Directory of Ministries,
Committees and Activities
How Do I Share my Gifts?
St. Margaret Mary's offers a wide variety of participatory activities and service ministries that may appeal to
you. If you are interested in any of
the activities or ministries listed here,
please fill out a Called to Share!
form, available at the back of the
Church or contact the parish office.
We encourage all members of
our
Parish, young, ‘golden’ and
in-between to answer the call to
share! Most ministries
are
suitable for anyone 13 years and up
and ‘assisting’ activities for
the
younger ones. There is a
welcoming space for all to share their
gifts in God’s House.
(613) 730-5265
stmm@magma.ca
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Computer Support
The computer systems of St. Margaret Mary's
Parish are maintained by a knowledgeable volunteer, who creates, maintains and updates our Parish website. However, other computer literate volunteers are needed for occasional data entry, special projects and troubleshooting for staff members.
Money Counters
We have a team of parishioners that meets to
count the money from the weekend collections
and prepare a bank deposit. Additional names
would be welcome as spares.
Gardeners
We have been blessed to have a beautiful garden,
at the front and side of the church and rectory, in
which we grow flowers and plants that are part of
our decor in and around the church. With the guidance of several dedicated parishioners, members
of our community are invited to help out with the
planting and weeding whenever they are able.
Contact the office for more information.
CALLED TO SHARE IN OUR PRAISE…
Liturgy and Worship
Liturgy is the centre of our life of faith. Many
people are necessary to bring about our weekly worship in the
Sunday Eucharist, our weekday masses, our celebrations of the
liturgy of the hours, and the various special liturgies held through
out the year. Additionally, parishioners are invited to enrich their
faith and prayer life through devotional practices.
Liturgy Team
The Liturgy Team is responsible for the guidance and coordination of all
of the elements associated with our liturgical celebrations. This
includes proclaimers of the Word, announcers, servers, Eucharistic ministers, music ministers, mass coordinators and the décor in our worship
space for both weekday and weekend liturgies. The group is also responsible for the preparation of the Sunday liturgies, as well as special
liturgical celebrations throughout the year. The committee meets on the
first Tuesday of each month, following evening prayer at 7:00 pm.
Evening Prayer
From ancient times, the Church has had the custom of commemorating
each day, the Liturgy of the Hours. We gather every Tuesday to
celebrate Evening Prayer at 7 pm. All members of our community are
invited to gather and participate through prayer and praise.
Individuals are also invited to take on the roles of cantor, proclaimer of
the Word, presider and assistant during these liturgies guidance is provided.
Bread Bakers
The Bread Bakers are a team of people who bake the Eucharistic bread,
which we share at the Sunday Eucharist. Members are asked to take
responsibility for baking bread for one month. The recipe and training are
provided.
Proclaimers of the Word (Lectors)
Lectors proclaim the living Word of God at Mass, during Evening
Prayer and during special feasts, They also offer the intercessory
prayers on behalf of the community. Service in this ministry offers a
wonderful opportunity to grow in knowledge of the Scriptures. For
Sundays, proclaimers of the Word are scheduled one or two times
per month. Schedules for other liturgies may vary. Training and resources for preparation and reflection are provided.
Eucharistic Ministers
Eucharistic ministers assist the presider in the sharing of the Body
and Blood of Christ during Sunday Eucharist. Through service as
Eucharistic Ministers, God unites us all with our fellow members of
the body of Christ and forms us all into that one body. Training is
provided for those who wish to become Eucharistic Ministers. This
ministry requires little time outside of your weekly attendance at
mass, and all masses are in need of members for this extremely
important ministry.
Music
St. Margaret Mary's is blessed with a variety of music ministers at all
of our liturgies throughout the year, including our Sunday masses,
Evening Prayer, weddings, funerals and other special occasions.
Participation in most choirs is generally required on a weekly basis.
The length of rehearsals depends on the group. See the music
ministers at any mass for further information. Music ministers are also
invited to participate in meetings of the Liturgy Committee, in order to
discuss the needs of the musical community of our parish, and to help
design a music program that enables our whole parish to sing God's
praises. Meetings are held seasonally.
Sacristans/Mass Coordinators
The members of the ministry of sacristans care for the contents of the
church. They launder the altar linens weekly, maintain the presider's
vestments, clean and polish the Eucharistic vessels, replace candles
on the altar and in the church as needed, and dress the altar as
required. Training for this ministry is provided, and the schedule is
flexible.
Mass Coordinators help ensure that our Sunday liturgies run
smoothly. The role includes preparing the bread and wine and inviting.
Liturgy of the Word for Children
This liturgy is designed for young schoolaged children (5-10) but younger
and older children are welcome to celebrate as well. Volunteer leaders
commit to a oneyear term in September. Each volunteer will prepare and
lead three to six liturgies with a partner, preferably on consecutive Sun
days within a liturgical season. Leaders celebrate with children through a
variety of sensory prayer, movement and music, and proclaim the Gospel
in language that children can understand and remember. Leaders assist
in the gradual initiation of the children into the ritual action of the Church.
Leaders work toward a greater and greater response to the Gospel in the
daily life of the children which is the goal of this ministry. Leaders are
spiritually mature members of the community, in tune with the spiritual life
of children and are required to attend one training and formation session
in the early autumn. Leaders are encouraged to attend meetings called
during the year as necessary. Youth interested in assisting with these lit
urgies are also encouraged to get involved.
CALLED TO SHARE IN
TEMPORAL NEEDS …
Financial & Physical
Maintenance
These committees and teams are responsible for the
practical administration of the parish, including the man
agement of finances, budgets, supplies, maintenance,
computer systems.
Finance Council
This council is responsible for assisting the Pastor to meet all
financial obligations of the Parish and to manage the Parish
funds. Members are approached by the Pastor and the Chair
of the Finance Council. They meet once a month, with the
Pastor, to review revenue and expenditures, develop budgets, and to generally manage the financial obligations of the
Parish. If you are experienced in financial issues, please consider putting your name forward as a future possible candidate. A roster of computer literate volunteers would be helpful for specific jobs.
Building/Maintenance Committee
This committee holds the responsibility for coordinating repairs and improvements to the Church and Rectory. Volunteers are needed in order to maintain our offices, worship
area, parish grounds, and rectory.
Angel Tree Committee
Each Christmas, the Angel tree is put up to encourage a special kind of giving. The team reflects on the Advent scripture
readings and decides, with the help of the Holy Spirit, on the
recipient of the Angel Tree gifts. A different worthy group is selected each year.
Development and Peace Committee
Although the Parish is very active in local social justice issues
through the Social Justice Committee (above), we are still looking for parishioners willing to come together to explore what the
parish can do in the area of national and international social
justice and to link with the Diocesan Development and Peace
Office. One specific activity involves the Lenten Appeal which
culminates with the collection on the Fifth Sunday of Lent.
However, there are many other opportunities involving twinning
with a church in a developing country or joining efforts already
in progress in other parishes, i.e. supporting Carleton University's Catholic chaplaincy efforts in Development and Peace.
Décor Team
Our worship space requires preparation for each liturgical season,
through the use of flowers, banners, colours, etc. Some planning, thought
and preparation is done prior to each season, and members visit the
church weekly to freshen up flowers and plants where required. More
ministers are always welcome to help prepare our church. No experience
is necessary and training is provided. We also need extra helpers for specific occasions, such as Christmas, Easter, and so on.
CALLED TO SHARE
IN OUR COMMUNITY...
Parish and Community Life
Our Parish and Community Life ministries
support our community needs with opportunities to come together in fellowship, in fun,
and in support of each other to strengthen our bonds as
the family of God. The activities of these ministries
provide opportunities for social gatherings, sharing in
faith and giving support to members of our community in
times of difficulty.
Hospitality Ministry
The Hospitality Ministry is an extremely active group within St. Margaret Mary‘s, with its primary concern being to build community. Various groups provide ongoing activities such as:
- Hospitality Sundays: First Sunday of the month coffee
and goodies after each mass
- St. Margaret Mary's Feast Day On or around October
16th, the feast of St. Margaret Mary is celebrated with a pot
luck activity after liturgies.
- Strawberry Sunday: at the end of June or early July
- Easter Vigil Reception: a reception following the Easter
Vigil
This ministry is willing to assist where needed for any special
occasion. New members are always needed and welcome;
no experience is necessary and the time commitment is what
you are able to spare.
CALLED TO SHARE IN OUR
WORLD...
Social Action
St. Margaret Mary's is committed to ministry beyond its own membership, including action on
behalf of the poor, marginalized, disadvantaged
and disabled. Through the ministry of Social Action and
Justice, the many blessings of our community are shared
with those in need around us both locally and globally.
Social Justice Committee
The role of this ministry is to develop the program vision and the
strategy for achieving it; coordinate teams and overall program
functions; communicate with the various teams and Parish Council; and liaise with our partners at the various churches who support our work and others in the community. The coordinator is
Loretta McCarthy. Thanks to the financial contribution and commitment of volunteers from St. Margaret Mary's Parish, St. Matthew's Anglican Church, Southminster United Church and other dedicated people in the community, the committee operates the following program for which training and coaching is provided:
Sunday Supper Program
This program provides a complete dinner for those in need of a hot
meal and social interaction. It operates every Sunday evening
from 3 until 7, beginning the first Sunday after Thanksgiving in October and continuing until the end of April.
School Representatives
School representatives act as liaisons between our parish and
Corpus Christi Elementary, and Hopewell Public School, and
help to enable regular communication between the schools and
the parish community. Representatives generally attend meetings at the school and church, and keep parish informed on the
activities of each.
Library
The library at St. Margaret Mary's contains books on a wide variety of theological, liturgical and religious topics. These are available for loan to all our parishioners during regular office hours.
We need volunteers to maintain our library system as well as
sort and shelve books.
Christmas Bazaar Committee
The St. Margaret Mary's parish Bazaar has now become a
yearly event taking place the first Saturday of December. It
offers many gift items for Christmas and has something for
everyone, young, old, and inbetween. The Parish Bazaar
Committee is always looking for members to help on their
Planning Team and of course, looks for donations of food,
preserves, jewellery, handmade gift items, and appropriate
items to raffle. Workgroups are organized in the Fall to work
on special projects, and volunteers to price items, decorate
the hall and serve at our “Café” are always needed.
Pastoral Care Team
Pastoral Care is the love of neighbour expressed through
the skills of listening, affirmation, prayer and referral. Our
members visit those who are shutin, elderly, bereaved or
those who may be experiencing temporary, extraordinary
situations. If requested, we visit parishioners in hospitals
and institutions. For many, a very important part of the visit
is receiving Communion. Confidentiality is the cornerstone
of our ministry. Every member must take a tenweek basic
training course which is given in the spring or fall.
CALLED TO SHARE IN OUR PARISH…
Parish Pastoral Council
St. Margaret Mary's is a vibrant and
active community, alive in the spirit
and seeking to follow the example of
Christ. Through the actions of the
Parish Pastoral Council, we continue to try to meet
the needs of our parish community and encourage
the full, conscious and active participation of all parishioners in the life of our community.
Parish Pastoral Council
With the pastor and staff, the Council shares in the plan
ning and coordinating of the overall policies and goals of
the parish in keeping with its vision/mission statement.
Thus effective lines of communication and accountability
are established among the various committees/ministries/
groups within the parish with the Council, the pastor and
staff. The Council plays a coordinating, monitoring and
evaluating role vis-à-vis these bodies without, however,
becoming involved in the day to day details.
All baptized Roman Catholics over the age of 16 and registered in the parish are eligible for membership on the
Council; elections to Council are usually held in the Fall of
each year. Meetings are held on the 2nd Tuesday of each
month (except July and August) at 7:30 p.m., following
Evening Prayer at 7:00 p.m.
CALLED TO SHARE IN
SPIRITUAL GROWTH…
Christian Education
The ministry of Christian Education fosters spiritual growth throughout our Christian journey from
childhood to adult life. Our parish has a strong belief in the importance of the sacraments in our life of faith, and our preparation teams are constantly enriched through new members and
ongoing learning. Opportunities for faith development are also
available through various programs for children and adults.
Journey Group
Journey Group is designed to bring people to a greater understanding
of the Bible, an awareness of God's living presence in Sacred Scripture,
and an appreciation of how the Bible can be applied to daily life. This is
open to any parishioner who is interested in learning more about scripture. Each course focuses on different parts of the Bible, such as the Acts of the Apostles, Gospel of Mark and Isaiah. The length of each
course is determined by what is being studied. More participants can
easily be accommodated.
Sacramental Preparation of Children
The Sacramental preparation committee helps to prepare parents and
school aged children for the sacraments of Reconciliation, Confirmation
and First Eucharist. With our renewed understanding of Christian initiation following Vatican II, the Archdiocese of Ottawa is returning to the
traditional practice of celebrating Confirmation and first Eucharist
together. These sacraments are not tied to a specific age or grade
(usually Grade 2), but rather celebrated when the children are ready.
For children attending Corpus Christi school, information is available
through your child's teacher. For children at other schools, parents are
encouraged to contact the parish office. New team members are
needed to help prepare children and parents for these sacraments. All
that is required is a desire to help children and their parents through
these important stages of their faith journey. Several meetings, activities and celebrations are planned throughout the year, and training is
provided. Parents are asked to enrol children as soon as possible in the
fall.
Adult Christian Initiation (RCIA)
The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) is a process designed for adults who consciously and freely wish to seek the
living God through the Church. The candidates journey of faith
with the community leads to the celebration of Baptism. Confirmation and Eucharist. This is done through regular reflection on
the Word of God along with catechesis accommodated to our
liturgical year. There are various steps in someone's journey to
become a full member of our community and different teams are
needed for each step. This ministry is extremely rewarding for
those who participate. No prior experience or theological back
ground is required, simply a faith in God. Training is provided
and the time commitment may be 2 to 3 hours every one or two
weeks. If you know of someone who is considering this journey,
please encourage them to contact the parish office, so they can
be put in touch with a member of the team.
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