Ministries

Ministries which aid in the celebration of Mass and other sacraments.

The celebration of Mass is the action of Christ and the People of God - ministers and assembly. Within the one body of Christ are many gifts and responsibilities. But just as each organ and limb is necessary for the sound functioning of the body, so every member of the liturgical assembly gathered by Christ has a part to play in the action of the whole...The participation of all is demanded by the nature of the liturgy and, for the faithful, is their right and duty by reason of their Baptism. - Pastoral Introduction to the Order of Mass, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, #4.

There are many opportunities for each of us to be involved in the celebration of the liturgy (Mass). The primary ministry of all who are gathered at the liturgy is to be an active participant - to participate in the responses, singing, listening, silence, posture, and gesture. Our active participation helps build up the Body of Christ. Everyone is brought closer to God and one another through our active participation.

Beyond this active participation from the pews, some are called to take part in special ministries. These ministries provide specific service to the community during the celebration of liturgy. Please contact the Collaborative Office if you are interested in any of these ministries.

Eucharistic Ministers

Eucharistic Ministers assist with the distribution of the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ under both species, the bread or the wine, during liturgy. Eucharistic ministers have a special love and understanding of the Eucharist and welcome young, old, lonely, accepted, rich and poor to the table of the Lord.

The commitment is one to two Sunday liturgies each month. You may request to serve at / or not serve at a specific Mass. The schedule is prepared for 3 months at a time.

The "call" to this ministry can be answered by any practicing Catholic.

Lectors

Lectors do not merely read the words on a page; rather they proclaim God's word to the assembly of people gathered in worship. It is a sacred duty that involves the sharing of faith.

The normal skills of public speaking (adequate loudness, good phrasing, proper emphasis, etc.) are still necessary and appropriate. At the same time, the lector focuses on the fact that the readings from scripture have been chosen because of the spiritual message they convey. The lector's goal is not to "perform" while reading, but to allow the congregation to hear that message.

The commitment is one to two Sunday liturgies each month. You may request to serve at / or not serve at a specific Mass.

Altar Servers

The altar server assists the priest in the celebration of the Mass. This is done through specific actions and by setting an example to the congregation by active participation in the liturgy (hymns, responses, etc.), by looking alert and sitting or standing at the appropriate times.

Servers carry the cross, the processional candles, hold the book for the priest celebrant, carry the incense and censer, present the bread, wine, and water to the priest during the preparation of the gifts or assist him when he receives the gifts from the people, wash the hands of the priest, assist the priest celebrant and deacon as necessary. It is a meaningful and fun way to server our parish. Periodically, outside activities are offered to the servers.

The ministry of altar server is open to all parishioners from grade 4 or higher.

Music Ministry

The music ministry is a vital part of the prayer and liturgical life of our parishes. It includes the Director of Music who also serves as organist, and professional cantors who lead the sung prayer of the assembly. In addition, The Adult Choir and Children's Choir minister musically to the parish by enhancing our liturgical and spiritual life.

The Adult Choir meets in Saint Patrick Church on Monday evenings for two hours. This choir of mixed voices ranges in age from 20's to 80's. The group sings weekly at the 10 AM Mass on Sunday mornings, and on Holy Days such as Christmas and The Holy Week Triduum. The choir is a non-auditioned group, and while some singers can sight-read, it is not a requirement to join.

Children's Choir

The Children's Choir is open to children of any age as long as they can read. They practice on Wednesday afternoons, and sing at special children's liturgies throughout the year, as well as Christmas, Easter and First Holy Communion.

Ushers

Ushers are the first representative of the parish that people meet when people enter the church. As such, they have a critical role of hospitality – making people feel welcomed and valued at our parish. Additionally, they assist with taking up the collection(s), usher at Communion time, and distribute Parish bulletins as people leave the Church. Men and women, as well as teenagers, are welcome to this ministry.

Daily Mass Ministers

Adult members of the parish enhance the prayerful nature of our daily liturgies by ministering as Eucharistic ministers, lectors and altar servers.

Pastoral Care/ Eucharistic Ministers to the Homebound / Hospitals

As a family of Christian disciples, our Collaborative invites every parishioner to help share the mercy and love of Christ to all those who suffer in mind, body, or spirit. "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest" says the Lord Jesus (Matthew 11:28).

Our Collaboartive reaches out to those who are bereaved, sick, or suffering in our community in many ways, including:

A dedicated team of Eucharistic Ministers of Communion distribute communion on a regular basis to those who are hospitalized, homebound, or reside in assisted living or skilled nursing facilities.

Children's Liturgy of the Word

Leaders and aides take the children downstairs to the Church Hall to proclaim the Word of God from the Children's Lectionary – the same readings as the adults in language that is more meaningful to the children. The leaders break open the Word helping the children better understand the meaning and significance of the weekly scripture readings.

The Children's Liturgy of the Word occurs approximately once a month at the 10:00 am Mass.

Environment and Art Ministry

Members of this ministry help create a prayerful worship environment through color, plants, flowers, and other appropriate decorations. This ministry creates a worship space that supports the liturgical season and provides a place where parishioners can meet God more deeply in their prayer and reflection.

Art and Environment members are artists and those with an artistic eye; artisans and craftspeople; and people who are willing to help with caring for plants and flowers, especially during major liturgical seasons.

Ministries focused on service to the parish, surrounding community or the world.

When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit upon his glorious throne, and all the nations will be assembled before him. And he will separate them one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will place the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. Then the king will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.' Then the righteous will answer him and say, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? When did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?' And the king will say to them in reply, 'Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.' Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you accursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, a stranger and you gave me no welcome, naked and you gave me no clothing, ill and in prison, and you did not care for me.' Then they will answer and say, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or ill or in prison, and not minister to your needs?' He will answer them, 'Amen, I say to you, what you did not do for one of these least ones, you did not do for me.' And these will go off to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life."
-- Matthew 25: 31-46

Sunday Coffee and …

Come, share food and meet other parishioners.  From September to May coffee, juice and various breakfast foods are available   It is a wonderful opportunity to meet and greet parishioners, old and new, while enjoying donuts, coffee and juice. All are welcome!

Sacred Heart Sundays after 7:30am Mass
Saint Patrick Sundays after 10am Mass

Watertown Catholic Collaborative Food Pantry

Hours of Operation
 Thursday
10:00 am – 11:45 am

Location:  770 Mount Auburn St, Watertown, MA 

The Parish Food Pantry has been serving the Watertown community for nearly 20 years by faithfully feeding the hungry and giving drink to the thirsty among us. Now more than ever, it is important for us to reach out to those in need in our community.

The Food Pantry is staffed by a dedicated team of volunteers and operates entirely by means of generous donations of food, sundries, monetary gifts, and volunteer hours from members of our Parish.

Donations of non-perishable food, sundries etc may be left outside the Food Pantryt door on Tuesday, Thursday & Friday's between 9am-12pm.
The Watertown Catholic Food Pantry is on Amazon!! 
 It is so easy to make a donation of food or toiletries to the Food Pantry using the wish list on Amazon.  Use this link to the Wish List and have the items you wish to donate shipped directly.  Every donation helps your neighbors who need food.  Thank you and God Bless you .    

Prayer Shawl Ministry

Do you knit or crochet? Would you like to learn? From beginners to advanced, all are welcome to join the Prayer Shawl Ministry! You may work with others in bi-weekly meetings or by yourself in the comfort of your own home. Instruction, yarn, needles, patterns and loving support are provided.

The term "prayer shawl" refers to a shawls or lap robes that are handmade by volunteers and gifted to individuals in need of comfort. They are not for sale.

Knitters and crocheters pray for the eventual recipient while they make the prayer shawl, and periodically the prayer shawls are blessed at Mass as well. The group meets on Wednesday mornings at 10:00 am, every other week from September to June at the Collaborative Office building 26R Chestnut Street.

If you are in need of the comfort and prayers of a prayer shawl, please call the Office at 617-926-9680

Ministries which promote knowledge of our faith as well as personal relationship with God.

RCIA – Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults

The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) is a process through which people can find out more about the Catholic Church. It can lead to one becoming a full member of the Church. It is a gradual process that takes place within the community. Generally it runs from September through June, and the sacraments are received at the Easter Vigil (the night before Easter).

The RCIA is appropriate for non-Catholics seeking to learn more about the Church, or for those baptized Catholics who have never completed their sacraments of initiation – Communion and Confirmation. Those who are already Catholic and have received First Communion, but still need to be confirmed, please refer to the section on Adult Confirmation.

Please visit the Faith Formation/RCIA section of the website for more information.

Adult Confirmation

Each year we hold a five or six-week program for Catholics who are baptized and have already received their First Holy Communion, but never celebrated the sacrament of Confirmation. The program reviews the essential elements of our Catholic faith with emphasis on Confirmation. Generally, the program is offered in January-February on Tuesday evenings. The program schedule may vary from year to year so please call the office for further information.

If you are not baptized or have not received First Holy Communion, please refer to the description of the RCIA. Both the Adult Confirmation and RCIA programs are offered for all the parishes in the Belmont-Watertown collaborative. Your parish RCIA coordinator can help you with the details of the two programs and can register you for the appropriate one.

For information about teenage Confirmation, please refer to the Religious Education program – particularly grades 9 and 10. Visit the Confirmation section of the website.

Religious Education (grades 1-10)

Religious education classes are offered for all students in grades 1 through 10. Formal classes are held on Sundays:

• grades K-6 are from 8:45 – 9:45am
• grades 7-10 are from 6:00 – 7:30pm

Other religious education activities such as Mass, prayer experiences, service, etc. may be scheduled on different days and times. The complete calendar is available under the "Faith Formation" tab on the website.

First Penance and First Holy Communion are typically received in the second grade with two years of preparation.

Confirmation is typically received in the 10th grade with two years of preparation.

Please vist the Faith Formation section of the website for more information.

Men's Group

"Therefore, encourage one another and build one another up, as indeed you do."
- 1 Thessalonians 5: 11

Throughout Scripture we are reminded of the importance of being in communion with our Christian brothers to support one another on the road less traveled and to spur each other on to a deeper level of holiness and virtue. Men's groups support, affirm, and share wisdom about the difficulties men encounter in their daily lives both at home and at work. Spend an hour or so each month learning how to apply the Word of God to your daily life. All men, young to old, are invited!

Meetings:
First and ThirdThursday of each month 7:00pm – 8:00pm
Sacred Heart Parish 

Eucharistic Adoration

Eucharistic Adoration is Wednesday evenings, 6-7:00pm following the 5:30pm mass at Saint Patrick.

Adult Faith Formation

A Lifelong Journey: "For so long the Church thought of catechesis as something only for children we were forgetting that God's desire for our growth into holiness of life is never-ending, that our hearts are restless until they rest in God (St. Augustine). The journey of faith is lifelong, and is ever in need of being nurtured and educated. The developmental psychologists have amplified this point by describing stages in faith development that stretch from birth into eternity."
- Francoise Darcy-Berube, Religious Education at a Crossroad

Adult Formation

Our faith journey is life-long and never-ending. Everything we do can be viewed from the perspective of faith, if we take the time and have the knowledge to do it.

The Collaborative offers a variety of programs for adults and young adults throughout the year.

• Some are long-term and ongoing like the men's group and Eucharistic adoration.
• Many are short-term and vary depending on the need and interest expressed by the group. They may include book clubs, prayer groups like Lectio Divina, bible study or more.
• Offerings often correspond to the liturgical season like exploring the nativity stories from scripture during Advent, or the passion narratives during Lent.

Not all formation activities are solely educational. They may be oriented to service, social or prayer activities or some combination of the above.

Please vist the Faith Formation Dates on the website or the bulletin for specific offerings at any point in time