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A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W Y ADULT CHOIR The adult choir at Saint Athanasius usually sings at the 9:00 Liturgy. We begin practicing early in September and sing until Pentecost Sunday. We rehearse on Wednesday evening from 7:30 until 9:30.
On family Sundays, the adult choir sings at the 11:00 Liturgy. Our ministry also includes special services, concerts, and community outreach.
We share social events together and sometimes take in performances in the Boston and local areas. We have a wonderful accompanist, flute player and a trumpet player,
who share their musical talents with us as well. We are always searching for new voices and talents. So dust off your instruments or join us for song, instead of just singing in the shower.
ADULT EDUCATION The Adult Education Committee works in collaboration with St. Agnes Parish in Reading. It strives to serve the Adult Faith Formation needs of the parish. The committee arranges and organizes approximately 10 evenings of programs each year. These programs are usually presented by an outside speaker. There is normally an opportunity for discussion in these programs. The Adult Education programs focus on Knowledge of the Faith, (doctrine, teachings, Scripture), Liturgical Life, (worship, Sacraments); Moral Formation (morality, justice, lifestyles); Prayer; and Communal Life.Contact: Dottie Parker
ALTAR LINEN MINISTRY The Altar Linen Ministry involves laundering the purificators and hand towels used during Mass. This is done weekly and would require less than one hour of ironing after machine washing. This duty rotates so that one person performs it only once every 3-4 weeks. There is an existing Committee, but there is a need for more volunteers. Contact: Betty Davidson, Eleanor Sullivan
ALTAR SERVERS Altar Servers are a group of boys and girls, 5th Grade and up and have received their first Eucharist, are willing to serve the community of St. Athanasius by assisting the priest at the liturgy. They participate in the entrance and recessional processions, carrying the cross. They also assist the priest in preparing the Eucharistic table at the offertory.Contact: Dottie Parker
ANGEL FLIGHT See the Angel Flight NE Web Site: www.angelflightne.org Contact: Larry Camerlin
ANNUAL SPRING CLEAN-UP Each spring, volunteers gather on a spring morning to help clean the inside of the Church, the PAC and the surrounding lawn and garden areas. Volunteers are asked to bring cleaning supplies and equipment, new plantings or prepare food for snacks and lunch for the workers. Contact: Don DeHart
ARTS AND ENVIRONMENT This ministry decorates the inside of the church for liturgical events and feasts with symbols and banners. Contact: Sophie Beninati
BAPTISM PREPARATION Couples who have had their children Baptized are invited to share their Faith with parents and godparents of babies about to be baptized. They attend the Baptism Preparation class held on the second Sunday of the month and assist with the Baptisms which are held on the third Sunday of the month.Contact: Fr. Bill
BOTTLES AND CANS This unique group holds a monthly weekend drive on Church grounds behind the Pastoral Center. People bring returnable bottles and cans. Committee accepts donations, sorts and transports to redemption center in North Reading. This humble ministry is our primary source of revenue (besides individual donations) paying for the Parish Activity Center! If you have a pickup truck, even better, but you're welcomed to join a great group of people who enjoy the help of our teens. Small time commitment and we send out for coffee! Contacts: Jack Harrington
BUILDING COMMITTEE This Committee made up of individuals with building and construction expertise helps the Pastor by making recommendations for the renovation of the church interior. Contact: Bill McElhiney
CANTORS Our cantors are responsible for leading the sung prayer of our community and work very hard to learn new music. We provide tapes for those who cannot read music and rehearse once or twice a month. We try to provide a cantor for every celebration, including evening services such as Holy Day and Reconciliation services. We really would like to see some men get involved with our program as well as younger adults. Our children need many role models to show them the importance of sung prayer in their lives. Contact: Marcia Cutlip
CHILDREN'S CHOIR The children's choir rehearses on Wednesday evenings from 6:00 until 7:00 and sings at all the 9:00 family Liturgies,
which are scheduled throughout the year. These children are very dedicated and in spite of homework and other responsibilities to home and school,
manage to sing two part music. If you have a youngster who has received their First communion, who would enjoy singing, learning about their religion
and developing their spiritual life, please have them join us.
CLOW We have set up a liturgical space downstairs for the children, where we proclaim the Word of God from the Children’s Lectionary, which is formatted in language easier for the children to understand. The Presider reads the first reading, then the cantor and children sing the responsorial psalm and the Alleluia, then the Gospel is proclaimed. After the Gospel, the Presider takes what the children just heard in the readings and tries to get the children to understand how it should apply in today’s world. The presiders get three different write-ups for each week to give us examples to use and also the children’s bulletins can give you some ideas. We do not tech, we just do a homily like the priest does upstairs. There is no set format for this ministry, each Presider has their own style and delivers the homily in their own fashion, some use props or visuals while others just interact with the children. It’s an easy ministry because you’re already at Mass and it takes about an hour during the week to prepare, and with eight or more presiders, you only get scheduled once every 2 or 3 months. Finally and most important of all, it’s a wonderful experience to hear the children’s responses to God’s Word. Contact: Mary Ferguson, Joanne Fitzpatrick
CHRISTMAS PAGEANT Christmas Pageant is a group of elementary school students to put together and perform the Christmas Pageant. Pageant is read the script and the elementary school students act out the pageant as the story is read. The parish has costumes and props for the students. The rehearsal is the Saturday before Epiphany after the 4pm Mass and the performance is Epiphany Sunday after the 9am Mass. Notice to give out to the elementary religious education class to invite them to be part of the pageant. Contact: Susan and Nikki Bove
CONFIRMATION RELIGIOUS EDUCATION Confirmation Religious Education is a two year program to help prepare for the sacrament of Confirmation. The program teaches the candidates on how Christianity is part of your daily life. The classes meet about twice a month on Sunday from 12pm-2pm. The candidates are expected to attend Mass regularly, actively participate at class, complete 2 community service activities, 2 parish service activities, attend a soup kitchen, attend a retreat each year, write a letter to the pastor, interview with their facilitator, and strive to understand and embrace the doctrines, morality, sacraments and the rituals of the Catholic Church. Confirmation I session will have a speaker that talk about the given topic and then we break into small groups to share our faith. As a facilitator you will lead the small group in discussion on the given topic. Materials will be given to the teacher to help lead the discussion. Teachers are also responsible for attendance of class and Mass, calling candidates to remind them about class, tracking the completion of service projects, interviewing students before they are confirmed, and taking their class into St. John’s soup kitchen. Confirmation II is direct preparation for the sacrament. The students use the book “Confirmed in the Spirit”. The classes include a large group activity and lessons in the classroom. As a facilitator you will teach the chapter lesson with the guidance of the teacher manual. Teachers are also responsible for attendance of class and Mass, calling candidates to remind them about class, tracking the completion of service projects, interviewing students before they are confirmed, and taking their class into St. John’s soup kitchen. Confirmation candidates will be Confirmed in the Fall following the two year program. Contact: Jennifer Campagna
CONTEMPORARY GROUP This group provides gospel-pop style music for the youth Masses of the Parish. High School aged students and adults are welcome to come and share their vocal and instrumental talents with the community. We rehearse on Monday evenings from 6:00 – 7:00 but are flexible. Contact: Marcia Cutlip
CUB SCOUTS Pack 735
ELEMENTARY LEVEL OF RELIGIOUS EDUCATION On the Elementary Level of our Religious Education Program we have over 400 terrific children who are journeying with approximately 80 wonderful catechists, assistants, hallway monitors, etc.! Classes meet on our Parish property on Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons from 3:00 – 5:30 PM for Grades 1, 3, 4, 5 and on Saturday mornings from 9:00- 10:15 for our First Communion Program and a few varied classes for elementary level students who cannot possibly attend the weekday classes. Grades 1, 3, 4, 5, use the Sadlier series of textbooks in their class settings with many additional handouts and lesson plans, workbooks, etc. provided by the Program’s Coordinator. Students in Grade 2 work with a Reconciliation Booklet and the Silver Burdett & Ginn series of “We Celebrate the Eucharist”. Jesus’ message of compassion and service is stressed throughout all grade levels as each individual class adopts a service project where the children and their families reach out and serve those less fortunate than themselves as they physically do something to help out in a community or beyond in an outreach effort. We feel that this in an important component of their Religious Ed experience as they learn about the need and responsibility to be socially just people who are called to serve and share. Large group sessions of Church Seasons, secular themes with a tie in to Christian themes, Workshops, Stations of the Cross, etc. are led for each grade level by the program’s coordinator, and/or the grade level’s Lead teacher, Eileen Litterio in Grade 1 and Mary Grimmer in Grade 2. The 2nd graders meet weekly on our Parish Campus as they prepare to receive the Sacraments of First Reconciliation and First Eucharist. There are 4 Parent meetings on the 2nd grade level of the program which all Parents must attend as an important piece of their children’s religious education experience. The children come together in a large group setting for a Reconciliation and Eucharist workshop and a Liturgy workshop during their Religious Ed year. First Communions are celebrated in late April and early May. We have also added a parish “Personal Safety Program” to our curriculum in a joined effort to keep our children safe and protected at all times. Anyone who has any dealings with the young people must have completed a “Protecting God’s Children” training session, filled out a CORI form and provided us with character references. We also conduct Personal Safety Training in Grades 1 – 5 focusing on the fact that our God created us all to be happy and safe from all harm. A professional pediatric nurse leads this program. In order to provide the best opportunities for faith formation, we meet on a bi-monthly basis at our Grade level catechist meetings where we pray together, review lesson plans, share ideas and discuss the opportunities for various Community Service projects for different classes. We also work with each grade level to host our monthly Family Masses which are celebrated at a Sunday 9:00 AM parish Mass. We encourage full participation in our weekly Masses and different community and social events here at St. A’s! The Religious Ed coordinators are always actively recruiting potential catechists and assistants to enhance and share the Christian message to all! Please call Nancy or Jen at any time with questions, concerns or the offer to help in any capacity! COORDINATOR: Nancy MacAllister EUCHARISTIC MINISTERS Eucharistic Ministers are a group of men and women who are empowered to share the Body and Blood of Christ with their fellow worshipers in the assembly and with those sick and confined. As Special Ministers of Holy Communion, they are called to become and live as the Body of Christ that they give to their brothers and sisters. The Eucharist should be central in their lives. Contact: Dottie Parker
FAIRE Our annual Faire is our largest fundraiser and is held the weekend before Thanksgiving. We raise over $15,000 each year. It is a wonderful opportunity for people to come together to share time, talents and fun! Contacts: Tricia O’Brien or Dana Percy
FUNERAL CHOIR This ministry evolved from a group of nine o'clock daily Mass folk. They provide a wonderful base of support for those grieving and burying a loved one. They greet, they hand out worship aides, and they support families by singing in the choir. They are available to do the readings, act as Eucharistic Ministers and do the intercessions as needed. New members are always needed and are very much appreciated Contact: Marcia Cutlip
GARDEN This ministry's role is to maintain the perennial garden in front of the Parish Activity Center and plantings around birdbath and Church sign and peace pole. Contact: Maryann Cuscuna
THE GIVING TREE Each year St. Athanasius Parish has a Christmas Giving Tree to benefit families receiving services from North Shore Catholic Charities. Every November, Catholic Charities sends a coded list of families with each family member’s needs and/or Christmas wish listed. Paper ornaments are cut out and on each ornament an item is listed. The ornaments are posted on a bulletin board in the church vestibule. Parishioners take the ornaments and purchase the item listed on the ornament. All the gifts are dropped off at church. In early December, a caravan of cars delivers the gifts to Catholic Charities in Lynn to be distributed to the families before Christmas. The Christmas Giving Tree has become an important tradition of sharing at St. Athanasius Parish through which the parish annually provides more than 50 families with Christmas gifts that they would not otherwise have. Contact: Ellen Terry
HAVEN FROM HUNGER Volunteers from St. Athanasius have been reaching out to the people in need of Peabody and surrounding towns for over 10 years by preparing and serving them dinner on the second Monday of each month. Volunteers and guests have time to relax and enjoy each other's company over dinner and have become a very special part of our lives. Contact: Tricia O'Brien
HOMEBOUND Volunteers serve those unable to come to Mass to receive the Eucharist by bringing the Eucharist to them. Visits are made to Wingate three Fridays a month. You do not have to be a Eucharistic Minister at Mass to bring the Eucharist to the homebound. Contact: Dottie Parker
HOSPITALITY COMMITTEE Vital to any community is it's social gatherings. The Hospitality Committee provides refreshments following the 9am Mass and on other special events held at the Church. Parishioners also meet for once a month for coffee and conversation after the 9am daily Mass. We come together as a Parish Community to meet new people and reconnect with old friends. Contact: Sophie Beninati
INTERCESSORY PRAYER Intercessory Prayer is held on the first Friday of each month from 7-8 pm in the Church or the Parish Activities Center. A notice is put in the bulletin the Sunday before as a reminder and to give notice of cancellation when necessary. The prayers are similar to the intercessions read at Sunday Liturgy. We pray to God for intentions held dear; for those who are troubled, ill or deceased, for our troops in harm’s way, for peace in the world and many other intentions. If you have trouble praying you can choose to join in the response only. This could be a good means to find your way back to prayer. Since intercessory prayer is traditionally held on the first Friday of the month, we become part of a continuous chain of petition to God for the world’s needs.Contact: Gene Martin
LECTORS Lectors or Ministers of the Word, proclaim the Word of God in the assembly, assisting those who hear the message to be better able to incorporate God’s word into their lives and understand God’s Love. Lectors at St. Athanasius are adult men and women or youth who have been trained for this ministry. While public speaking experience is helpful, there are differences between public speaking and proclaiming God’s word. What is essential is that Lectors prepare themselves to give Christ the opportunity to work through them using the talents each has been given. Lectors are provided with a Workbook for Lectors and Gospel Readers to assist with their preparation. These are commentaries to help better understand the meaning of the texts and ideas on how to present the Word of God. Training is provided to help the Lector in their ministry. Contact: Dottie Parker
MEALS MINISTRY The mission of the Meals Ministry is to provide meals to families who are in crisis or are experiencing difficult times (family illness, recent death, etc.). Meals provide both physical nourishment and emotional support from the Parish Community. We also provide desserts for the patients at the Sawtelle Hospice House on the weekends.Contact: Janice DeHart
Middle School Religious Education Program St. Athanasius Middle School Religious Education Program consists of about 30 volunteer teachers and a Coordinator of Youth Ministry, the enrollment of approximately 402 students. The series use is Silver Burdett Ginn’s Connect for Middle School. Sixth grade’s theme is “Our Church Yesterday and Today”, seventh grade’s theme is “Who is Jesus?” and the eight grade’s theme is “What does it mean to be a Catholic”. This series helps middle school students connect their day to day life with their spiritual life. In addition to the 6 chapter in the book the class meets for a kick off retreat, service project, Mass, prayer service, lesson on Advent, lesson on Lent, and other lessons to fill in the missing components. Classes meet on Monday night at the Parish. The sixth grade, a seventh grade class, and a eighth grade class meet 6:00pm to 7:00pm. The seventh and eighth grades meet from 7:20pm to 8:20pm. Each student is expected to participate in a service project during the year, with their class. There is one special mass for the Middle School students and their families followed by an ice cream social. The philosophy which motivates the Middle School Religious Education program is on that believes we are assisting parents to teach their children what id means to live the life of a Roman Catholic, through Eucharist, word, service and instruction. Showing each student by example how we are called to live a life following Jesus’ example. Contact: Jennifer Campagna
MISSION OF DEEDS The Mission of Deeds transforms generosity into hope … A table and chairs to gather around to eat meals, dressers to store clothes, a comfortable bed, a safe crib. For some, no longer is it necessary to sleep on newspapers on bare floors or keep babies in bureau drawers or cardboard boxes because there are no cribs. Our work is made possible because of so many people who give of themselves in so many ways. We are busier than ever and as always are in desperate need of volunteers. Contact: Joanne Smarella
MONEY COUNTERS Our Money Counters are a very important part of our community dedicated to their job. We have five teams of volunteers of four or more that open and count whatever has been contributed that weekend. A schedule of dates for the year is provided for each person on their team. Generally, each team is scheduled once each five weeks. Contact: Helen Gibbons
PARISH LIBRARY There are over 1,300 books in our library. There are 14 categories from the Bible to teacher information. We are always looking for new or gently used books that reveal interesting, illuminating information about any of the categories listed.Donated books can be put in the “Return books here” box. If anyone would like to volunteer, there are informational sessions. Some of the duties include:
Contact: Pat Yirrell
PRAYER SHAWL MINISTRY Care and the love of knitting (and crochet) have been combined into a prayerful ministry that reaches out to those in need of comfort and solace to those members of the parish who are sick or homebound. Many blessings are knitted into every shawl. The knitter begins each shawl with prayers for the recipient. Intentions are continued throughout the creation of the shawl. When the shawl is completed it is offered a final blessing before being sent along its way.Contact: Dottie Parker
READING FOOD PANTRY St. Athanasius Parish has been an active member of the Reading Clergy Association which runs and maintains the Reading Food Pantry for quite some time. Food drives are planned and implemented (usually special item collections at certain announced Masses throughout the year) and items collected are delivered to the Food Pantry for distribution to those in need. Volunteers organize drives and arrange for delivery of goods. Contact: Karen O’Connell
RELIGIOUS EDUCATION COMMISSION The Religious Education Commission is comprised of a group of parishioners who are committed to ensuring that our parish is providing the best opportunities for faith formation to the parish at large. The group serves as an advisory board to the Religious Education Coordinators, Nancy MacAllister, Elementary Level Coordinator and Jennifer Campagna, Middle School and Confirmation Coordinator. Any projected changes such as deciding on new books, curriculum changes, registration procedures, tuition charges, etc. are discussed and voted on at our monthly meetings. Any parishioner is invited to attend our meetings during the 1st half hour (meetings are announced in our parish bulletin) to bring any concerns, suggestions, etc. to the table for discussion. Our current commission members are:
Jennifer Campagna
Nancy MacAllister
RESPECT LIFE The purpose of this ministry is to promote the sacredness of all human life, from the womb to the tomb. The members will offer education on the various “life” issues, including abortion, the death penalty, euthanasia, and assisted suicide. Contact: Fr. Bill
SACRISTANS Sacristans are regular communicants who are willing to participate in the liturgical actions. Sacristans may be of any age and either gender. All that counts is the ability to perform and enjoy many tasks. The diversity of our individual gifts brings fresh approaches to this ministry. The sacristans responsibility before the liturgy: the church must be opened, the lights turned on, bread and wine must be in place, vessels and vestments available, liturgy texts and candles set in place, under supervision and support of our pastor. Contact: Dottie Parker
SOCIAL COMMITTEE A group of volunteers who offer many day and overnight trips to the Parish. Our goal is to help build the St. Athanasius community by providing social opportunities to our families and friends, e.g., Newport Mansions, New York/Atlantic City, Niagara Falls, Martha’s Vineyard, Red Sox games, and much more. Contact: Tricia O’Brien
ST. JOHN'S SOUP KITCHEN St. Athanasius parishioners serve a meal at St. John’s Soup Kitchen in Boston on the third Monday of each month. Servers help prepare a meal for 150 guests, serve the meal and then clean up after the meal. Eight people are needed each month.Contact: Jacqueline Lambrecht
STEWARDSHIP The purpose of this ministry is to foster sacrificial giving of Time, Talent, and Treasure (money) for the good of the parish, the universal Church, and other agencies that promote justice and peace in our world. This ministry is meant to help our parishioners understand that we are stewards of the good gifts we have received from God, and we have a responsibility to share these gifts for the betterment of God’s Kingdom here on earth. Contact: Fr. Bill
TANNERVILLE BRUNCH The brunch is held on the first Sunday of every month, October through June at the Frank B. Tanner Housing Complex in Reading. Volunteers are needed to help with serving and cleaning up after the brunch. Six to eight people are needed for each date. It is essential to sign up ahead of time.Contact: Joanne and Catherine Gregorowicz
USHERS/GREETERS The Usher/Greeters’ duties continue through the liturgy. They facilitate the seating of the people, take up the collection, and assist in the formation of the offertory procession.After the liturgy, it is the Usher/Greeters’ job to pick up papers and misplaced items, restoring the worship space in addition to turning off the lights and locking the doors. Their work is to be done with joy and love for God and the community. The men and women who accept this ministry are called to live personal lives that show the presence of God, not just in the church, but every day. Please consider the call to this ministry here at St. Athanasius.Contact: Dottie Parker
WEDDING MINISTRY This ministry needs people who will assist couples and their guests with the wedding rehearsal and the wedding ceremony. Contact: Lisa Tavoletti and Maryann Cuscuna
WELCOMING COMMITTEE Our entire Parish Family is our Welcoming Committee. It’s our responsibility as baptized members of God’s family to make all who visit our Parish home feel welcomed and needed members of God’s Saint Athanasius family. We believe it makes a real difference when someone friendly from the Parish speaks in person to a new parishioner. It can change an awkward and possibly intimidating experience into a warm, personal and truly Christian one. We do need some key people, however, to form a Welcoming Committee. Members of this committee would be present during coffee hours after the 9:00 Mass in the Parish Activity Center to be welcoming and available to answer any questions that a newcomer to the Parish may raise about the registration process and or anything else about parish/community life. Contact: Fr. Bill YOUTH MINISTRY
The goals of Catholic Youth Ministry in the United States are:
These goals are accomplished by implementing eight different components, that make up a comprehensive youth ministry program. Here at St. Athanasius we are trying to incorporate all these components into our Youth Ministry program. Listed are the different components and what the parish has done to incorporate the components into our parish.
Components of Youth Ministry
Youth volunteers are needed:
Adult volunteer are needed: Contact: Jennifer Campagna |
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