Liturgy Commission on Lent, Easter and Pentecost

Nativity's liturgy commission met Thursday evening, April 4th. Here are the highlights of the meeting:

1. We evaluated the liturgies and activities of Lent, Holy Week and Easter, including Confirmation

Some remarks:

• We were pleased by the decoration of the church all Lent, with the music, etc. The Altar of Repose was especially lovely.
• "Open church on Wednesday" worked well and will be repeated.
• It would be nice to have Stations twice.
• Fr. Bob will write to the bishop and ask for Confirmation at Nativity of Our Lady in 2014.
• The way we did the reading of the Passion Gospel on Palm Sunday and Good Friday was appropriate for the size of our community and of our church building.
• Next year the priest will wash the feet of some of the oldest members of our community on Holy Thursday.
• Adoration on the night of Holy Thursday to Good Friday: next year, we will again have adoration until 9:00, but there must be more catechesis of the community in advance.
• W will use the same number of readings next year as this year for teh Easter Vigil.
• A good number of readings. Proposal: same number of readings next year.

2. Future plans

• We asked Jane M. to make refrigerator magnets that the greeters can hand out on Pentecost.

3. Commissioning of liturgical ministers

• Decided: the list of liturgical ministers will be renewed and published each year between Easter and Pentecost. All liturgical ministers are urged to attend Mass on Pentecost Sunday at 10:00 a.m. At that Mass, they will stand up after the sermon and have their mandate from the parish renewed and receive a blessing, according to the ceremony published by the U.S. Bishops' Conference. This is also the time to install new ministers.
• The ministers involved: 1) lectors, 2) altar servers, 3) greeters/ushers, 4) extraordinary ministers of the Eucharist

4. Workshops for the liturgical ministers

• We will conduct four liturgical workshops, one for each of the groups listed above. The workshops will be held on 4 consecutive Sundays at 12:30 to 1:30 on June 2nd, 9th, 16th (Father’s Day) and 23rd.
• Lisa T. will choose a date for the altar server workshop (not Father's Day!). She will organize that one. Fr. Bob has the responsibility for the other 3 workshops.
• Between now and then, we must recruit new ministers, especially altar servers.

Next meeting: Sunday, August 25 at 12:30