Ushers and Greeters
have always been
referred to as the “Door Keepers” of the church and once they were
referred to as the “doors” giving open access to the warmth of holy
fellowship in the Spirit of Jesus. Our Sunday congregation should
always have about them something of the warm congeniality of a family
reunion. Each arrival needs to experience the feeling of
belonging, a sense that “it is good to be here.” A mutual
acceptance: “I, greeting you, see Christ in you and you see Christ in
me, greeting you.” The Lord’s Day of celebration ought to be a
shinning moment providing a foretaste and promise of better things to
come.
Ushers and Greeters
have an adjective to describe them such as warm,
friendly, hospitable, courteous, kind, gentle and gracious. All
of this should be presented with a smile. They prepare the soil
for the seed of God’s Word to be planted. Ushers and Greeters are
people-oriented and have the ability to put strangers at ease.
They need to be certain that visitors always feel welcome. They
need to assure that the handicapped need to experience the love of God,
the love of the community and realize their importance to us.
Before the parishioner sees the priest or hears the choir, they meet
the ushers/greeters. The greeting may be brief but brief does not
mean superficial.
Expectations for
Ushers/Greeters Come when scheduled. This is by
far the most important thing. If you are unavailable for your
scheduled time, call another of your fellow Ushers/Greeters and ask
them to take your schedule. Remember if you do it for them, they
will also do it for you. Call to make
arrangements with someone
else, just as SOON AS YOU KNOW you cannot make your time.
If an
emergency arises just before Mass starts, please call either the parish
hall or the rectory and attempt to let someone know.
Please try to arrive at Mass at least 15 – 20 minutes early. Go
to the sacristy and get your Usher/Greeter pin. The Greeter/Usher
pins are in the sacristy in a box in the cupboard. Wear it
proudly. Remember
to replace your pin back in the sacristy following
Mass so that it will be available for others to wear.
Before
Mass, put the collection baskets in place and confirm that the gift
table is ready.
Be prepared. Take a moment for prayerful preparation. Look
pleasant and check your attire. Remember, you may only have the
one chance to make a positive impression on a visitor to our
community. Make the first words out of your mouth ones of
welcome. Be on the lookout for visitors, new members or
parishioners that may need special attention. If you meet a
newcomer, invite them to coffee and donuts following Mass if they are
available
If you see someone that has been in the hospital or has had a recent
death of a loved one, make them feel noticed. Teenagers
particularly feel unconnected – welcome them by name if at all
possible. If you notice someone in the parking lot struggling,
moms with babies, people with walkers, crutches or wheel chairs,
attempt to be available for them. Have a sense of humor, you are
to be a host, not a policeman or policewoman.
You should notice where nurses and Dr.’s are seated during Mass. They
may be needed to assist in an emergency (sickness).
Whenever possible, help people to their seats and seat them as close to
the front as possible, leaving the back pews for late comers.
Don’t point to a seat; lead the parishioner to the seat.
Teenagers love to sit in the very back; so be gentle about moving them
up a few pews. Many people are creatures of habit…some will not
want to move either up or over. Be POSITIVE to late-comers…we
have a small vestibule but if they are real late, hold them for an
opportune time in the Mass to seat them so as not to disrupt the
service.
Hold the doors open for the priest, deacon, altar servers and
liturgical ministers when they line up for the procession.
The Greeters/Ushers take up the collection, one Usher each should go
down the aisle on the far side of the pews and two Ushers should go
down the center aisle. When the four Ushers reach the front of
the church, together they should bow to the altar, then turn and begin
the collection. At the end of the collection, the offerings are
placed in the Main Collection basket and given to the Gift Bearer to
present to Father on behalf of the community. If there are not
enough Gift Bearers present, a Greeter/Usher may be needed to fill in
with this responsibility.
We have a second collection about 9 times a year. This collection
is normally taken up following communion. The same procedure is
followed as for the primary collection except the Ushers always place
it at the foot of the altar.
If you recognize that a handicapped individual needs communion at the
back of the church, you should place yourself at the end of Father’s
communion line. After you have received communion, escort Father
to the back of the church and identify the individual for Father.
Many times there may be crying children at Mass. It is frequently
very hard for parents to make a decision as to what to do.
Getting up and leaving Mass is embarrassing and disruptive but it is
not fair for one parent’s need to prevent the whole congregation from
worshiping well. We do not want to prevent children from
participating, in fact we want to encourage them, but we need to assist
in maintaining order.
Remove the gift table after the gifts have been taken up to the
altar. Open the doors for the recession and pass out bulletins at
the end of Mass. You may also need to offer special help to any
of the individuals that you noticed may have needed special attention,
remember, you are still the host. How would you treat guests at
your home?
Through all of this, it is important that as much as possible, you
participate in the liturgy.
