A review of the next steps concerning liturgical minister’s surveys was explored. The commission has completed 3 ministries: Lectors, Deacons, and Eucharistic Ministers.  New business included a review of Holy Week and Easter, and Baptisms at Mass.

St. Columban Worship Commission

May 10, 2008 7:00 pm

Meeting Minutes

Opening Prayer -John McDonald

In Attendance - Jim Miller, Chad Drinnen, Father Larry, Ed Plageman, Mary Bellman, John McDonald, and Mark Holly

Old Business:

 
1.  Finalize discussion on day of prayer for the sick of the parish

 
Each of the services would last about 5 minutes in length. 

 
Father Larry and Mary Bellman presented the outline for the services.

 
The plan is for the services to take place on Wednesday so that they will end with the start of Wednesday evening Mass.  The approximate times would be from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.  From 9:00 to 9:30, there would be Exposition and Morning Prayer.

 
The format would follow the Liturgical year and the programs would be put out for Morning and Evening prayer services.

 
At first, Father Larry and the deacon will lead the services in order to show the process and then the laity will be invited to lead. 

 
Small hosts will be ordered for the monstrance. Incense can be used, but we must be aware that some people are allergic to it.

 
It was decided that the lector should not be the same person as the presider.

The focus is to pray for the sick - the intercessions reflect this - the 4^th intercession will be the names that will be read each hour. Only the names will be read - not who or how they are related to someone.

 
At every hour will be another series of prayers and intercessions - that lasts about 5 minutes - short reading and intercessions - they are very simple and easy for someone that feels comfortable reading in front of others to lead the services. This will require that every hour there will be a need for a presider and a lector.

 
In the beginning a deacon and/or Father Larry will be there for the Morning and Evening prayer

 
To the knowledge of the commission, this type of service is not being done at any of the other parishes in the area.

 
It was decided to start the services on October 1^st - Father Larry would be the presider.

 
In order to educate the parishioners about the services, the July, August and September newsletters will have information about the services. These will be put together by parish staff.

 
In August, there will be bulletins and signups for lectors and presiders.

 
The pastoral care of the sick is the concluding prayer so that the purpose of the services is very clear.

 
During the January meeting, the commission will evaluate the process.

 
Presentations will be done for the school faculty to educate the staff about the process.

 
2.  Review next steps concerning liturgical minister’s surveys

 
By this point, the commission has completed 3 ministries - Lectors - Deacons - Eucharistic Ministers.

 
Now the commission needs to look how to meet the needs of these 3 ministries. 

 
Father Larry will be meeting with the deacons.

 

Mark Holly will compile a list of summary for these 3 ministries. This will be shared at the June Meeting.

 

Ed Plageman will be sending a list of the Eucharistic Minister survey results to Jim Miller.

 
18 new Eucharistic Ministers have been trained - 6 of them come to 9:45 mass 5 for 11:30 mass.

 

New Business:

1.  Review Holy Week/ Easter

 
Father Larry will purchase a new bowl to carry the hosts out during the Holy Saturday service that will hold about 500 hosts.

 
The question was asked why people couldn’t be assigned to be lectors for the Holy Week services. It was stated that this has not worked in the past.

 
In order to have new people and take advantage of the new readers - look at the available list, call specific people, and ask if they are available instead of just putting out a general signup sheet.

It was felt that it was important to make sure that the same people are not always reading. There should be a record kept and then different people could be asked each year.

 
The only lectors that need to come out for the practice are for Palm Sunday and Easter Vigil

It was noted that the number of parishioners attending the Holy Week services has continued to increase over the years.

 

2. Gift Basket for parish festival

 
Bread and Wine Basket will be the theme for the basket that the commission will donate to the Festival.

 
Father Larry will put the basket together.

 

3. Baptism at Mass

 
The policy is that there will only be at maximum 2 infants Baptized at a Mass.

 
Only one Mass a weekend and not the same Mass time in a month will a Baptism take place.

 
The proposal is to change to not the same Mass time every 3 weeks.

It was recommended that other parishes be checked to see what their procedures are regarding times of Baptism.

The complaint that is often heard is that a parent wants a particular Mass and it’s not available.

 
It is important to remember that an afternoon Baptism is available. There is almost one that takes place each week.

 
We are blessed to have such a great demand for Baptisms and this should help accommodate that demand. 

It was recommended to mark off certain dates on the calendar, for example, 9:45 masses on Mother's Day, First Communion, that Baptisms will not take place.

 
Mary Bellman will send a notice to the staff to block out certain dates on the parish calendar. 

 

4. Visitors

 
St. John West Chester is redoing their Worship Commission. The members will be asked to attend the June meeting.