Altar Servers
Altar servers assist the clergy in celebrating the Sacred Liturgy, especially the sacrifice of the Holy Mass. The various tasks of altar servers include leading liturgical processions, assisting with the Roman Missal, helping set the altar and attending to sacred vessels after communion. Altar servers also help with the candles, incense, and processional cross.
In addition to liturgical service, altar serving is also a wonderful way for individuals to advance in spiritual life that is centered on the Eucharist and to grow in vocational awareness. Servers participate in the Sacred Liturgy with their own work that contributes to the Work of the Faithful and the prayer of the Church and thus their service help build up the Body of Christ. In this way, altar serving is a serious ministry that requires commitment, reliability, and a certain amount of dedicated time, so it is carried out worthily.
Contact the parish office for more information, 319-752-6733 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Choir and Music
A Musician or Cantor serves as a liturgical minister who leads the assembly in sung prayer and supports the sacred action of the Mass through music. The cantor typically proclaims the Responsorial Psalm, announces and leads the Gospel Acclamation (Alleluia or Lenten verse), and may also introduce or guide the singing of the Ordinary of the Mass (Kyrie, Gloria, Sanctus, Agnus Dei) as well as the Entrance, Offertory, Communion, and Recessional hymns or antiphons. Instrumentalists and choir members provide accompaniment and enrich the liturgy with appropriate sacred music that respects the liturgical season, the texts of the Mass, and the norms of the Church, always aiming to foster the full, conscious, and active participation of the faithful. All music ministers prepare thoroughly in advance, choose settings that are prayerful and accessible, and exercise their role with reverence so that the sung liturgy elevates the hearts of the assembly toward God.
Contact the parish office for more information, 319-752-6733
Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion
**An Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion** is a properly trained and commissioned lay person who assists the priest and deacon in distributing Holy Communion during Mass when the number of communicants makes it necessary. After the priest has received Communion and the deacon (if present) has received, the Extraordinary Ministers approach the altar, receive a ciborium or chalice from the celebrant, and then reverently distribute the Body and/or Blood of Christ to the faithful. They must handle the Eucharist with the utmost care and reverence, ensure that communicants receive properly (on the tongue or in the hand), and, after distribution is complete, return any remaining Hosts to the priest or place them in the tabernacle as directed. They may also distribute Communion to the home bound, sick, and hospitalized.
Contact the parish office for more information, 319-752-6733 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Greeters & Ushers
Ushers and Greeters are called to be Ministers of Hospitality. They are entrusted with promoting a sense of welcoming and belonging to all the faithful assembled for worship. They are the first point of contact for the communal celebration of the Liturgy. Ministers of Hospitality minister to the entire community in a very active way. By freeing each person of their own personal impediments to the Mass through a welcoming atmosphere, ministers of hospitality take an active role in enabling each person to come to a freer expression of God in the Liturgy.
Contact the parish office for more information, 319-752-6733 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Lectors
The Lector is a lay liturgical minister at a Catholic Mass whose primary responsibility is to proclaim the Word of God from the ambo. This typically includes reading the First Reading (usually from the Old Testament or Acts), the Responsorial Psalm (when it is not sung by a cantor), and the Second Reading (from the New Testament epistles or Revelation) on Sundays and Solemnities. The Lector does not proclaim the Gospel, which is reserved for the deacon or priest. In many parishes the Lector may also announce the 'Prayer of the Faithful' if no deacon is present They are expected to prepare thoroughly by studying the texts in advance, practicing clear and prayerful delivery, dressing appropriately, and approaching the ministry with reverence so that the assembly can hear and interiorize the Scriptures.
Contact the parish office for more information, 319-752-6733 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
