Mission Statement
Charter for the Worship Commission
of
St. Columban Parish
Loveland, Ohio
The purpose of worship for Roman Catholics is “the glorification of God and the edification of God’s people” as they journey in faith. Sunday after Sunday members of our faith community gather around the tables of Word and Sacrament to “do this in memory of me.” That is, to hold in memory the command of the Lord to gather, to proclaim the sacred scriptures, and to “eat this bread and drink the cup” until he comes again in glory. Therefore, the purpose of the St. Columban Worship Commission is to take this command of Christ seriously, to make sure the liturgy of the church is celebrated well and prayerfully, and to allow people’s faith life to be nourished through the sacred rites of the Church. Our hope is to build the faith of our community through an understanding of our church’s rituals and traditions, and through the art of finding the most helpful expression of those traditions for our parish and its people. Lastly, this commission values liturgy as the central ministry of our parish community from which we all take our identity and from which all other activities of the parish flow.
With that in mind, we state that this commission will:
1. Invite people of the parish to be a part of this commission who are truly interested and enthusiastic in the Church’s Liturgy and have a willingness to share with the rest of the worshipping community.
2. Invite people of the parish who are willing to serve the liturgical needs of the parish as well as have a listening ear to both the commission and the members of the parish.
3. Invite people of the parish who are willing to help this commission strive for only the best when it comes to the liturgical life of our parish community.
4. All new members are required to attend the Introduction to Liturgy course offered by the Archdiocese (or its equivalent).
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5. Work with the leaders or designated representative of the official parish liturgical ministries and other related ministries, including but not limited to, lectors, extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion, deacons, ushers/hospitality, servers, who might also serve as members of the parish Worship Commission. If such leaders join this commission, their term of office shall be three years and renewable for another three years.
6. At the June meeting of even number years, by a simple majority of all members present, elect a chairperson for a term of two years, once renewable. This chairperson must have the ability to communicate, set an agenda for monthly meetings and make sure agenda is sent out to all members at least one week before each meeting, have a working knowledge of the liturgy, keep the flow of the meetings moving properly, able to notice things in the liturgical life of the parish the need to be addressed, be well versed in conflict-management, be able to distinguish what this particular group can address and what concerns need to go to other committees, and to find the resources the group will need to function well.
7. Appoint a secretary whose charge it will be to take the monthly minutes, send them out to each member of the commission, and make sure the minutes are sent to the parish receptionist so that they can be published on the parish website.
8. Work in cooperation with the pastor on all matters relating to liturgy, including but not limited to all the matters he chooses to consult with the commission.
9. Work with the pastor who will serve on the commission but not serve as its chairperson.
10. Work with the parish music director who will serve on the commission but not serve as its chairperson.
11. Work closely with our Pastoral Council and Parish Staff on any liturgical questions that either wishes to assign to the Worship Commission for reflection and comment.
12. Work closely with our Pastoral Council representative who is an ex officio member of the Worship Commission.
13. Meet ten times annually, except for the months of July and December.
14. Hold each monthly meeting from 7:30 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. unless it has been unanimously agreed upon by those present to extend the meeting time. In order for a meeting to take place a quorum of membership (fifty percent plus one member) must be present.
15. At the August meeting the commission will review and sign the charter and set year long priorities. Set an annual calendar at its September meeting so that the liturgical seasons of the church year are discussed and planned (who will set up, what materials will be needed, etc.) well in advance of each said season.
16. Be attentive to the fact that while the decisions and reactions of this commission are not biding upon the parish or its staff, as a matter of course, the worship commission should be informed in advance about decisions and actions from other committees that will affect the parish’s liturgies. These areas include the hiring or parish musicians, changes in the church environment, and important changes in the liturgical schedule.
17. Establish the vision, expectations, and criteria for those responsible for music, homily, intercessions, art and environment and all other aspects of liturgical prayer. Empower, support, and allow them to carry out their ministries; provide respectful evaluations for continued growth and development.
18. Spend a part of assigned meetings to review, reflect upon, and evaluate previously celebrated liturgical events.
19. Focus on how to best celebrate those presences of Christ as expressed in the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy. Namely, those fundamental actions of Welcoming, Proclamation of the Word, and Eucharist.
20. Establish the vision and expectations for a network of smaller working groups and/or ministerial teams that work on particular projects and issues as deemed necessary for the functioning of the liturgical year and develop methods of respectful evaluation.
21. Listen to any member of the parish who has a suggestion or a complaint and who has submitted such item either in signed written form or in person to the commission. Such person is entitled to receive an official and timely response from the parish commission. The commission will not consider unsigned letters.
22. Review the annual budget given to them by the parish finance committee. The Parish Worship Commission has the right to comment and ask questions concerning the overall level of spending on parish liturgy and to recommend particular spending items for the consideration of the pastor, the pastoral council, and the finance committee.
Given this March 2006