Ministries: Sacred Heart

Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist
Ministers of the Word (lectors)
Music Ministry
Altar Servers
Ushers
Ministry of Care
Parish Nursing
Youth Ministry

Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharists (EMEs) are active, adult Catholics who wish to serve their fellow parishioners and have a love of the Eucharist. EMEs are ordinary Christians who model Christian living in faith and conduct in their ministry and in their daily lives. Many of those who serve our parish as EMEs are married couples and are scheduled for the same masses. EMEs also bring Communion to the sick,the homebound, and residents of several local nursing homes under the Ministry of Care group.

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Ministers of the Word (lectors) proclaim the Word of God at liturgical celebrations and read announcements and Prayers of the Faithful. With deep faith and confident voice they announce the good news of salvation to their sisters and brothers in the parish. Lectors read at all weekend masses and holy days. Lector handbooks are provided that contain all the readings for the church year and may be studied at home if desired.

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Music Ministry: Among the many signs and symbols used by the Catholic Church to celebrate its faith, music is of pre-eminent importance. It forms an integral part of solemn liturgy.

At Sacred Heart in Middleboro all are encouraged to sing. Parishioners are assisted at every Sunday liturgy by leaders of song. Sacred Heart also has an adult choir of thirty-six men and women who sing in four-part harmony at the 11 o’clock Mass. Members are accepted through an audition with the choir director.

The children’s choir consists of eighty children in grades two Part of the large Children's Choir! through eight. There are no auditions for the children and they sing at the 9:30 a.m. family Mass on the second and forth Sundays of each month. Sign-ups for the children’s choir are done at religious education registration. Some are placed on a waiting list until room is available.

Each choir practices once a week. The adults rehearse on Wednesday evenings from 7:15-9:00 PM. The children practice on Thursday afternoons from 4-5:00 PM at the church. We are very fortunate to have such enthusiastic volunteers in both choirs and also as leaders of songs.

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Altar Servers: This ministry of service during Mass is inclusively “staffed” by both boys and girls at Sacred Heart. Two altar servers, a “Cross bearer” and a “Book bearer” are scheduled for each of the weekend Masses, and for special celebrations such as Holy Days or the special Evening Prayer Services and Masses during Advent and Lent. In addition, altar servers are often available by request for weddings and funerals.

Each year new servers are invited to join and be trained in the rituals associated with serving. Response has been such that we have a good mix of new and experienced servers and therefore a “mentoring” process that seems to occur naturally out of the older servers desire to pass along what they’ve learned. Our servers are serious and reverent in the completion of their duties and seem to really appreciate the opportunity to be involved in their parish’s ministry.

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Ushers are a group of dedicated men of all ages who faithfully greet our parishioners as they arrive for Sunday Mass and gather the offertory collection(s) into a large basket to be presented along with the gifts of bread and wine at the Preparation of the Gifts. Many of these ministers are members of the Knights of Columbus, Council 223. As knights they see their ministry as an integral part of being Catholic. The knights have been a constant source of support and assistance throughout this administration.

Ministry of Care: Each week a number of parishioners, some being dismissed from daily Mass, others going later in the day, bring the Eucharist to the home-bound, who cannot by reason of illness, infirmity, or age, get to Mass. Prayers are said, Scriptures are read, the Eucharist is given, bringing healing, strength and a source of unity with Jesus and one's fellow parishioners is fostered. Those engaging in this ministry are trained, approved and commissioned by the parish.

Parish Nursing: To express the healing ministry of Christ, the Parish is blessed with nurses who coordinate a healthcare ministry. Among the events sponsored by this group are monthly blood-pressure screenings after Sunday Masses, area-wide health fairs, and mammography van visits. The nurses seek to establish with parishioners a personal contact wherein they can provide compassionate concern and act as a resource for healthcare information.

Youth Ministry: The Youth Ministry Coordinator, Michelle Sylvia, works with the parish Core Team, a panel of adult and youth volunteer leaders, to plan and oversee a comprehensive youth ministry program for students in grades 6-12. Youth Ministry includes parish-based activities as well as parish participation in Archdiocesan-run programs.