Ministry of Hospitality

Hospitality Ministers 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 and because of this, should take special steps in being living representatives of the Parish Mission Statement. 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.

REQUIREMENTS

1. The Ministry of Hospitality is truly a service to the Church and should be treated seriously and with great dignity. Therefore, Ministers of Hospitality should have an understanding of the Liturgy in order to be effective in providing the faithful with the proper environment.

2. In addition, the following attributes will assist the ministers of seeking Jesus’ face in the face of each and every person who comes into the church: patience, reverence, sensitivity compassion, understanding, gentleness, embracing a sense of the family gathered as the Body of Christ.

3. Your participation in the Ministry of Hospitality should be a direct reflection of your own prayer life which is nurtured by the Word of God and reception of Holy Eucharist thereby imbuing within you a spirit of dignity and respect.

In general, Ministers of Hospitality carry the responsibility for the following:

  1. Opening doors to make sure the entrance into the church is welcoming to all.

  2. Giving full attention to the gathering assembly by offering a “Good Morning” 

  3. Smile, which not only magnifies your true inner sincerity and sensitivity, but is an international sign of welcome to all the faithful.

  4. Seating those assembled for Liturgy and especially taking special efforts to seat the faithful during the natural breaks in the Mass.

  5. Attending to the needs of the disabled through such things as holding doors open, or locating non sloped areas places for wheelchairs and walkers.

  6. Making sure that the gifts of bread and wine are in their proper places before Mass and asking members of the assembly to bring forth the gifts at the Offertory

  7. Checking the worship space to make certain that it free from clutter

  8. Assisting in the Rite of Preparation of the Gifts:

  • Circulating the collection receptacles (there should be a sufficient numbers of ministers and volunteers to facilitate the collection in a timely and orderly fashion)

  • Assisting in the Offertory Procession

  1. Assisting the handicapped in receiving Holy Communion as well as facilitating the Communion procession.

  2. Offering the parish bulletin to the faithful as they exit the church.

PREPARATION

1. Pray.

2. Seek Christ in everyone.

3. Embrace your Parish Mission Statement.

HELPFUL HINTS

1. The Ministers of Hospitality should never do anything that would draw attention to her/himself at any time.

2. Clothing should be appropriate for the Liturgy, modest and in keeping with the dignity of the ministry.

3. Ministers of Hospitality should be seated in a place which allows for easy access to the various responsibilities, yet with the assembly.

4. If the Ministers of Hospitality must pass in front of the altar (this should be extremely seldom), he/she must bow to the altar. All movements within the Liturgy are done with dignity and grace and never hurried.

For more information about Ministry of Hospitality at Our Lady Queen of Peace Parish, please email Fr. Javier Bustos.