or appear to be in a hurry.

    * Allow each communicant a moment to respond "Amen".

    * If you drop the Consecrated Host, do not serve it to the person in front of whom you dropped it. Your calm demeanor at this moment can calm or assure an anxious and embarrassed person. Pick up the Host
       and consume it yourself, or put it to the side of the ciboria until you can place it in the dish next to the Tabernacle for disposal. Please do not place it directly into the Sacrarium in the sacristy.

    * When there are no more communicants at your station, you bring any unconsumed elements to the Tabernacle as quietly, efficiently and reverently as possible. Remain by the Tabernacle until the Blessed
       Sacrament has been placed into the Tabernacle, then genuflect (or bow if unable to genuflect) close and lock the Tabernacle. Once you have finished at the Tabernacle, you may return to your seat within
       the Assembly and join in the communal silence or singing which may be occurring at that time.

Miscellaneous Information.

    * Be sure to notify The Office before the 15th of the month, of any known schedule issues, e.g. vacations for the following month, so the schedule may be prepared appropriately.

    * The schedule will be e-mailed or mailed upon its completion and will also be available in the sacristy.

    * Be sure to have the schedule before the start of the new month so that if arrangements for a substitute have to be made, there will be ample time to do so. Should you have a schedule conflict please contact
       the Parish Office.

    * When you come forward from the Assembly to fulfill your ministry at Mass, and when returning to your place within the Assembly after fulfilling your service within the Liturgy, do so quietly and efficiently
       without calling attention to yourself.

    * A Liturgical Minister may perform only one liturgical ministry at a time, at Mass, thus, e.g. if you are performing the function of Extraordinary Minister of the Eucharist at Mass, you may not also perform the
        function of lector at the same Mass unless there are extenuation circumstances.

Welcome to the Ministry of the Word!

Your willingness to respond to your Baptismal call to serve the people of God, in the capacity of a Minister of the Word, more commonly known as Lector, reflects your commitment to Christ. Your willingness to commit to a monthly schedule; to arrive on time and to be well prepared for your assigned Mass is a further reflection of your willingness to respond fully to your Baptismal call.

When you pray, prepare and proclaim the Word of God well, you not only enhance the beauty of the Liturgy but you become the instrument through whom God speaks to all members of the Assembly. "God speaks to His people, revealing the mystery of their redemption and salvation and offering them spiritual nourishment.² (General Instruction on the Roman Missal)

General Ministry Information

    * Be sure to notify the Office before the 15th of the month, of any known schedule issues, e.g. vacations for the following month, so the schedule may be prepared appropriately.

    * The schedule will be e-mailed or mailed and is available in the sacristy.

* Be sure to have the schedule before the start of the new month so that if arrangements for a substitute have to be made, there will be ample time to do so. Should you have a schedule conflict please contact
the Parish Office.

    * There is no need to bow, genuflect or otherwise personalize your presence within the Liturgy, nor is there a need to raise the Lectionary before or after your reading.

    * The Book of Gospels remains at the lectern at the end of Mass. The thinking is that one leaves the Eucharistic celebration carrying the Word of God in one's heart, living the message received.

    * A Liturgical Minister may perform only one liturgical ministry at a time, at Mass, thus, e.g. if you are performing the function of lector at Mass, you may not also perform the function of Extraordinary
       Minister of the Eucharist at the same Mass unless there is a need.

    * After completing the 2nd Reading, the lector is to put the Lectionary on the shelf to make room for the Book of Gospels, from which the Gospel is proclaimed by either the Deacon or the Celebrant.

    * The lector is to remain at the lectern while the Psalm is sung. The 2nd reading is to be proclaimed when there is a reverent quiet evident again.

    * For the Prayers of the Faithful, then the lector approaches the lectern when the Creed is about 2/3 completed and begins the Prayers of the Faithful after the Celebrant completes the introductory prayer.
       Remain at the lectern after you have finished the Prayers of the Faithful, until the celebrant has completed the ending prayer; then return to your seat within the Assembly.

Prayer and preparation are the keys to your being an effective proclaimer of God's Word. To that end then, Pray that you proclaim the Word of God as He wills it to be proclaimed and prepare well for your reading, by reviewing the reading, learning about the reading, turning to your Bible and reading the passage immediately preceding and following the text chosen for the Mass at which you will be reading, so that you better understand the context.

Practice your reading aloud to maximize your ability to effectively proclaim God's Word.

Practice making eye contact with the Assembly. Remember you want to capture the attention of the Assembly, so that the members of the Assembly hear the Word of God and can reflect on the words being spoken to them.

Your respect for the Ministry should be reflected in your appearance and attire; appropriate attire includes being properly groomed and wearing a suit and tie or clean, nicely creased trousers with shirt and tie or nice sweater; pants suit or skirt or slacks with blouse/sweater. Please note: no jeans or shorts at any time! Jewelry or clothing which would be distracting to the Assembly should not be worn.

Be confident. You have the guidance of the Spirit to guide you. If you are focused on God's Word and have prepared well, you will be the instrument through whom God speaks to the Parish Community.

Remember each time you proclaim the Word of God, you are proclaiming the Good News of the Lord!!

Before Mass Information

    * Plan on being in the sacristy at least 15 minutes prior to your scheduled Mass time.

    * Check the Lectionary and be sure that the correct readings are marked. (Remember to be sure that the Lectionary and the Prayers of the Faithful are on the lectern before Mass starts)!

    * Review the Prayers of the Faithful and be sure you are aware of how to pronounce any names to be mentioned in the intentions of the day. N.B. Never eliminate any of the prayers of the faithful or petitions
       unless specifically instructed to do so by the Presider (Celebrant). In the event you are asked to eliminate any of the petitions, never eliminate the petitions naming the sick or the deceased of the parish.

    * Remember that the time before Mass is preparation time, thus your demeanor should be one of respectful quiet.

At Mass Information

    * A Deacon present at Mass carries the Book of Gospels in the processional, reads the Prayers of the Faithful and assists in the distribution of the Eucharist. In the absence of a Deacon, the lector carries the
        Book of Gospels in procession.

    * It is helpful to mentally count to 5, before saying "The Word of the Lord, to allow the assembly an opportunity to absorb what you have just proclaimed, before you finally conclude with "The Word of
        the Lord"

Welcome to the Ministry of the Ushers!

Jesus said, "Whoever welcomes you, welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me, welcomes the One who sent me" (Mt. 10:40).

This booklet is designed to assist you in your participation in the liturgical Ministry of the Ushers.

Your willingness to respond to your Baptismal call to serve the people of God, in the capacity of an Usher, reflects your commitment to Christ. Your willingness to commit to a monthly schedule; to arrive on time and to be a friendly, welcoming presence to those coming to worship here at The Cahtedral is a further reflection of your willingness to respond fully to your Baptismal call.

When you assure a welcoming presence, while ensuring orderly seating at all Masses offered in this Parish, you enhance the beauty of the Liturgy and become an instrument through whom God may be present to members of the Assembly. "For the sake of my relatives and friends, I will say, 'Peace be with you!' For the sake of the house of our Lord, I will pray for your good." (Ps 122:8-9) and "I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of the wicked." (Ps 84:11)

General Ministry Information

    * The Ministry of Ushers has assisted parish worship for generations since long before the 2nd Vatican Council. In light of the liturgical reforms of the 2nd Vatican Council, much attention was focused on
        new liturgical roles by the laity and ushers were often ignored when it came to outlining new expectations of the usher role.

    * At every regularly scheduled Week-End Mass and at Masses offered during the Christmas and Easter Season, the Ministry of Ushers is an important and valued Ministry.

    * The Cathedral employs Church sextons for the purposes of ensuring that all aspects of scheduled week-end Masses go smoothly. The sextons ensure, e.g., that there are enough hosts or wine for the Mass
        and that all assigned lay ministers are present and ready to serve. The sextons secure the needed replacement from members of the Assembly.

    * All assigned liturgical lay ministers are responsible to the celebrant, but, work in cooperation with the sextons at his/her scheduled Mass.

    * The role of the Usher, is one of offering a friendly welcoming presence to those coming to worship, providing assistance in securing seating for latecomers, providing assistance in emergencies, providing
        assistance in taking up the collection, providing assistance at the time of the presentation of the gifts and at Communion, providing assistance in the dissemination of the parish bulletin and participating in
        the clean-up of the church after the completion of Mass.


Before Mass Information

    * On the day you are assigned to serve as an usher, it is appropriate and a good practice to develop the habit of taking time to prepare for your service with quiet prayer and if possible, a reflective reading of
       Scripture.

    * Plan on arriving in a timely manner for the Mass at which you are scheduled to serve, according to the dictates of the particular Mass for which you are ushering.

    * Make a concerted effort to find family members of the person or persons for whom the Mass is being offered, or, find different members of the Assembly each week at each Mass to bring the gifts to the
       altar.

    * Because the giftbearers represent all those in the Assembly gathered at that celebration, those asked to participate in the presentation of the gifts should reflect the diversity of the Assembly.

    * Once you have identified the giftbearers, they should be told to come to the rear of the Church when the collection begins, so that they will be ready to come forward with the gifts at the appropriate time.
       The altar servers will escort the gift bearers to the altar.

    * Ushers assist with good order at Communion time. Communicants go out row by row from the front. On occasion and at certain Masses please be awaere that there may be a special meed to those members
       of the Assembly for whom processing up to Communion may be a problem. You should ask the person or persons if they would like assistance going up to Communion, or if they want Communion brought
       to them. It is your responsibility to be sure to let a Eucharistic Minister know that Communion may have to be brought to someone in the rear of the Church.

    * In keeping with full participation in the Mass, it is appropriate to join in the Communion song while it is being sung.

At Mass Information

    * Once Mass begins, it is inappropriate to be carrying on a conversation unrelated to the action of the Mass. Your full participation in the Mass is expected so that you are joining in the singing, listening
       attentively to the Word of God, extending a Peace greeting and showing by your entire demeanor that you are fully engaged in the Mass at which you are present. It is understood that there will be times
       when it is necessary for you to interact with members of the Assembly arriving late. This interaction should be short and pleasant.

    * It is important that you know the appropriate time to seat latecomers so you can communicate this to those arriving late. Liturgical guidelines indicate it is inappropriate to seat latecomers during the
       opening prayer, while the Word of God is being proclaimed, during the Homily or the Prayers of the Faithful. Please ask people to remain quietly at the rear of the Church until an acceptable time to be seated
       occurs; e.g., during the Psalm response, or after the homily.

    * Remember to always treat those who are late with reverence and respect; it is not your place to judge, but to be of service!

    * The offerings of the Assembly are collected by two (2) ushers in the middle aisle and one (1) usher in each side aisle. It is important to remember that this is part of the act of worship and therefore should be
       completed with dignity and respect, not only in action but in dress!

After Mass Information

    * Ushers should be careful to not signal it is OK to leave the celebration early by opening the doors and standing ready to hand out bulletins before the Celebrant is even off the altar and beginning the
       recessional. Again, if people do leave early, it is not up to us to stand in judgement of those who do.

    * Once the Celebrant has left the altar, ushers should go to their respective post and stand ready, with a warm smile, to distribute the parish bulletin and say goodbye to those who came to worship.

    * Once the Assembly has left the celebration, the worship space needs to be cleaned up. You should assist in straightening up the pew areas by putting the hymnals back in the appropriate location, picking
       up what may be left behind in the pews and returning any stray bulletins to the appropriate locations at the doors.

    * It is important to remember, no matter the nature of the disruption or the emergency, that the role of the usher is to bring about good order and to be the presence of Christ to the worshiping community and
       to see the presence of Christ in those members of the Assembly who have come to worship.

    * You may be faced with situations where a member of the Assembly becomes disruptive. You are encouraged to try to handle any disruptive problem with gentle firmness that focuses on the right of the
       assembly to worship without undue distraction. A positive approach to a problem yields more fruit than a nasty negative exchange. Again, as an usher, you are there to serve the assembly, not to judge
       and you are asked to be a source of calmness and competence during difficult situations.

    * Medical emergencies can occur and it is always better to err on the side of caution. Calls to 911 should be made from the phone in the sacristy. Again, you want to try to be as calm as possible and cause as
       little distraction as possible to the members of the Assembly.

    * Your respect for your Ministry should be reflected in your appearance, by being clean and well groomed and in your attire; appropriate attire includes: suit and tie or clean, nicely creased trousers with shirt
       and tie, or, shirt and nice sweater; for women: pants suit or skirt and blouse or slacks and blouse...please note; no jeans or shorts at any time!