WORSHIP
Areas of improvement included: the need for more spirited welcome
and hospitality at Eucharistic celebrations, more active participation by
parishioners in liturgical ministries, and improvement to the music ministry at
St. Mary of the Assumption.
Goal I: Improve attendance at liturgical celebrations.
- Have the lector announce upcoming Holy Days of Obligation on Sunday prior to Mass and publish a notice in the bulletin stressing the importance of attending those special celebrations starting immediately.
- Schedule at least one evening Mass at either worship site during the week to enable working parishioners to attend. Our plan is to offer an evening mass on the first Thursday of each month at 7:00 PM at St. Mary’s in Wyalusing and to continue the First Friday Mass at St. Joachim at 6:30 PM followed by Eucharistic Holy Hour, Benediction, and Night Prayer starting in January 2017.
Goal II: Encourage active participation in liturgical ministries by families.
- Schedule a children’s liturgy on the third Sunday of each month and coordinate a short program with catechists that recognize a saint’s feast or a particular church teaching. We plan to begin in Spring 2017.
Goal III: Improve liturgical celebrations and church environment.
- Consider approved contemporary music for 11:00 AM Mass at St. Mary’s which is attended by younger parishioners by the end of 2017.
- Hire a choir director to improve musical celebration and consider adding musical instruments such as a piano, guitar, violin, etc.
- Stress the importance of donations by having servers escort gift takers to the altar during the offertory. Implement by January 2017.
- Have the lector or altar server ring a bell to announce the beginning of the Eucharistic celebration. Plan to be implemented in January 2017.
- Encourage religious education students to greet parishioners and hand out bulletins after Mass beginning in January 2017.
