Parish Ministries at St. Mary's

A ministry is defined in our Catechism as the means through which the church carries out its mission; to bring God's people to union with one another & with God in Jesus, the Christ. All in the church, both lay & clergy are called to ministry—it is a bearing witness to Christ & to the Church.
We have many ministries at St. Mary's and there are many opportunities to be involved in the growth of our parish family. They are:

Vestry: The vestry is a group of parishioners who along with the rector are the legal representatives & agents of the parish with respect to its corporate property. The vestry of St. Mary's consists of two wardens & 15 vestry -persons. To be eligible for election, one must be a communicant in good standing either by baptism, confirmation or reception into the Episcopal Church and to be in regular attendance in the church for at least a year.

Eucharistic Ministers A group of men & women who are trained to serve as Ministers of the Cup at Mass. These men & women are scheduled to minister at the 8:00 & 10:00 Masses on Sunday & on major feasts, weddings & funerals. Also, they are licensed to visit the sick to offer prayers and Holy Communion. Finally, we have four Eucharistic-Ministers who visit St. Catherine of Siena Nursing Home on Sundays.

Acolytes Acolytes are traditionally youngsters (starting at 8 years old) who are altar servers during Sunday Mass & other liturgies. Although, most of the acolytes are youngsters, it does not mean only youngsters. We also have adults who are acolytes. Acolytes in training are trained by Father DiLorenzo on Saturday mornings for approximately 8 weeks.

Lectors Lectors are men & women who are trained by the Rector to be proclaimers of the Scriptures on Sunday & other major feast days. The lectors in training are given points on projection, and interpretation of scripture passages.

Choirs We are blessed to have an adult choir, youth choir & a Folk-Group. The adult & youth choirs rehearse on Wednesday evenings at 6:30 to 7:30 pm for youth & 7:30 to 9:00 for the adults. The Folk-Group ministers at the last Sunday of each month at the 10:00 Mass.

Finance is a committee assisting in preparation of the parish budget, reviews requisitions for funds & will make recommendations to the vestry.

Grounds/Buildings is a committee designed for the maintenance of church grounds & buildings. It is for gathering volunteers to assist in this maintenance or to seek out professional experts.

Christian Education works together with the Rector concerning Christian education of the youth—this is a reaching out to our children in Sunday-School.

Prayer Group The Prayer Group meets the first Thursday of each month in the church. These men & women remember in prayer, those persons whose intentions were prayed for at Sunday Mass & also for anyone who has asked to be remembered in a special way.

Episcopal Church Women is a group of women, organized to win other women to Jesus Christ. Programs are geared toward the concerns of Christian women—the women reach out to those who are less fortunate. This is a major part of the group's concern. The women also recognize that they are responsible for the development of their spiritual lives—quiet days at Mt. Sinai Friary is one of the ways the group grows spirituality. Of course, daily or weekly Eucharist is built into the very fabric of this group. Fellowship is another aspect of ECW; the women do enjoy the company of each other at brunches or group dinners which are held twice a year. Membership is open to all women who are baptized, are 18 or older & are members in good standing.

Men's Fellowship is a group of men who come together on the third Friday of each month in order to bond in a spiritual & social fellowship. However, an important aspect is to recognize a mission to our brothers & sisters who are in need. On the Monday before Thanksgiving, the men deliver food baskets put together by the ECW, to those in need. Also, the men are available for any assistance needed in the parish or community. The men also attend quiet days at the Friary for spiritual renewal.

Youth Fellowship is a ministry which has been reorganized to meet the needs of parish-youth from 8 years old to high-school—the supervisors of the various age groups meet on different nights of the week for various activities. They attempt to have at least one activity a year where all are together.

Adult Education A group of men & women who meet with Father Di Lorenzo every Wednesday evening following the Wednesday 7:00pm Mass. The group meets at 7:45 & the topics vary from a study of the scriptures to a study of the history of the Christian Church. One controversial issue of the Episcopal Church, i.e. the consecration of Bishop Gene Robinson who is openly gay, was an eight week topic. Twenty five persons gathered. Included was an openly gay man.