Liturgical Preparation

Music Ministers

Music ministers in the Catholic Church support active participation in the celebration of the liturgy. Through song, the assembly gathers to begin the celebration, praises God, sings scripture, announces the Gospel, joins in the Eucharistic Prayer, prays at Communion, and sings their intention to live the gospel through the coming week. There is no doubt that the most important work music ministers do is invite and encourage the assembly to join in singing well-chosen music. Music ministry is never about "performing," is always about "leading."

Music to be Prepared

Music Resources on Hand

• CBW II & III (accompaniment books and books in seats for congregation)
• Glory & Praise (accompaniment books)
• Celebrate in Song (accompaniment books and 30 books for singers)
• Overhead transparencies of words for many familiar songs and psalms

Most music ministers supplement the above resources with additional music they have gathered from other sources, providing lyrics with the overhead projector.

Selection of Music

We have an online subscription to Celebration Publication, http://celebrationpublications.org, a good resource to help with music selection. To log onto the website, the user name is Assumption_church and the password is stratford. The music suggestions for each Sunday of the year provide a great start when planning what songs to sing each week. For the parts of the mass, most music ministers use the Dawson Mass from Celebrate in Song.

Tips to Encourage Participation

• Sing familiar songs
• Provide everyone access to the words and, if possible, the music
• Sing in a key that works for everyone
• Invite everyone to join you!

Lots of preparation is needed to get started in music ministry, but those currently serving would be happy to help anyone new. All that is needed is a little musical skill, and a desire to encourage our congregation to join in the singing. Contact Liturgy Committee members Allan Keoughtan, Kathleen MacDonald or Clare Waddell, or any parish music ministers to find out more.

Readers

Readers should be at church 15 minutes early to sign in and decide with other reader(s) who is doing what. Readers should review both readings at home, so as to be prepared for either. Weekend announcements and the Prayers of Intercession should be reviewed before mass, nothing any names that may have been recently added to the prayers for the sick or deceased. Readers should try to sit on the lectern side of the church. If crossing in front of the altar is necessary to reach the lectern, however, readers are asked to bow their heads as a sign of reverence.

Welcome/Announcements

Just before mass begins, one of the readers goes to the lectern to read the welcome and announcements. This binder should be left on the shelf beneath the lectern so it will be there for whoever will be reading the Prayers of Intercession later on in the mass.

Procession

One of the readers comes up in the opening procession, immediately in front of the presider, carrying the closed Book of Gospels (the big gold book). When the procession reaches the sanctuary, all stop while the reader carries the book up, and places it in the centre of the altar. The reader then goes to his seat and the procession continues.

1st and 2nd Readings

The reader proclaiming the 1st Reading should approach the lectern, adjust the microphone if necessary and begin by saying, "A reading from the…"

PLEASE NOTE: The reader does not precede this by saying, "The First Reading." At the end of the reading, the reader should pause, and then say, "The Word of the Lord." Reader should turn page to the 2nd Reading and leave the sanctuary. After the responsorial psalm is sung, the reader proclaiming the 2nd Reading approaches the lectern and repeats as above. When finished, readers should close the lectionary and place it on the shelf beneath the lectern and leave the sanctuary.

Prayers of Intercession

After homily, all stand to recite the Profession of Faith. The reader then moves to the lectern and opens the binder to the Prayers of Intercession. Once the last of the prayers is read, the reader should remain in place until the priest completes the prayer.

Excellent Readers:

• Prepare readings before coming to church
• Take the opportunity to practice reading at the mic when there is no one around
• Ask about the pronunciation of words they feel uncertain about
• Check on the pronunciation of names of people they are unfamiliar with
• Check with people who have heard them read to see if adjustments are needed

Eucharistic Ministers

Eucharistic ministers are asked to be at church 10 minutes early in order to sign in. Four ministers are needed for each mass to allow three to join the priest in covering four distribution areas at the front of the church and one to distribute to those unable to leave their seats (as well as those in foyer, children's room, McMahon Room or hall.)

Before Communion

Ministers come forward after the sign of peace is exchanged. The first minister to enter the sanctuary goes to the tabernacle, makes a sign of reverence (bow or genuflect), removes the ciborium with communion, closes the tabernacle door and takes the ciborium to the altar. Ministers gather with altar servers behind the priest to wait to receive Communion. At this point they should quietly decide who will go to which distribution area.

PLEASE NOTE: The practice of intinction (dipping the host into the chalice) is not permitted in the Catholic Church and all are asked to respect this.

Distributing Communion

The minister should hold the communion * for the recipient to clearly see. The minister says, "The Body of Christ," and places communion in the outstretched hand, (or mouth if that is recipient's preference). In case of dropped communion, the minister should pick it up, consume it, and give another to the recipient. If the minister feels unable to consume a host after it has been on the floor, he should set it aside and give to presider when returning to the sanctuary.

After Communion

When each minister has finished with their line, they should check to see if another minister needs help. Otherwise, ministers should return their ciborium to the altar and wait for all ministers to be finished. The person who initially opened the tabernacle waits until all ciboria are returned to the altar, before putting the remaining communion back in the tabernacle, closing and locking the door, and returning the key to the hook behind the sacristy door. All ministers then return to their seats.

*A host is what the unleavened bread is called before it is consecrated. After it is consecrated - it is called communion.
NOTE: Gluten-free communion will be available from the priest in whatever aisle he is using that day.

Welcomers

Welcomers (also referred to as ushers) have the responsibility of ensuring the comfort and well-being of those attending mass in our church. Ushers should be in the church at least 20 minutes before mass starts, so they can be in the foyer to greet and welcome all who come in the door.

Before Mass

• Greeting people – Be in the foyer to greet and welcome people.
• Seating people – Be ready to help people find seats on particularly busy days (Christmas, Easter, Catechetical masses), or when people arrive late.
• Close exterior doors, as well as foyer doors into church once the priest and procession has gone into the church.

During Mass

• Collection – As soon as the Prayers of Intercession have been read (after the Profession of Faith), ushers pick up baskets and begin the Collection. They should begin at the front of each aisle and move toward the back, offering the collection basket in each row. Once all rows have been covered, ushers meet at the back to empty the collection into one large basket. At the Saturday mass one user should bring up this basket as part of the Offertory Procession, and give it to the presider. At the Sunday morning mass, the basket gets taken up in the Offertory Procession, and taken right back down again and out to where the collection counters are working.
• Offertory procession – Ushers should direct those in the Offertory Procession to line up with communion in front, followed by water and wine cruets, followed by the Collection basket.
• Communion – Ushers help to control the flow of traffic. At both far sides of church, the outside section goes first to Communion, followed by the adjacent section. The two middle sections to at the same time up the centre aisle. One usher should be responsible for directing the 5th Eucharistic Minister (to people who need communion brought to them, to Children's room, overflow seating areas, etc.)

After Mass

• Bulletins – When mass is over, ushers open the doors leading to the foyer and distribute bulletins to people as they leave the church.
• Tidying – Ushers are asked to tidy chairs, put up kneelers, re-shelve songbooks, pick up anything left behind, turn out washroom lights, turn out church lights and lock church doors.

Communion Preparation

Communion Preparation

• In the sanctuary, unlock door of the tabernacle to check how much communion is there. (The key to the tabernacle is hanging on the back of the sanctuary sacristy door.)
• Leave key in the tabernacle door and tabernacle door slightly ajar
• On the offertory table at the back of the church place:
  • 2 or 3 ciboria with sufficient hosts for communion (approx. 200/Saturday and 400/Sunday will be needed in total)
  • Filled water and wine cruets (stored in fridge in sacristy)
  • Chalice with one large host

Lights & Sound

• Ensure lights are turned on in church (A, B, C, I, J, K and Q)
• Ensure red sound switch is turned on

Lectionary & Announcements Book

• Place lectionary on the lectern in the sanctuary, open to the 1st Reading
• Open the Announcements Binder to the sign-in page

Altar Servers

• Check to see that altar servers are getting prepared.

Good to Know

• A ciborium (sometimes called a paten) is the name for the gold, straight-sided vessel which holds communion. The plural form of ciborium is ciboria.