The Catholic partner parishes of Connellsville center parish life around a vibrant and reverent celebration of the Eucharist. The Sunday Mass and the Saturday vigil Mass are at the heart of membership in our faith community. Parish members are invited and encouraged to serve in several ministerial roles within our liturgy.
Altar serving is an important ministry through which ministers take an active part in assisting at the Liturgy and helping everyone to pray better. It is a great privilege and responsibility.
Anyone who has been fully initiated through the reception of the sacraments of Baptism, Holy Eucharist and Confirmation and is at least in third grade is eligible to become an altar server within Our Lady, Queen of the Yough Catholic Community.
Those desiring to become an altar server should have the maturity necessary to be able to reverently assist the priest in the celebration of the Mass and to fulfill their commitment as a server. We will schedule classes to give all individuals the necessary training. The altar server guidelines can be found here.
Volunteers of all ages are welcome, and can assist at weekend liturgies as well as Daily Mass, weddings, funerals, and other special events. The schedule is mailed out and can also be found in the bulletin the week prior. Scheduled servers who can’t make the Mass time are asked to find a replacement.
One of the largest and most important ministries within our partner parishes is the sharing of holy Communion with those individuals who are homebound or living in nursing and personal care homes. Like most parishes in western Pennsylvania, our churches have many elderly and infirm members who cannot attend regular Sunday Masses.
Many of these individuals have been active, lifelong members of the parish and miss participating in the liturgy. Eucharistic ministers to the homebound help to fill that gap. Through the sharing of the word of God and holy Communion, the minister now “carries” the care of the parish family to the homebound and sick.
Eucharistic ministers may choose to visit one or two individuals, or take communion to larger numbers of residents in a nursing home or personal care home facility.
Training is provided and ministers are usually matched to someone in their immediate locale. To volunteer to serve as a minister to the homebound, please contact Sister Donna Mulligan.
This is a most important and very spiritually rewarding ministry.
Extraordinary ministers of holy Communion assist in the distribution of the body and blood of Christ at Mass and Communion services at Sunday and weekday liturgies. They also may expose and repose the blessed sacrament and assist in the distribution of ashes on Ash Wednesday.
Those who serve in this ministry exhibit a deep love for the holy Eucharist and the Mass, as well as manifest the love of God in their actions and relationships.
Extraordinary ministers must be at least 16 years of age or older and fully initiated into the Catholic Church. All those who function as ministers have been recommended and approved by their pastor, as well as officially appointed by the bishop of the Diocese of Greensburg to serve within specific parishes.
Please contact the parish office for more information of if you have a desire to participate in this ministry. Training is available at announced times throughout the year.
Lectors are entrusted with the task of proclaiming the readings during Sunday and weekday liturgies. Lectors need to have the ability to read with clarity and appropriate expression to bring out the fullest meaning of the sacred Scripture.
In general, lectors should be 16 years of age or older and must have received the sacraments of baptism, holy Eucharist, and confirmation. Lectors may designate their service at just one of our parish sites or volunteer at all three.
Training is available for any individual who desires to share in this ministry. If you have a love for sacred Scripture and the desire and ability to serve as a lector, please contact Sister Donna Mulligan at the parish office.
Sacristans play a crucial role for liturgical celebrations as they are entrusted with ensuring everything necessary is available for these celebrations. Within our partner parishes of Connellsville, as in all churches, much of their ministry occurs ”behind the scenes.”
From the changing of altar linens with appropriate seasonal motifs, to polishing candlesticks, and setting out sacred vessels for Mass, sacristans are called upon for a variety of duties. Many times the sacristan's duties may be shared among a variety of individuals with each responsible for different aspects of the ministry.
Anyone wishing to become involved in this special work in service to the liturgy is invited to call the parish office. Individuals of high school age and above are invited to share in this wonderful service.
Greeters and ushers fulfill an important role in the life of any church and parish. How a church is perceived is very often the result of the presence, or lack of a spirit of hospitality and warmth encountered in initial meetings with members of the congregation. When an usher or greeter is helpful and welcoming a visitor, or a potential new member, experiences the presence of Christ in that moment.
By their kindness, ushers and greeters manifest the love of the faith community they represent. In addition, from opening doors and helping individuals to gain entrance to the church or a pew, ushers are responsible for collecting the weekly donations from parish members and for returning the church to good order before they leave.
Ushers and greeters need to know the church well and be prepared to answer questions or handle emergency situations should they arise. To become an usher/greeter, please contact the parish office or speak to anyone volunteering as an usher in one of our three parishes.