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.  For the 4:00 p.m. anticipated Mass, there is a guitar and piano to accompany the cantor and congregation.  At the 8:00 a.m. Mass, the music is led by a schola and accompanied by the organ.  For the 11:00 a.m. Mass, a full choir with cantor and organ lead the music.  The music program is under the direction of Ernest W. Hadley, Jr.  There is also a group of individuals who dedicate their time to singing for funeral masses that occur during the week.  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. To be an Extraordinary Eucharistic Minister, one must be a commissioned lay minister of the Diocese of Ogdensburg.

(To become a commissioned lay minister, one must attend "Formation for Ministry" classes sponsored by the Diocese.  To learn more about these classes visit the Formation for Ministry website.)

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