Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion (Eucharistic Ministers)
This is a group of lay people who regularly assist the priest in the distribution of Holy Communion at Mass. They also take the Sacrament to the sick and housebound members of the Community. If you would like to know more about this please contact Fr. Ivan or David Clark.
Ministers of The Word (Readers)
''Those who
are called to be readers at Mass take on an important ministry. In fact
they are not ‘readers’ at all. Almost everyone can read, but
only some can effectively proclaim the word of God. Those people who serve
the liturgical gathering by proclaiming the scriptures are best described
as ‘Ministers of the Word’. ''
The
Liturgical Commission (2005)
The Ministers of The Word in the parish have a rota for reading at a particular Mass. This group is co-ordinated by Brian Jones. There is always room for more people in the group. If you are interested please contact Fr. Ivan or Brian.
Bidding Prayer Group
This is a group who undertake the reading of the Prayers of the Faithful at each Mass. There is a rota and participation may be required only every 4/5 weeks. This group is co-ordinated by Margaret Williamson and it would be great if more people would be willing to participate.
The Music Ministry
'Song and music…should be a beautiful expression of prayer. The music should …encourage the participation of the liturgical assembly. They should express the cultural richness of the People of God and the sacred and solemn character of the celebration. “He who sings, prays twice” (Saint Augustine).' Pope Benedict’s Personal Catechism
In the parish there are several music groups and individuals who try to use their talents to encourage and deepen the musical experience for the congregation. Do you have musical talent either in playing an instrument or in using that great God-given instrument - the voice? If so you are warmly invited to join one of the music groups. The Music Ministry is co-ordinated by Kathy McCann who can be contacted on 01355 269003.
The Preparation of the Gifts
At the beginning of the Liturgy of the Eucharist the gifts, which will become Christ’s Body and Blood, are brought to the altar. The bread and wine are presented by the faithful. They are then accepted by the priest and carried to the altar. There is a rota for those who do this at each Mass. If you regularly attend a particular Mass you are welcome to assist with this either as an individual or as a family. The co-ordinator of the rota is Margaret Williamson. Contact her for further details.
The Children's Liturgy
The aim of the children's liturgy is to make the children's experience of church meaningful, whilst helping them to grow in the faith of the Catholic Church and to develop as full and active members of our parish comnmunity.
The first part of Mass is the Liturgy of The Word where we listen to readings from the Bible. This is followed by a homily where the priest interprets the readings and helps us relate them to Christian life. Both of these are generally aimed at the adult majority of the congregation. Young children may find it difficult to understand and may become bored and this results in a negative experience of church.
'Children's Liturgy' is actually the 'Liturgy of The Word for Children'. We cover the Gospel of the day at a level the children can understand and enjoy. We enrich this with discussion, prayers, songs and plays. We also try to raise awareness of God's love, the humanity of Jesus, the seasons of the church, the understandng of the symbols in the Mass and the context of the Bible.
To allow as many children to take part as possible, the Children's Liturgy takes place at both the 10am and the 11.30am Sunday Masses. At each of these Masses, the children meet in two groups, one for pre-school children and the other for children form Primary 1 - 4.
All adults who work with the children have succesfully undertakenchecks through Disclosure Scotland to ensure their suitability to do so.
If you would like to assist with or would like further information this please contact Geraldine Bannon on 01355 238819.