Liturgical Ministries
Each time we hear God’s word and celebrate the Eucharist, many people are involved besides the presiding priest. Liturgical ministries are ones that assist the assembly in full and active participation in liturgy. If you are interested in obtaining more information, becoming involved, or volunteering in one or more of these ministries, please contact the parish office.
| Ministry | Description |
|---|---|
| Altar Servers | Altar server is open to anyone in the parish who has received First Communion. The role of an altar server is to assist at the altar with the sacramentary book, the vessels, lighting candles, incense, etc. Generally, altar servers are scheduled once a month. Training is provided. |
| Cantors | Main responsibility is to lead the assembly in singing at Sunday Mass and other services. Training will be provided at the person’s convenience. Cantors serve about twice a month. |
| Choir | Main responsibility is to sing at the 11:00 a.m., Mass on Sundays (September through Pentecost) as well as at Christmas and Holy Week liturgies. The choir practices Wednesdays at 6:30 p.m. You are asked to attend as often as your schedule allows. |
| Extraordinary Ministers | Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion are those members of the parish who distribute the consecrated host or chalice of consecrated wine to the assembly during the Communion ritual of the Mass. An Extraordinary Minister must be at least 16 years old, have been Confirmed, and be in good standing in the Catholic Church. Generally, these ministers are scheduled to serve once a month. |
| Funeral Choir | Main responsibility is to help lead the assembly in singing at funeral Masses. You are asked to attend as often as your schedule allows. Practice will be provided with Dean Dellamalva at your convenience. |
| Lectors | This ministry is open to any member of the parish who has been Confirmed and is in good standing in the Catholic Church. Their role is to proclaim the Word of God in the first two readings on Sunday and to lead the assembly in the petitions of the General Intercessions. They also process into the church carrying the Book of the Gospels. Generally, lectors exercise their ministry once a month, and training is provided. |
| Liturgical Coordinators | Parishioners who set up for the Mass, direct the servers, and are available during the liturgy if anything is needed. If old enough to be installed, they also serve as fill-in Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion when needed. |
| Musicians & Instrumentalists | Parishioners who are experienced musicians that enhance the singing at weekend Masses and other special liturgies. |
| Ushers | Ushers are those members of our parish who greet people as they enter and exit the Church for Mass and other services. They need to be alert to people who might need special assistance during a service, and be able to obtain it for them. Ushers take up the collections. Generally, ushers serve weekly at one of the weekend liturgies. |
Ministry of Care
The purpose of the Ministry of Care is to provide pastoral care and support to the members of our community and their families who are experiencing a time of need. Ministers of Care will often say that they have the experience of receiving much more than they give.
Read below to learn more about the ministries. If you are interested or have questions, please contact Darleen Koury in the parish office.
| Ministry | Description |
|---|---|
| Ministers to the Homebound | Ministers to the Homebound bring the Eucharist to those who cannot attend Sunday Liturgy and remind them that they are still a part of our community. This ministry requires that a person be in good standing with the Catholic Church and have reliable transportation. The time commitment is dependent on how many individuals the minister visits, but can be estimated at about 30 minutes per visit. |
| Hospital and Nursing Home Ministry | Hospital and Nursing Home Ministers are those who take the Eucharist to parishioners at Mon Valley Hospital or to local nursing homes. There are teams, so time commitment is limited to 1-2 hours once a month. This ministry does require that a person be in good standing in the Catholic Church. |
| Rosary and Funeral Choir | When someone from our parish family dies, we pray the rosary at their viewing. This is usually at 3:00 PM on one of the general visitation days. We also need members for the funeral choir. Those gifted with musical talent are asked to share their voices to pray for those who have died and to comfort the living. |
| Social Justice Ministry | The Social Care aspect of St. Sebastian is one that we are strong in and would like to grow! This group supports parish functions like the Senior Parishioner Dinner, Anointing Mass, and Thanksgiving Dinner just to name a few. With added support we would also like to participate in the Rostraver Food Bank food distribution. This ministry allows us to reach out to those in the community in social justice. This is an as-needed ministry and time commitments vary. |