Thank you for being a part of the St. Columba Hospitality Ministry. This is a vitally important ministry; yours will be the first impression that parishioners and visitors have of St. Columba parish. The purpose of this ministry to put on the face of “the Smiling Christ” and welcome parishioners and visitors to St. Columba, to help them during Mass, and to thank them as they leave after Mass. Hospitality is every parishioner’s job and it’s the best of all the ministries because as important as Hospitality is, it’s not very difficult.
Specific guidelines for Greeters:
– Please try to arrive 20-30 minutes before Mass.
– There should be two Greeters at the main entrance to the church and one at each of the two side entrances at the front of the church.
– Provide a sincere and friendly welcome to parishioners and visitors as they enter the church.
– You are welcome to take your seat when the celebrant begins his procession up to the altar but remember that hospitality is everyone parishioner’s job.
– Greeters are welcome to join the celebrant for prayer in the sacristy before Mass.
– Recruit new people for the Hospitality Ministry! It’s a great way to serve.
Specific guidelines for Ushers:
– Please try to arrive no later than 15 minutes before Mass.
– There should be two Ushers at the main entrance to the church and one at each of the two side entrances at the front of the church.
– The two Ushers at the main entrance should be visible in the vicinity of the baptismal font to help anyone with questions or special needs; if possible, one Usher should remain in the back of the church throughout Mass.
– For Ushers at the 9:30 Mass, let those with small children know that there is childcare available; offer to escort them if they’re unsure where childcare is located. Depending on the Mass, it is possible that there is no room in the Family Room. If children become a distraction, advise the parents — if there is room in the Family Room
– For those who need assistance, offer to assist them in finding a seat. We pray that one day all of the Masses at St. Columba will be so well attended that Ushers will be needed in the traditional ushering role of helping everyone be seated.
– At the beginning of the Prayer of the Faithful, ushers should gather at the back of the church for the collection; begin the collection after the celebrant completes the Prayer of the Faithful.
– If members of the congregation have been assigned to take up the gifts, one of the Ushers will lead the procession with the collection basket. Otherwise, three Ushers will take up the gifts – one with the collection basket, one for the bread and one for the wine.
– At the conclusion of Communion, two ushers should proceed to the main entrance to thank people and to offer bulletins as people exit the church after Mass. Ushers don’t need to be at the side entrances until after the Final Blessing.
– Ushers are welcome to join the celebrant for prayer in the sacristy before Mass.
– Recruit new members! Ushering is not just a guy thing; both men and women are most welcome to be Ushers.
Hospitality Ministry Coordinator
In addition to the above, the “Hospitality Ministry Coordinator” should:
– Before Mass, request at least two parishioners/visitors to make the offertory procession with the gifts of bread and wine. The offertory procession group should be in place near the table in the middle of the church. After the collection, an Usher will take the collection basket up to meet the offertory procession group. The Usher with the collection basket should lead the group and hand the basket to the celebrant, then move to the side; the celebrant will then take the wine and bread. The group should then bow and return to their seats. Getting volunteers for the offertory procession group is not routine at every Mass, but it should be the goal.
– Assist with Greeter/Usher replacements and other schedule issues. Let Freddie Bustria know if anyone on the schedule is consistently not present at his/her assigned Mass.
– In those cases where there are not enough Greeters/Ushers, request parishioners to assist.
– Recruit new members!
Some Hospitality Ministry members want to serve only as a Greeter, others only as an Usher, and some as both a Greeter and an Usher.
We will have separate Greeter and Usher schedules, available in the sacristy no later than the last Saturday of the month. They will also be emailed to everyone who provides an email address to Freddie Bustria: freddiebustria@gmail.com
If you have any issue with the schedule or need to make changes, please first try to find a replacement, then contact the Coordinator. Please notify Freddie and your Coordinator the month before if you have any known scheduling constraints for the upcoming month.
The Mass is more important than any of us. We should not be a distraction in either our dress or demeanor.
Please provide feedback and suggestions about the Hospitality Ministry to:
Fr. Rolando Gabutera 858-277-3863
Freddie Bustria freddiebustria@gmail.com