Liturgy & Music

Our Worship Life

At St. Patrick we celebrate four weekend liturgies as the norm during the school year. We hold Advent and Lent communal prayer services as well as weekday Masses, First Friday Mass with Adoration, First Saturday Mass followed by rosary and confessions, holy day and holiday masses.

A liturgical service takes on a nobler aspect when the rites are celebrated with singing, the sacred ministers take their parts in them, and the faithful actively participate. (Sacrosanctum Concilium, 30)

Liturgical Ministers at St. Patrick are all baptized Catholics in good standing with the church. Some responsibilities, not all, require that the person be confirmed. For example, a Communion Minister must be confirmed; a Server and a Lector, need not be. Liturgical Ministers are scheduled for all weekend and special liturgies througout the liturgical year. Training is provided, and updates help grow the understanding of the ministry's role and expectations.

All of the following liturgical ministries are integral parts of Our Worship Life:

Sacristans
Sacristans attend to the work that takes place to "ready" the sanctuary, the altar, the vessels, the Scriptural readings, the baptismal font, the candles - everything and anything that is used in the context of the liturgical celebration. The work of the Sacristan is mostly done in advance of the weekend and certainly is completed before the liturgy begins. This is noble work - the work of caring for the sacred vessels, books, and objects used to celebrate liturgy.

Director of Service
Are you organized, detail-oriented, and someone who enjoys having everything "in place?" If so, you may want to consider the ministry of Director of Service - a point person who takes charge of the liturgical setup and ensures that the liturgical ministers and others are present to serve. She/he prepares the bread/wine, liturgical vessels, the tidiness of the church and numerous other tasks. Because of the efforts of our dedicated Directors of Service, we can be assured of smoothly co-ordinated liturgies.

Psalmist/Cantor
* Reference details of this ministry in the Music Ministry section.

Lector
Lectors proclaim the Word of God in clear, audible speaking voice and in a prepared delivery style. Are you a person who loves Scriptures and has the ability to communicate effectively? This ministry could use your gifts and calling. Training and support is provided.

Communion Minister
(Extraordinary Minister of Communion)
Do you have a genuine love for the Eucharist, and are you eager to share the joy of receiving the sacred Body and Blood of Christ? The Communion Minister places the sacred elements in the hands/mouth of the faithful during the reception of the Eucharist. A Communion Minister inspires belief in the real presence of Christ and fosters our sense of unity and reconciliation. Training and support is provided.

Choir Member
*Reference details of this ministry in Music Ministry section.

Altar Server
Is it important that your son or daughter to "connect into" the church life in a more significant way? Elementary, middle school, and high school aged students - girls and boys - have the privilege of assisting the Presider throughout the liturgy. Our servers wear a monastic style alb, cross, and some wear a brown scapular. Training is provided.

Crucifer (Cross Bearer)
Cross bearers lead the procession to and from the altar at the beginning and the end of Mass. They must be able to carry a processional cross of significant size and weight. High school, college, and adults are most welcome to volunteer.

Usher
Those called to serve the people of God as an Usher, seat people, assist with special needs, take up the collection, and distribute bulletins. Currently, most of our Ushers are members of the Knights of Columbus.

Minister of Hospitality
Ministers of Hospitality greet people warmly and make them feel welcome. They are quick to determine who the visitors are and are helpful in answering questions. Many distribute the Order of Service. We are especially seeking FAMILIES to serve as Ministers of Hospitality at the 10:30 Mass with Youth Focus - the second Sunday of each month starting in September through June. Call Luci Majikas if you would like to schedule your family.

Liturgy Committee
Working primarily behind the scenes, in conjunction with the Pastor, the Liturgy Committee meets monthly to plan all that's needed to celebrate the liturgical year. Included in the planning are the special seasons: Advent-Christmas-Epiphany, Lent-Easter-Pentecost, the Triduum, the Sundays of Ordinary Time, holy days and special feasts, like our patronal Feast of St. Patrick. The General Intercession (Prayers of the Faithful) are done "inside" this Committee. In the recent past, we have had new tables made, added art work to the Eucharistic chapel and created new seasonal paraments (hangings). The Liturgy Committee now meets at 10:00 a.m. on the first Tuesday of each month, except for July. For additional information, please contact Luci K. Majikas, Director of Liturgy at 463-3533.

One of the essential arms of the Liturgy Committee is the Art/Environment Committee which pays close attention to how our worship looks, smells, and feels. We have wonderful, gifted and dedicated people who serve on the A/E team, and our parish is indebted to them for their attentiveness to detail, enthusiasm, and creative vision. We welcome you to to join us "seasonally," especially for our Advent-Christmas and Lent-Easter setup days. For additional information, please contact Luci K. Majikas at 463.3533.

Music Ministry

Assembly Members
As the largest part of the assembly for worship, the congregation's voice is central to sung worship. The Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy set this goal for liturgical renewal and the reform of the rites: The Church earnestly desires that all the faithful be led to that full, conscious, and active participation in liturgical celebrations that is called for by the very nature of the liturgy. Such participation by the Christian people as "a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's own people" is their right and duty by reason of their baptism.

Director/Keyboardist
Your Director of Liturgy/Music works in collaboration with the Pastor to ensure that our worship experiences are well-planned and well-celebrated. The Director chooses the music sung throughout the liturgical year including special feasts and holy days. She provides training for liturgical ministers and rehearses cantors and choirs. My mission and calling: to uplift the faithful through proficient and prayerful playing and directing that enables people to lift their minds and hearts to God.

Cantor/Psalmist
The GIRM identifies two aspects of the cantor's ministry: singing some parts of the Mass in dialogue with the rest of the assembly and leading the singing. We seek singers who have some vocal ability, and have good pronunciation and diction with a pleasant, inviting voice and faith-filled presence who see this ministry as "their calling."

Adult Choir Member
(ACM)
Choir members are high school age through adult. You do not need to read music, but you are required to match pitches. The choir sings in three or four-part harmony, and we rehearse on Thursday evenings from 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. An informal voice consult is the only requirement, in addition to reserving Thursday evenings and Sunday mornings September through May. ACMs serve as Leaders of Song at the 10:30 a.m. liturgy on Sundays -September through May- and on special feasts/celebrations throughout the year.

Youth Choir Ministry
(YCM)
Youth choir members are young people from Grade Two through Grade Eight. We rehearse on Wednesday afternoons from 4:00 to 5:10 p.m. An informal voice consult is the only requirement, in addition to being able to match pitches. Reserve Wednesday afternoons and the second Sunday of each month, which is the very popular Youth Focus Mass (YFM). YCMs also serve at the Christmas Eve liturgy, the Feast of St. Patrick, and Mothers Day. Our YCMS have an opportunity to rehearse and perform a musical Cantata- during the Advent/Christmas season.

Instrumentalists
We are fortunate to utilize the local college students for special occasions and feasts, but we would encourage anyone with at least 5 years of playing ability - especially on C or Bb instruments - to consider joining us. We so much appreciate having you enhance our music making with your giftedness. To get started, call Luci Majikas at 463.3533 and arrange for an informal chat/audition.

WE NEED A WORTHY ORGAN! !
We need a organ to enhance our Worship Life. Do you know that the pipe organ holds a pre-eminent place in the liturgy of the Roman rite? Our current organ is unable to be repaired. We ask you to consider making a donation to the parish or remember this request when making a will. Your donation is tax deductible and greatly appreciated.