In their welcome and Christ-like attitude, ministers of hospitality ensure that the faithful see and experience the love of Christ.
People experience the presence of Jesus Christ in the world through the ministry of the Church. The first task of the parish community is to reach out to all people in Christian love and service. Christian hospitality draws people together, opens them to participation, and sets the tone for the liturgy.
Every Christian is called to ministry and gifted by the Holy Spirit. This calling is rooted in our baptism. By means of our initiation into the Church and strengthened by grace, God empowers each person with the resources for ministry. The minister of hospitality is equipped for this ministry by the gifts of the Holy Spirit. These gifts make that ministry effective and enable the minister to build up the Body of Christ. In their welcome and Christ-like attitude, ministers of hospitality ensure that the faithful see and experience the love of Christ.
The ministry of hospitality is crucial because it is so visible in the Church. Certainly the attitude, conduct and even the appearance of the minister of hospitality directly affects, either positively or negatively, the experience of the faithful at Mass.
The main objectives of the Ministry of Hospitality are to:
Contact Person: Clementine Toulon
Phone: +1 268 723-9000
SEATING
The proper place for the seating of ministers of hospitality is within the assembly. Always attentive to the needs of the faithful, they should sit in those places that would enable them to best exercise their ministerial role, i.e., near the doors, throughout the church, etc.
PROCEDURES BEFORE THE LITURGY
Greet and welcome the faithful as they gather for worship. Ministers of hospitality should be at each of the entrances of the church. They should avoid congregating in only one area of the church, as well as speaking with their fellow ministers to the exclusion of those who are gathering for the liturgy.
PROCEDURES DURING THE LITURGY
Ministers of hospitality are part of the worshipping community. As such, they are to participate fully in the music, responses, and prayers of the liturgy. At times, however, the special duties of the minister may limit his or her ability to participate. Yet, every effort should be made by the ministers of hospitality to be models of participation in the worship of the Church. During the liturgy, ministers of hospitality should assist with the following:
The seating of latecomers with as much haste and as little disturbance as possible. (Each parish needs to determine the appropriate time to seat latecomers. Many parishes seat latecomers when there is a break in the liturgy, e.g., at the conclusion of the Opening Prayer or at the conclusion of the First Reading or Responsorial Psalm.)
