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This coming Saturday, September 7th, we are inviting all of our current liturgical ministers at Saint Vincent de Paul Parish, and all those interested in serving in liturgical ministry roles, to come to a day of renewal and training. Assisted by members of the Diocesan Liturgical Commission, we are providing an opportunity to gather together not only for an update on some of the practical details of serving in these roles, but also for a time of shared prayer and reflection. Most of the days program is being advertised and offered to the all the parishes in the Southwest Deanery, as a part of a series of similar events hosted in each deanery of the Diocese of Jefferson City.

We will begin the day with Mass at 9:00am at St. Patrick Chapel, and offer coffee and donuts downstairs until the program begins at 10:00am. We will begin with a keynote address from Fr. Dan Merz, the Chair of the Diocesan Liturgical Commission, on the nature of the Church’s liturgy, the postures that we use during the liturgy, and what it means to be a liturgical minister. This will be followed by breakout sessions for Lectors, Sacristans, Musicians, and EMHCs, led by other members of the Diocesan Liturgical Commission. At 12:00pm, we will all come back together for a brief time of sharing and questions. At 12:15pm, a closing prayer will be offered, and those from other parishes will depart. We will then be holding extra breakout sessions for the liturgical ministers from each chapel of St. Vincent de Paul Parish, to go over some parish-specific information and allow more specific questions about the practicalities of ministry in our own chapels. We will conclude by 12:45pm.

This day will offer practical training that will be useful as a refresher and update for our existing liturgical ministers and for those wishing to begin liturgical ministry in our parish. It will also provide an opportunity for us to pray and reflect together about the meaning and importance of liturgical ministry in our parish and in our own lives.

Our celebration of the Eucharist is meant to be the heart of the life of our parish. The Second Vatican Council proclaimed that the liturgy is “the summit toward which the activity of the Church is directed,” and “at the same time it is the font from which all her power flows” (Sacrosanctum Concilium, no. 10). And on account of this importance, in the instruction Redemptionis Sacramentum, we read that “The lay Christian faithful called to give assistance at liturgical celebrations should be well instructed and must be those whose Christian life, morals and fidelity to the Church’s Magisterium recommend them. It is fitting that such a one should have received a liturgical formation in accordance with his or her age, condition, state of life, and religious culture.” (no. 46). In other words, the importance of the sacred liturgy demands that it be celebrated well, and reverently, and therefore those called to assist in its celebration must be given the necessary formation so that they can foster this reverence and beauty of a well-celebrated liturgy.

Even more fundamentally, the importance of well-celebrated liturgy demands that we have a sufficient number of liturgical ministers in order to celebrate the liturgy well. We sometimes think that the most important factor in a parish Mass schedule is how many priests are available, but it is also a question of how many other liturgical ministers are available, and committed to the service to which they have been called. It is no secret that often on Sundays we are searching for substitute ministers before many of our Masses here at St. Vincent de Paul, so consider this an invitation to make a commitment or renew your commitment to serving our parish in this way, by coming to the day of training and renewal this Saturday. No RSVP is necessary, just come start the day with Mass and then enjoy the chance to learn and pray together about what it means to serve your parish community through liturgical ministry.