Servers, readers, commentators, and members of the choir also exercise a genuine liturgical function. They ought to discharge their office, therefore, with the sincere devotion and decorum demanded by so exalted a ministry and rightly expected of them by God’s people.
Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy
nos. 28-29

Liturgical Duties

On certain occasions during the week, adults are called upon to serve for funeral Masses or other Masses that require servers since the younger members of our Church are at school. These men and women give their time to serve at the Altar, providing the priest with the help needed to celebrate Mass smoothly and effectively. If you are interested in giving your time to serve the Church in this fashion, please call the Cathedral Rectory at 393-3930.

For years, the Church community has provided children with an opportunity to participate in the celebration of Mass by serving at the altar. While serving, these young people learn the sacredness of the Liturgy of the Word and the Liturgy of the Eucharist. They also learn from devoted Catholics, such as priests, religious or dedicated laity. Altar serving is integral to the Christian formation of all young people seeking a rich relationship with God. For more information, or to sign up your son or daughter as an altar server, please call the Cathedral Rectory at 393-3930.

During the Liturgy of the Word, we listen to God speak to us through the proclamation of Scripture readings and the homily of the priest. These proclamations are difficult for children to understand. So, before the readings are begun, all the children gather together in the altar server sacristy with an adult leader to listen to God’s word. An interactive explanation of the readings is given that is geared to their learning level. They then return to the congregation for the Liturgy of the Eucharist. The group is led by one of many volunteers who rotate each week to lighten the responsibility. At St. Mary’s Parish, the Children’s Liturgy of the Word is celebrated during the 11:00 a.m. Mass. All children are encouraged to attend. This is a great opportunity for children to better understand the Gospel message for each Sunday.
If you are interested in leading Children’s Liturgy of the Word, please call the Cathedral rectory for more information

2000 years ago, God became man and dwelt among us. After his death and resurrection, God inspired human authors to record the events of Jesus’ life. Also, letters (or Epistles) were written from certain Church authorities to various Church communities. All of these writings are contained in the New Testament. God also inspired men of the ancient world to write histories, prophetic books, or Psalms. Yet they remain in written form. At each celebration of the Eucharist, we break open the Word of God to listen to His words for us. The Lector has the important job of giving voice to that written word so that it will reach the hearts of all present. The Lector not only recites the text, but proclaims it for what it is - the Word of God speaking in our midst!
In order to become a lector, one must attend short informal training sessions and be approved by the Rector. If you would like to proclaim God’s Word as a lector, please call the rectory at 393-3930.

The beauty and elegance of music will enhance any activity or gathering. In the Church’s liturgies, music is an indispensable and integral element that not only enhances but completes each liturgy. At St. Mary’s Cathedral, we believe in making each celebration as complete as possible with polished singing and musical accompaniment. We have music at all weekend Masses. There is also a group of individuals who dedicate their time to singing for funeral masses that occur during the week. The music program is under the direction of Ernest W. Hadley, Jr. New members are always welcome! If interested, please call the rectory at 393-3930.

For each Mass that is celebrated, there is much behind the scenes preparation. Bread and wine to be consecrated must be measured out, books need to be set out, and patens and chalices must be put out. In addition, the sacristans clean the purified vessels and put them away, along with the other articles used during Mass. Each are scheduled to work at different times during the month.
If you would like to help prepare for Mass by being a sacristan, please call the Cathedral rectory at 393-3930.

A welcoming atmosphere is necessary in any Christian community, and so it is important that there be men and women at the entrances of the Church to greet and talk to people as they arrive to and leave from Mass. All must feel welcome to the worshiping community in order for there to be a full and rich experience of celebrating Mass. Greeters are stationed at each of the entrances of the Church to meet the parishioners and give them a bulletin and anything else necessary for the celebration of that particular Mass. Also, greeters are assigned to work at all special functions such as the Rite of Election for Catechumens, Chrism Mass, Ordinations, and funeral Masses distributing Mass cards. In addition to greeting, the ushers take up the collection. This ministry can be summed up as a ministry of service that enhances the communal nature of our Sunday celebration of the Eucharist.
If you are interested in joining the Ushers and Greeters, please call the Cathedral Rectory at 393-3930.

The Second Vatican Council proclaimed in Sacrosactum Concilium that the Eucharist is the source and summit of our Catholic faith and life. Indeed, the Eucharist is the most profound mystery of our faith, and so should not be denied to anyone able to receive. Since priests, the ordinary ministers of the Eucharist, are unable to distribute communion alone in a timely fashion, and since they are engaged in numerous other ministries and activities outside of Mass, extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion are commissioned by the Church to aid in the distribution of Communion during Mass and to take Communion to the hospital and those individuals who are homebound. St. Mary’s extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion serve the community in just this way. Each minister is assigned to certain Masses, or to certain homebound people.

Elizabeth Ministry is an international movement offering encouragement, hope and healing on issues related to childbearing, sexuality and relationships.
Support is available for women/mothers, men/fathers, kids/teens, siblings, grandparents and other family members.

Elizabeth Ministry Rosebud Program

Many people are blessed with gifts to help meet parish ministry needs. The Formation for Ministry program helps equip men and women to share their gifts as commissioned lay ministers and is also the first step in deacon formation. The program includes studies in Scripture, Theology, and Spirituality with workshops offering practical ideas for ministry. To become a commissioned lay minister, one must attend "Formation for Ministry" classes sponsored by the Diocese.
If you are interested in enrolling in the Formation for Ministry program, contact Father Joe for further information or visit our website at www.dioogdensburg.org/formation.

Natural Family Planning

When a loved one dies, there are a number of details that must be worked out in preparation for the wake, funeral, and burial. This can be extremely difficult when grieving the death of a loved one. The bereavement committee seeks to make the preparations for the wake and funeral mass as easy as possible. A committee member will meet with the family member or friend to help with the selection of songs and readings, or to help answer questions about the preparation process. In addition, the committee members present a gift of food to the grieving family, and send a card of remembrance the following year. Each year for All Souls Day, the Bereavement Committee is responsible for planning and organizing the remembrance ceremony, in which all the deceased of the parish are remembered and prayed for. The committee members are dedicated to helping the family or friends of a deceased person in any way possible.
To join the Bereavement Committee, or if you need their help, call the Cathedral Rectory at 393-3930.

"For the Church, evangelizing means bringing the Good News into all the strata of humanity, and through its influence transforming humanity from within and making it new” (Pope Paul VI, Evangelii Nuntiandi).

Evangelization has several ingredients:

1. Love of God, love of others, and love of self
2. Invitation to an ongoing personal relationship with Christ
3. Ongoing conversion
4. Conscious, active, extension of ourselves within the community
5. Nurturing the spiritual growth within the context of a worshiping faith community
The ministry of loving service to others

Evangelization is an ongoing process. Its is a person-centered ministry, and its core is the person of Jesus Christ. The message of evangelization always remains the same: dedication to conversion of self and others in the power of Him who was crucified, died, and rose again. This dedication leads to a renewed parish, which in turn will become an evangelizing parish, reaching out and welcoming strangers. The Evangelization Committee for St. Mary’s Cathedral meets at 7:00 p.m. on the first Wednesday of each month. Its purpose is to initiate processes and programs to the rector which will assist him with the spiritual growth of the parishioners, to reach out to fallen away Catholics and assist with their return to the Church, and to inspire and encourage those who may wish to join the Catholic Church.
If interested in joining the Evangelization Committee, please contact the Cathedral Rectory at 393-3930.

The Legion of Mary is an Association of Catholics who, with the sanction of the Church and under the powerful leadership of Mary immaculate, have formed themselves into a Legion for service of the Church through prayer and action. They offer their time and service to the Rector to aid him in performing spiritual works in the parish.

The main activities of the Legion of Mary at St. Mary’s Parish include: weekly meetings; visitations to the sick, shut-ins, and nursing homes (where they lead the recitation of the Rosary); daily individual recitation of the Rosary; monthly curia meetings; yearly correspondence to Legion representative in the Bronx; and Acies ceremonies at which members renew their promises.

Membership in the Legion of Mary is open to all men and women, married or single. If you are interested in joining us in our mission to pray for the Church through the intercession of Mary, please call the Cathedral Rectory at 393-3930.

Nocturnal Adoration Society

The Nocturnal Adoration Society is an association for Catholic men and women.

It has a threefold purpose:
1. To provide a fervent response to Christ’s invitation to keep prayerful vigil with Him,
2. To deepen the experience of communion with Christ Eucharistic, as He continues His self-offering and saving influence,
3. To live more consciously and actively the full significance of the Eucharist as the Sacrament of charity and unity for the Church and the world.

The Parish Council at St. Mary’s Cathedral provides leadership and direction in formulating and carrying out the goals and objectives of the pastoral activity in the parish. The Council assists in developing a spiritual unity in the local parish through enhancing participation in the life of the parish on the part of the faithful. The Council also participates in identifying and organizing the apostolic activities by which the parish meets the specific needs of the people. In short, the Council helps the Rector set policies, establish goals and priorities, plan the means of achieving the goals, and produce a plan of action. Three main committees have been established by the Council to meet the needs of the parish community. They are: Liturgy Committee, Evangelization Committee, and Socialization Committee. Ultimately, the Parish Council is a ministry of service to the greater Church community.

Non-elected Members:
• Cathedral Rector - Rev. Joseph A. Morgan
• One Deacon Assistant chosen by the Rector - Deacon Spike Bateman
• The Parish Trustees - Kathleen Lawrence and Joseph Lightfoot
• Pastoral Associate - Sr. Mary Teresa LaBrake, GNSH

As members of the Body of Christ throughout the world, we are aware that we are called to be responsive to the Christian calling to seek and find the forgotten, the suffering, or the deprived, so that we may bring them comfort and aid. We pledge ourselves to be generous with our time, our possessions and ourselves, and to be charitable and cognizant of the needs of God’s people.”
The Society of St. Vincent de Paul is an international Catholic organization of lay persons, founded in 1833 by Frederick Ozanam and his companions. Placed under the patronage of St. Vincent de Paul, the Society derives its inspiration from his thinking and work. It seeks, in a spirit of justice and charity, and by person-to-person involvement of its members, to help those who are suffering and in need.
The St. Vincent de Paul Society of St. Mary’s Cathedral is dedicated to addressing individual circumstances that call for help, and to seeking answers to the larger social justice issues that underlie local needs. We accomplish these tasks through various ways: running a second-hand store(closed July & August)which is operated by the Ladies of Charity, meeting weekly, providing travel aid and food aid, serving for funeral Masses, visiting and delivering flowers to hospitals and nursing homes, visiting shut-ins, assembling and delivering Christmas baskets with a complete dinner to families in need, and granting monetary assistance if possible. Many other works are provided according to individual needs and requests.

If you are interested in serving the poor and suffering in our community by joining the St. Vincent de Paul Society, please contact:
Mr. Dan Harradine 323-4368 or
Mrs. Pat Fassett 393-4324.

This group is made up of women dedicated to saying the Rosary and who are committed to praying for the promises from Our Lady of Fatima. Members of the Apostolate meet once a week for an hour in the St. Mary’s Chapel for prayer. Our Lady of Fatima asked that we pray often and make sacrifices to God. We try to make everything we do a sacrifice and offer it as an act of reparation for the sins by which God is offended, and in supplication for the conversion of sinners. We pray also to bring peace to our country and, above all, to accept and bear with submission the sufferings that our Lord has sent.
Other prayers include: consecration to Mary, meditation on the Rosary, intentions of the Pope, reparation for sin and offences against the Sacred Heart of Jesus and Immaculate Heart of Mary.
Every first Saturday, the members meet for devotions after the noon Mass to make five first Saturdays. They offer their confession, communion, five decades of the Rosary, and fifteen minutes of meditation on the mysteries of the Rosary during the first Saturday devotions.
If you would like to join the World Apostolate of Mary, please call the Cathedral rectory at 393-3930.

According to Church law, every parish is to have a Finance Council. This Council aids the Rector in the administration of parish goods. The Rector appoints parishioners to advise him about parish financial matters. The parish trustees serve as members of the Council. Council members review the annual budget as well as the annual Financial Report.

In process of being formed

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