Liturgy Committee

Purpose:  Our Mission is to offer the people of Good Shepherd worship experiences that foster a life-long loving relationship with Jesus Christ. We strive for our parish’s liturgical prayer life to be reverent, beautiful, and joyful in the Lord.

Why a Liturgy Committee:  The revised General Instruction of the Roman Missal notes that since liturgy is the “primary and indispensable source from which the faithful are to derive the true Christian Spirit … the entire celebration is planned in such a way that it leads to a conscious, active and full participation of the faithful both in body and mind” (No. 17). Since the Liturgy of the Holy Eucharist is the “source and summit” (SC 11) of Christian life, the Liturgy Committee is actively and directly connected and concerned with all of the aspects of the liturgical and sacramental life of the Church of the Good Shepherd.

The Liturgy Committee collaborates with the Pastor, Parish Pastoral Council, and the Office of Worship of the Diocese of Richmond. It develops and establishes objectives to accomplish for the parish, with attention to the specific needs of our faith community and with fidelity to Roman Catholic norms.

Responsibilities:  To discern the parish’s worship/liturgical/prayer needs;

To coordinate the planning and scheduling of the liturgical celebrations for seasonal and special celebrations;

To coordinate, support and evaluate all liturgical ministries in the parish, i.e. readers, extraordinary ministers of the Eucharist, altar servers, lectors, cantors, musicians, etc.

Meeting Schedule:  The Liturgy Committee meets on the second Wednesday of the month at 6 PM.

Liturgical Ministries

Liturgy Committee
Liturgy includes the set forms for the rites, ceremonies, prayers, and sacraments that comprise the communal, as opposed to private, worship in the Church. The goal of the liturgy team at Good Shepherd parish is to develop the worship and sacramental life of the parish so that all are nourished in faith and invited to full participation in the liturgy and prayer life of the church. The liturgy committee works within the guidelines of the church for liturgy to establish a consistent, prayerful, and inviting liturgy for each Mass. This includes planning for each of the seasons of the church year.

Lectors
Lectors proclaim the Sacred Scripture so that the community of faith may hear the Word of God. Lectors are people of faith who have good communication skills and develop the ability to announce the Word of God at the Liturgies to the whole community.

Meetings:  Training for this ministry occurs once a year. Lectors usually serve once every two months at the Mass of their choice.

Extraordinary Eucharistic Ministers
Just as Jesus fed those who hungered, so He feeds us with His body and blood. Just as He gave the bread and fish to the disciples, who then gave them to the people (Mark 6:41) so the Church entrusts the body and blood of Christ to ministers, who then give them to the faithful. EEMs assist in the distribution of Holy Communion during the celebration of the Eucharist. Volunteers for this ministry must be actively participating in the sacramental life of the Church and approved by the pastor. Training is required. Rotating teams  assist on Saturdays and Sundays.

Art and Environment
The function of the Art and Environment Committee is the creation of a meaningful environment that will stimulate all the senses and help promote an understanding of the liturgy. The environment changes with each liturgical season and on special Feast and Holy days. Volunteers set up and take down the decorations with each change of season or special day. Do you have a flair for flowers, plants, and decorating? Consider offering those skills for the glory of God’s house. Adults and teens are welcome to volunteer.

Altar Servers
Boys and girls, from third grade through high school*, are encouraged to volunteer for the very important ministry of assisting the priest and deacon at the altar.

Training is provided, and volunteers are signed up in the fall and spring.

(* = Must have received first sacraments.)

Liturgy of the Word for Children
Children’s Liturgy of the Word is an opportunity for adults to share their faith with children whose ages range from 4 through 8 years.
Children’s Liturgy of the Word is an opportunity for adults to share their faith with children whose ages range from 4 through 8 years.

A prayer leader reads the Sunday readings to the children from a Children’s lectionary, and then spends time with the children sharing the message from the readings. This is done during Liturgy of the Word during the Mass. Children are dismissed with their prayer leader to a separate prayer space. No formal training is required. Anyone interested should attend a Children’s Liturgy of the Word at a Sunday Mass.

Currently; Children’s Liturgy of the Word is provided on Sundays at the 9:00 AM Mass.

Ushers/Greeters
The primary goal of the Usher/Greeter ministry is to greet all who enter the church and care for them during the liturgy. It is important that all who attend services feel welcome and comfortable. The Usher/Greeters will assist anyone who may have special needs and take care of the logistical requirements as needed (e.g. taking up collections, guiding, handing out bulletins, etc.).

In the event of an emergency, the Usher/ Greeters will insure the safety and well-being of all in attendance.

Ushers are also in constant communication with the Nursery.

Sacristan Ministry
Sacristans are responsible for setting up the Church for all liturgies.  They are to ensure that the sacred vessels are placed on the credence table, and for coordinating and cleaning those vessels used in the transformation of bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ for liturgies on weekdays, weekends, and for special occasions. The requirements are to be a member of the parish in good standing, to have the desire to serve your fellow parishioners in the Ministry, and to have been previously commissioned as an Extraordinary Minister of the Eucharist. The sacristan also coordinates with the director of Liturgy to make sure the sacristy is adequately supplied. Training will be provided as needed.

Altar Linen Care
Care for the linens and priest’s vestments.

Music Ministry
The music ministry includes all members of the assembly, the choir, musicians and music director. Sung prayer is a large part of the liturgy, and the music ministry is charged with joining the assembly in sung prayer. It is also our responsibility to supply the musical skills necessary to encourage and augment the participation of the assembly, while insuring adherence to liturgical guidelines.