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Come, Let Us Give of Ourselves!

by Lorraine de Cruz Rabier

Kraainem (31 March 2006).- The core of our community life at St Anthony’s has always been a very strong spiritual life which has grown swiftly over the years enveloping us all. Led by Father Vincent Gallogley, our Parish Priest, who is helped by Father John Kealy, both of whom we know for their preparation of vast content, depth and powerful interpretation of the Word of God while preaching during our three Eucharistic celebrations every weekend as well as on feast days, the Spirit has grown and moves within our Parish daily touching all other church activities. 

The Ministries which we experience during the celebration of the Sacrament of the Holy Mass at St Anthony’s, as in the Lector, Eucharistic and Music Ministries have evolved to a new level of worship and evangelisation which touch every one of the congregations we have the privilege to gather with in our church. Thus, in our continually migrant expatriate Parish, we constantly need new volunteers, including for all our choirs, to keep up this high standard of preserving the Faith in our English Speaking Community in Belgium.

In addition, we have other groups and ministries which are more recent concepts in our parish and have newer volunteers who have not only conceived the idea but have also taken full responsibility with co-ordinating their additional enrichment to our spirituality at St Anthony’s, offering yet more opportunities for members of our parish to worship. To name a few, the opportunity for First Friday Adoration we now offer, the Thursday Rosary Group and the Home Family Rosary we have recently begun. 

We have many groups and ministries to which we would like to welcome more members or more volunteers. Indeed, each of our small efforts will be a large contribution to our Parish Life.

Mass Co-ordinators: This role was recently introduced within our Parish in order to help our priests prepare for each Mass they celebrate quietly and prayerfully, knowing that the physical preparation was being supervised by a person who was reliable and could be counted on. We need more volunteers for this role and also require streamlining this function with more contribution from those we already have. Juliana Sacilotto who attends the 6 PM Vigil Mass on Saturdays has written about her role as it exists today:

“/The key to being a Mass Co-ordinator is knowing the people and ministers who regularly attend their respective Masses and who serve in the various roles - Sacristans, Lectors, and Eucharistic Ministers. I am just discovering who those people are. I always check who is supposed to carry out these duties before I leave home and try to arrive at church a little early. I hope the Lector has prepared in advance, otherwise I ask someone else to read or prepare to do so myself.  I check to make sure the Primary Eucharistic Minister is present, or request someone else to fill in for the absentee. Generally, no one notifies me when they are going to absent themselves. They just don’t show up for Mass.

After Mass I make a point of thanking those who served and finding out how their week went. I then help the Sacristan to clean up and prepare for the 10.00 AM Mass the following morning. I realise I have an easy Mass and two reliable Sacristans in Ken Peltier and Brigid Martin.”

We feel this is a good beginning to a role conceived only nine months ago which will grow and contribute more to the organisation of our Liturgical celebrations.
Sacristans: Unfortunately, we have an ongoing shortage of Sacristans. It would be desirable to have more parishioners volunteer to train as one, thus enabling us to have a rota of service so each Sacristan could be held accountable for this important ministry of preparing for our Masses and tidying up afterwards. 

We would also appreciate having a volunteer to head up this ministry in its entirety, train new parishioners interested in serving as Sacristans and to make out a monthly Roster. Hence, we will not be putting the onus on the same person for each Mass throughout the year which gives each of them some flexibility, while also giving ourselves the opportunity of having reserves to replace absentees and for Feast Day celebrations.

Altar Servers: We have very few Altar Servers who wish to attend the 6 PM Mass on Saturday Evenings and at the 11.30 AM Mass on Sundays. The 10 AM Family Mass on Sundays is well catered for by way of the Catechetics who attend class just before this service. Parents, those who have children who have already received First Communion and Catechetics from the Pre-Confirmation Class at 10.40 AM on Sundays, please try and interest your own child to volunteer and serve at our 11.30 AM Mass ? Children from the Confirmation Class on Saturday, please also try to consider lending us some of your already busy time to serve at the 6 PM Vigil Mass on Saturday when you do not have a class ? 

Once again, we would appreciate an adult volunteer to head up this ministry as a whole, train new children interested in serving at Altar and to make out a monthly Roster. If after some thought and prayer you decide to volunteer, please remember that you will be a great help towards relieving the pressure on the same few servers and their parents who attend the same Mass throughout the year to keep their unwavering commitment. You will also be providing an option whereby we will have reserves to call on, if necessary, and for an adequate number of Altar Servers Feast Day celebrations when most children are on holiday. Altar Servers now also play a role in our procession before and after Mass which lends an aura of decorum to the celebration of the Holy Eucharist in our Parish. It would be wonderful to see more new, enthusiastic young faces participate in greater numbers.

Ushers: They welcome people at the Church entrance before each service and hand them leaflets, a copy of Words and a Hymn Book. The Ushers also assist any sick/disabled person to the front of the Church and inform the Primary Eucharistic Minister as to where they are seated to facilitate them receiving Holy Communion if they have minimal mobility. Ushers require to be organised to bring up the Collection during the Offertory in a responsible and orderly manner but are very often in short supply. 

Sue Hannacher who heads up this Ministry does not have any Ushers for the Saturday Evening Vigil Mass Roster and would like at least two more for the 10 AM Family Mass on Sunday due to the large attendance at this service. Ushers also distribute little colour books and crayons to infant children which shed light on the Faith they will grow up in and clear them away after the Family Mass.
Lectors: This ministry is slowly growing and becoming more meaningful in its contribution to the celebration of the Sacrament of the Holy Mass within our community. We have many lectors from several countries each of who enrich our community with their background, accents, culture and approach to delivering the Word of God. During the course of the Training Programme we conducted in September 2006, we learnt to emphasise the importance of dedicated practice, a prayerful approach to reading God’s Word and the quality of expression we need to strive and achieve while communicating the Liturgy to our congregation, using all the faculties our Lord has provided us with to touch each and every soul present. 

This is a call for more Youth to contribute to this Ministry. We would like to hear many more young voices delivering God’s Word meaningfully for the benefit of all our congregations, not just for the services during which children are involved. 

Eucharistic Ministers: We have an ever growing requirement for Eucharistic Ministers in our Parish. As we grow in numbers at St Anthony’s, there are many more receiving the Sacred Body and Blood of Christ during our regular services as well as Feast Day Masses when a lot of our ministers are away. We will train new volunteers who sign on in order that they may learn the moves we follow to distribute the Eucharist at St Anthony’s. We require more commitment from many more to being both ordinary and Primary Eucharistic Ministers whose presence can be counted on at each Mass. 

Once more, we call on more Youth who have been Confirmed to pray that they may be guided to join the other members of our Eucharistic Group in bringing the Body and Blood of Jesus to those who attend Mass and more of our existing adult ministers who may spare a thought for and be generous to the sick and incapacitated who are sadly confined to their homes and yearn for the spiritual presence that Communion with Jesus brings.

Each one of us has perhaps a single talent or many more. Every one of us has been very privileged to find a warm, welcoming family at St Anthony’s far away from our own loved ones in the countries we originate from. Just as the Lord has blessed us and given us so very much spiritually by way of this community we belong to, why not think and pray about contributing of ourselves and by way of using some of the talents He has given us to enhance the celebration of the Holy Eucharist each one of us attends ? 

I look forward to hearing from many about your own personal decision to give of your spiritual self in Christ Jesus in order to enhance our lives with the wealth of Faith and knowledge we know you have to contribute to the St Anthony’s Family. 
Tel: 02 687 8261 Email: lorraine.decruzrabier@skynet.be

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