WORSHIP MINISTRIES

The Ushers of Immaculate Heart serve at the 4:00 Saturday mass as well as the 6:00, 7:30, 9:00 and 11:00 masses on Sunday. The ministry is comprised of both men and women over the age of 17 years.

As Ushers, their main role in mass consists of greeting parishioners, assisting with seating, passing the collection baskets, handing out bulletins, and assisting during communion.

Each Usher is part of a team of Ushers and each team member is asked to commit to four (4) masses per month, if available. All training is provided prior to the start of each mass.

Ushers develop a deepened sense of service and accountability to the church, and this also affords an opportunity for them to interact with the parishioners. The Usher Ministry is a vital part of the Saturday and Sunday masses.

PURPOSE: The Altar Servers assist in the celebration of the masses by providing a special ministry to the pastor and pastoral staff. They are trained and expected to assist on the altar by serving for masses on weekends, holidays and special ceremonies.

OBJECTIVE: The Altar Server Ministry is open to all youth, male and female. Members must have made their First Communion to be serving on the altar. They are encouraged to: develop a better understanding of "commitment and dedication of service"; to continue their involvement and give support to the parish and community by serving in other capacities as they grow, discover, and learn to share their special gifts and talents.

ACTIVITIES:
1. Serve for weekend masses 4:00 pm, 7:30 am, 9:00 am and 11:00 am.
2. Attend monthly meetings held on the 3rd Sunday of each month at 2:00 pm.
3. Participation in annual ceremony for Outstanding Altar Server (Dioceses)
4. Participate and support the IHM Family Day/Fall Festival.
5. Annual Altar Server Outing (Christmas/Summer)
6. Participation of specific age groups in: Lyke Conference, African American Catholic Youth Congress and various other parish/community activities held.

Mission Statement: A strong reverence for what the Eucharistic Minister carries is to be seen and felt by all. Eucharistic Ministers should distribute the Body of Christ and Precious Blood with reverence, dignity, and personal attention. These ministers are brothers and sisters in the very Body and Blood being shared. They not only speak their faith in saying, "The Body of Christ", "The Blood of Christ" but call for the faith of the communicant as well.

Guidelines for IHM Eucharistic Ministers:
1. Mature Christians

2. Of excellent character

3. Take the faith seriously and lead Christian lives.

4. If at any time you find yourself living contrary to the teachings of the church, it is highly desirable that you take a leave from this ministry until you have resolved this matter. (Remember you are an example to others.)

5. It is of the utmost importance that you make every effort to attend schedule workshops, to stay informed as an IHM Eucharistic Minister.

All interested parishioners are required to fill out a ministry form,After completing this form and returning it per instructions on the form, you will be contacted as soon as the Pastor has reviewed and signed each application. Applicants are then given a training session, where they are shown how the Pastor request we prepare and assist in distributing Holy Communion. At the training, each minister is also given a copy of IHM Eucharistic Ministry Manual. Upon completing this training session, a mass is selected by the Pastor for commissioning each candidate. After the Commissioning Rite, ministers are now ready to spiritually feed God's people.

All Eucharistic Ministers receive a quarterly schedule via mail or email, which indicates when each minister is to serve. Every effort is made to schedule each minister at the mass indicated on their ministry form. The ministry also provides an entertaining and informative quarterly newsletter.

Presently, IHM Eucharistic Ministry has approximately 96 active ministers. Ministry workshops are scheduled twice a year in conjunction with IHM Lectors Ministry.

He took, blessed, broke, and gave the bread saying, "This is my body" Sharing the cup, he said, "This is my blood", all ate and drank, and Jesus commanded them,"Do this in memory of me"

The mission and purpose of the Lector Ministry is to proclaim the Word effectively to God’s people. Proclaiming the Word of God deepens a person’s spirituality and faith in God and it also keeps you connected to your Church parish. Lectoring is a vital part of the Mass because we need to hear and feel Christ’s message to his people.

Liturgical Dance is a type of dance movement that is sometimes incorporated into the liturgy or worship service. Dancers respond with an appropriate dance, which flows from the interpretation of music designed to enhance the worship service. Those who dance for Jesus must always be mindful that dance is a form of worship and must never be viewed as a form of entertainment of spectacle in the Church.

We view the Liturgical Dance Ministry as an opportunity for young people to develop the art of dance and use these talents as good stewards in a way that is pleasing in the eyes of God.

Mrs. Pamela Joseph-Senegal is the Director and Owner of PJ’s Dance School located at 527 Mudd Avenue. She holds a Masters Degree in dance and she has graciously taken on the responsibility of training our Liturgical Dancers in the art and technique of proper dance for Liturgy.

The ministry is opened to ages 5-18 years of age. The IHM Liturgical Dancers perform for Church, holidays and community events. They also perform and receive awards at P.J.’s annual recital which is held is May. Additionally, the dancers participate in parades and dance conferences. Ms. Pam wants parents to know that her classes are not only fun but also rewarding.

We are also in need of a parent or parents to serve as coordinator between the Church and the dance school. This is a wonderful opportunity to bond with your children in a healthy and wholesome atmosphere and allows you to become a good steward for Christ.

The Junior Ushers of Immaculate Heart serve at the 9am Children’s mass on Sunday. They consist of both young men and women from 5th through 12th grades. This is a program that was initiated by Mrs. Mary Francis Ozenne in order to get the youth of our parish more involved.

As Junior Ushers, their main roles in mass consists of greeting parishioners, assisting with seating, passing the collection baskets, handing out bulletins, and assisting during communion.

Each junior usher is asked to commit to 1-2 masses per month, and all of the training that we provide is done prior to and during the 9am mass.

Junior Usher’s develop a deepened sense of service and accountability to the church, and also gives them a chance to interact and get to know their peers, which they really seem to enjoy. It is our hope that this will deepen their commitment to the church as they become adults.