Liturgy Commission January 2015 minutes

LITURGY COMMISSION MINUTES – Jan. 27, 2015

Meeting convened at 5:30 p.m. with Fr. Warren, Linda Befort, Sherry Lemuz, Lee Durler, Janet Skelton, Jo Molleker, Mary Smith, Sr. Rebecca, Regis Lopata, and Sharon McGinness present.  Minutes from the September 9, 2014 meeting were read and approved.

Discussion was held regarding celebrating the Feast of the Sacred Heart on Friday, June 12, 2015.  It was suggested that we try to book a guest and conduct a seminar, however it is probably too late to book anyone at this point.  Also Janet noted that Santa Fe Trail Days is scheduled for the weekend of June 12-14 and those activities might conflict with anything planned for Friday.  One suggestion is to have a hamburger feed or ice cream social on Sunday, June 14; this will be discussed further at the next meeting of the Liturgy Commission.  Jo will look into the cost and availability of speakers for 2016.  The Feast of the Sacred Heart is a moveable feast which is commemorated 19 days after Pentecost, so it was agreed that planning something for 2016 would be less likely to coincide with Santa Fe Trail Days or other community events.   Fr. Warren noted that the capital campaign for the new parish center will begin shortly and will run through to the beginning of June.  He suggested planning ahead to 2017 and commemorating the Feast of the Sacred Heart in conjunction with celebrating the new parish center.  This plan met with approval of the committee members.

Further discussion was held concerning booking of guests and/or conducting workshops or seminars in the future.  Jo suggested a mini workshop on cantoring and the liturgy for children of the parish to encourage them to participate in choir, with a goal of having a children’s choir sing at Mass once a month as well as on special occasions.  She will do further research on this.  Regis suggested that we contact other dioceses to see if they have seminars or workshops that we could attend.

Plans were made for Ash Wednesday, Lent, and Holy Week.  Sign-up sheets for ministries will be placed in the lobby of the church, and Fr. Warren will put a notice in the bulletin inviting parishioners to bring their old palms to be burned before Ash Wednesday.  Lee and Sherry will work with Sr. Rebecca on ideas for decorating the church for Lent.  Fr. Warren will order the Easter candle.    

Mass is scheduled on Ash Wednesday, February 18, at 7:00 a.m. in Belpre and at 6:30 p.m. at Sacred Heart.  Stations of the Cross and Benediction will be held at 7:00 p.m. every Friday during Lent.  The People’s Way of the Cross will be followed each week except for one, when Mary’s Way of the Cross will be followed.

On Thursday, March 26, Sr. Rebecca, Fr. Warren, Pam Hutfles, and possibly Sherry, Linda, and Regis will travel to Dodge City to bring the oils back for the Chrism Mass, which will be celebrated that evening, time TBA. 

Members of the Liturgy Commission will meet on Saturday, March 28 to set up the gym, place palms on the pews in church, etc. for Palm Sunday and also to change out the missals.  Blessing of the Palms will take place in the gym on Saturday and Sunday, with the assembly singing while processing from the gym to the church each day.

On Thursday, April 2, Sr. Rebecca, Linda, Mary, Sherry, and Sharon will meet at the church at 10:00 a.m. to set up the Altar of Repose.  The candles at the front of the church will need to be moved into the sacristy or the unused confessionals (candles will remain lit but removed from the sanctuary until after the Holy Saturday Mass).  Also holy water needs to be removed from the fonts.  Holy Thursday Mass will be celebrated on April 2 at 5:30 p.m. at Sacred Heart and at 7:00 p.m. at Belpre.  Mary, Regis, and Sr. Rebecca will contact parishioners to participate in the Procession of Oils.  Adoration will follow the Mass until midnight.  Good Friday Mass will be celebrated on April 3 at 3:00 p.m. in Belpre, and at 6:30 p.m. at Sacred Heart.  Members of the Liturgy Commission will meet at the church at 10:00 a.m. Saturday, April 4 to prepare for the Holy Saturday Mass, which will be celebrated at 8:30 p.m.  Sharon, Mary, Jo, Janet, Linda, and Sherry will met at the church on Monday, April 6 at 10:00 a.m. to clean the candles used during the Holy Saturday Mass.

Sr. Rebecca shared a “Guide for Liturgy Committees”, which she and Linda have found resourceful.  Members of the commission were given copies of a suggested liturgy meeting process/agenda and some evaluation questions to look over and provide feedback. 

The meeting adjourned at 6:30 p.m., with the next meeting scheduled for Tuesday, April 28, 2015 at 5:30 p.m.