ST. LEONHARD'S INTERNATIONAL
ENGLISH-SPEAKING
CATHOLIC PARISH
Procedures for Ministers of
Hospitality
The Parish Community is grateful for your generosity and commitment to
serving as a Minister of Hospitality at our parish. What you do is not simply a job but a gift of
service. You have the opportunity to
enhance your own and other's experience of the Liturgy through your gracious
contributions each week.
As a
Minister of Hospitality, you will contribute to the feeling of hospitality for
all who attend mass at Saint Leonhards, whether they are long-standing parish
members, those on business trips or tourists visiting our community.
The following guidelines are provided for you to better understand this
ministry.
1.) It is important that you dress
appropriately and neatly and arrive at least 20 minutes prior to the beginning
of mass.
2.) Upon arrival at the church
ensure:
a) The
boxes of missals and the missal stand are in the proper position next to the
first set of steps leading to the choir loft.
The boxes should be placed so that they do not block the entrance.
b) The
correct number of collection baskets (usually four (4) on Saturday evening and
six (6) on Sunday morning) are available in the back
of the church. The baskets are stored in a cabinet in the
Sacristy.
c) Parish
bulletins and, occasionally, additional material on parish events or related
activities, should be distributed after mass.
d) The
designated minister responsible for picking up the collection (for counting) after mass is present.
e) Check
with the liturgy coordinator for any special instructions pertaining to that
day's Liturgy.
3.) Please greet those arriving
for Mass and offer them a missal. Personally
greeting the people as they enter the church is very important. You are more than an 'usher'. As a minister of hospitality you are the
first person that they meet and so it is important that you help our
parishioners and visitors feel welcome.
Please also look for a family or group of 3-4 persons who would be
willing to present the gifts at the Offertory (see 7 below).
4.) Gather with the Presider and the other ministers at the back of the
church 5 minutes before Mass for a short prayer.
5.) When the Presider and altar servers have collected at the back of the
Church for the procession, one minister should advise arriving parishioners NOT
to proceed to the far side of the church passing behind or in front of the
Presider and altar servers until the procession down the center aisle has
begun. The minister of hospitality
should then stand at the back of the center aisle until the procession has
reached the Altar.
6.) If the church is crowed, the
ministers should look for available seating and escort or direct parishioners
to the vacant seats. Typically, one
minister remains near the missals and serves that half of the church; the other
minister positions him/her self at the far side of the church and serves that
half of the church. If a third minister
is available, he/she can be stationed in one of the aisles near available
seats.
If space is available in the center of the pews, the ministers should
politely ask those seated in the pew to move in to provide seats for new
arrivals.
Minister should discourage movement up or down the aisles during the
readings as this can be very distracting to other parishioners.
7.) During the Prayers of the
Faithful, the ministers should unobtrusively position themselves in the back of
the Church, ready to retrieve the collection baskets after the Presider's Closing Prayer.
They should then assume their designated place, side-by-side, in the
center aisle at the back of the church.
Each minister should have three (3) baskets in hand and proceed down the
center aisle immediately after everyone is seated.
At the foot of the Altar the ministers should reverently bow their heads
in unison, and then give one basket to the first person in each pew. The ministers should then proceed
to the outer section of
pews on his/her side and give a basket to the first person in the front pew of
that section.
Finally, the minister should proceed to the outer wall and take up the
collection along the wall and across the back of the church. While the baskets are circulating through the
pews, the ministers should make themselves available in order to assist with
any discontinuity in basket circulation.
After the collection is completed, the ministers should quickly
consolidate the money into one or two baskets for the Presentation of the
Gifts.
8.) As people enter the Church,
look for a family/individuals (3 or 4 people) that
would be willing to bring the gifts forward at the Offertory. The gift bearers should be advised briefly on how
to present the gifts: i.e., after receiving the gifts, slowly walk down the centre aisle after the servers, two by two, up
to the Presider.
After the collection, the gift bearers will be given the bread, wine and
the collection baskets to be presented to the Presider.
The first two gift bearers should present the gifts to the Presider then
step aside so that the following gift bearers can step forward. The collection basket(s) should be presented
first.
After the presentation of the gifts, all should bow their heads
respectfully in unison toward the Altar and Tabernacle and then slowly return
to their seats. N.B.
On those rare occasions when no gift bearers are available, the ministers,
themselves, should bring the gifts to the Presider.
9.) At Communion the minister of
hospitality should again position themselves side-by-side in the back of church
in the center aisle. It is important to
note the appropriate timing and maintain a proper pace as they approach the
altar.
When the priest turns to the first Eucharistic minister and presents the
wine to him/her the ministers of hospitality should proceed down the center
aisle and bow their heads in unison at the foot of the Altar and position themselves next to the first pew. Parishioners in the front pews should be
invited to communion as soon as it is obvious that the priest and Eucharistic
minister are about to come around the altar to distribute communion.
Proceed one pew at a time towards the back of the church
inviting parishioners in each pew to communion. Remember to invite parishioners sitting
along the back wall to communion and then proceed to their first row of the outside
aisle, being sure not to interfere with communicants returning to their seats.
Parishioners in the outside sections should be invited to communion after
the Presider/Eucharistic minister has taken up his/her position at the head of
that aisle.
The ministers of hospitality should be the last in line to receive
Communion.
10.) The ministers of hospitality
are also responsible for counting the number of parishioners attending
11.) At the conclusion of the
liturgy the following should be done:
Open both sets of exit doors
to ensure a smooth exit of parishioners.
During this time, please position the missal cart so that departing
parishioners can place the books in them.
Ensure the cart/baskets are easily accessible but at the same time try
not to inhibit the flow of parishioners leaving the church.
Two ministers should distribute bulletins, one on each side of the door
(Due to limited number of copies, please distribute one bulletin per
family). Bid farewell and be sure to
invite everyone to the social gathering usually held in the parish hall (Sunday
morning only). If a third minister is
available, he/she should assist in the placement of books in the cart and/or
baskets.
When everyone has departed, the ministers should quickly check the pews
for missals or any articles left behind.
The missal cart and baskets should then be placed in the proper corner
of the church with the sign on top.
N.B.: Please put the two plastic folding boxes of books behind and under the
cart, NOT on top of it so that the cart is easily accessible for the following
Liturgy.
Ensure the doors to the church are closed.
12) The collected money should be
put into an envelope provided, not forgetting to record the attendance on the outside
of the envelope (this can be done in the Sacristy). The envelope should then be
discretely given to the Pastor.
Please call the Coordinator of the Ministers of Hospitality, if you will
not be available for a particular period, so that you can be scheduled
accordingly.
If you are already assigned and will not be available, it is your
responsibility to find a replacement.
-o-