St. Edmond Catholic Church 401 King Charles Ave Rehoboth Beach, DE 19971
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Usher Ministry Handbook St. Edmond Catholic Church 401 King Charles Ave Rehoboth Beach, DE 19971 July 2016 Table of Contents Introduction ............................................................................................3 Usher Ministry ................................................................................................3 Humble Service ..............................................................................................3 Appropriate Attire ...........................................................................................3 Usher Badge ..................................................................................................3 Scheduling .....................................................................................................3 Usher Locations ..............................................................................................4 Procedures ...............................................................................................4 Before The Liturgy ..........................................................................................4 Gathering Rite ................................................................................................5 Liturgy of the Word ........................................................................................5 Collection of Gifts ...........................................................................................6 Sign of Peace .................................................................................................6 Communion Process .......................................................................................6 Mass Attendance Counts .................................................................................7 Concluding Rite ..............................................................................................7 Following the Liturgy ......................................................................................7 Variations for Mass in the Hall and Remote Location .........................................8 Usher Check List ............................................................................................9 Position Responsibilities .........................................................................9 Usher Liaison .................................................................................................9 Mass Captain .................................................................................................9 Emergencies ..........................................................................................10 Fire Emergency ............................................................................................10 First Aid and Medical Emergency ...................................................................10 Prologue ................................................................................................11 Volunteer — Assignment Procedure for Special Occasions ................................11 Usher Handbook ...........................................................................................11 Handicapped Door Operation .........................................................................11 Restroom .....................................................................................................11 Choir Loft .....................................................................................................11 An Usher’s Prayer .........................................................................................12 Ushering — What it Means ............................................................................12 The History of Ushers ...................................................................................13 The Usher Ministry ........................................................................................13 Whatsoever You Do to the Least of My People ................................................13 July 2016 Page 2 of 13 Introduction Usher Ministry Ushers at St. Edmond Catholic Church act to warmly welcome the people of God to each liturgical celebration, as well as to perform various duties as required of them and as defined in this Usher Ministry Handbook. Humble Service Every liturgical ministry is established to serve the worshiping congregation. All those who serve in special roles are servants of the congregation; their task is to help the congregation fulfill its vital role in the liturgy. The usher has the opportunity and the responsibility to represent the rest of the congregation in offering hospitality. People’s impression of a parish is significantly shaped by the presence or absence of a welcoming atmosphere where they come to worship. Offering a smile and a word of welcome can have a profound impact on people as they arrive, especially if they are visitors to the parish. Welcoming people and making them feel at home is one way in which ushers help build up the church. Hospitality is a vital element in creating a sense of community for worship. A person who feels welcomed and valued is much more likely to enter wholeheartedly into the celebration of the liturgy, giving thanks to God for the love that God pours out on us. Appropriate Attire A neat and reverential appearance is in keeping with the usher’s role as a visible example of welcome and hospitality. The usher’s attire should not detract from their role. The preferred attire is that men should wear a jacket and tie, and women should wear an appropriate dress of acceptable length (no sundresses) or slack suit. During the summer, and at remote locations, “business casual attire” may be worn (no shorts or tee shirts). Usher Badge Each usher should wear an usher badge provided by the parish to be identifiable to our priests, deacons, parishioners, and visitors. Usher badges may be attached to a shirt pocket, suit coat pocket, or pinned on. Ushers may keep their badge. Additional badges are kept in the usher closet. If an alternate usher is provided a badge for a particular Mass, the Mass Captain should ask for the return of the badge after Mass so the next alternate usher will have one available. Scheduling Scheduling of ushers is done based on Mass preference basis and is coordinated through the Usher Liaison. Ministry Scheduler Pro (MSP) is used for scheduling ushers. MSP is the same program used to schedule priests, deacons, lectors, Eucharistic ministers, and altar servers. July 2016 Page 3 of 13 • Each usher, with internet access, is assigned an MSP user name and password. This allows individuals to log in to MSP to verify assignments, request substitutions, volunteer for positions, change preferences, leave “time away” and other notes, etc. • The Usher Liaison will send schedules directly to ushers without internet access. • Ushers may also contact the Usher Liaison by phone at 302 344 1046. Four or five ushers are scheduled for each Saturday and Sunday Mass, holydays of obligation and other special Masses. At times there may be a need for the Mass Captain to select an alternate usher from the congregation. During the summer season, there will be a need for ushers to serve when additional Masses are being celebrated in either the hall or at a remote location. The current schedule is posted on the St. Edmond website; a weekly copy of the schedule is posted in the sacristy. The schedule will be revised accordingly by the Usher Liaison for summer vs. winter Masses. The Usher Liaison will also prepare a schedule for special Masses, e.g. holydays of obligation, Easter, and Christmas. Usher Locations Ushers generally stand behind the rear pews, near the door, within the congregation so as to be always attentive to the needs of the faithful, and to enable them to best exercise their ministerial role. Procedures Before The Liturgy 1. Arrive at the church 20 — 30 minutes prior to the start of Mass. 2. Review the “Information Station” sheet on the inside of the usher closet door. 3. The first usher to arrive (in the Church) should make sure reserved ropes are placed on both ends of the second pew on the Tabernacle side of the church to reserve the seats for the Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion. Also, a reserved cover should be placed on the second pew on the Holy Family side for the Lector(s). For other special Masses or services, the Usher Liaison, or someone else, may request that reserved cover(s) be placed on other designated pews as necessary. 4. Check that the large offertory collection basket(s) are located under the table at the back of the church. 5. Ensure that all the doors are unlocked, the speaker switch in the sanctuary is turned on, and the exterior lights are turned on when appropriate. The light switches are located in the vestibule and at each exterior side door. Some light switches have been automated with timers or sensors, they should not be touched. 6. Check that bulletins are placed in the outside bulletin holder near the front bulletin board, and in the bulletin rack at the top of the steps leading to the choir loft. July 2016 Page 4 of 13 7. Ensure that there are four collection baskets, two for the center aisles and two for the side aisles of the church. A fifth collection basket is needed if the choir loft area is used for seating members of the congregation. 8. Check the pews for items that need to be removed prior to your Mass (bulletins, water bottles, etc.); place misselettes into the book racks on the back of each pew. Place the kneelers in an up position. Personal