QUALITIES OF A GOOD CHURCH USHER PDF FREE

Respect for others, discretion and appropriate decorum are the hallmarks of a minister of hospitality. They should be of godly character and reputation. Those who desire to serve as minister of hospitality whether Usher of Greeter should be active and faithful members of the Church. Indeed, variety in and among the members of this ministry better represents the diverse nature of our Church.

QUALITIES OF A GOOD CHURCH USHER PDF FREE

There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free person, there is not male and female for you are all one in Christ Jesus (Gal. As St.ģ Paul reminds us: For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourself with Christ.

Selection of Candidates Although men have traditionally filled the role of usher in most parishes, women (as well as teenagers and children) are invited to serve as ministers of hospitality. Ushers are prepared to get emergency assistance if anyone present should need it. Therefore, a sense of cheerful service and good timing are essential to allow for both reverent silence and purposeful action. Ushers handle the tasks of hospitality and administration that ensure a dignified flow of the liturgy. They assist in the communal action by taking up the collection, recruiting gift bearers to take up the gifts, instructing the faithful who take the gifts to the altar and directing the communion procession when needed. Functions of Ministry of Usher Ushers assist in the ministry of hospitality by welcoming the stranger and helping the faithful find seating in the more crowded liturgies. Ushers carry a dignity about themselves even when performing menial tasks, and can handle emergency situations with composure and compassion. Given the centrality of the Eucharist to our lives as Catholic Christians, the importance of this ministry cannot be over emphasized. Some are called to do so in a more particular way through liturgical ministries such as Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion, Usher, Lector, or Altar Server. 5), all of us have an individual right and duty to contribute (GIRM, 58). Since the Eucharist is the action of the whole Church (GIRM, Intro. How we do so varies from person to person, but the most important way is conscious, active, andĢ fruitful participation in the mystery of the Eucharist (GIRM, Intro. Through Baptism, we are all called to be a holy people and royal priesthood (I Peter 2:9), whose right and privilege it is to participate in Christ's own ministry.

Christian hospitality draws people together, opens them to participation, and sets the tone for the liturgy. The first task of the parish community is to reach out to all people in Christian love and service. People experience the presence of Jesus Christ in the world through the ministry of the church. While today's ushers don't ring bells or open the church, their primary duties and responsibilities include greeting and welcoming parishioners as they enter the church, help them to find seats, taking up the collection and wishing everyone a good day at the conclusion of the Eucharistic Celebration. The porter duties were so important that they came to be included in the rite of ordination, where they were specified as: 'to ring the bells, open the church and sacristy, to open the book for the preacher.' In 1972 Pope Paul VI abolished the order of porter and this important task was given over to the laity. During those times, it was the duty of the porters or ushers to guard the door of the church against any intruders who might disturb the service. The more immediate predecessor of today's usher can be found in the clerical order of porter, instituted in the 3rd Century A.D. During the time of Christ, the temple guard numbered in the hundreds and were the forerunners of today's ushers. We see their antecedents in 1 Chronicles where they are called the gatekeepers. The ushers of today have descended from a long line of people of God who have gone before them. What is an Usher? The ministry of ushers is the oldest lay ministry in the Catholic Church. Francis Xavier parish in Parkersburg, WV, for Eucharistic celebrations on Sundays and Holy Days the guidelines have been developed from the General Instruction on the Roman Missal (GIRM) the Diocese of Wheeling Charleston's Celebration of Sunday Eucharist and Management of Sunday Collections.

1 Guidelines for Ushers The following guidelines for Ushers reflect current liturgical practice at St.

Qualities of a good church usher pdf