Usher Instructions

 

USHER - GREETER MINISTRY

The Usher/Greeter Ministry is one of the more important ministries in the Church. Since hospitality and welcoming are pillars of the Christian life, ushers and greeters reflect the hospitality of Jesus who welcomed people into His presence. The ministry is the first exposure some people will have to the Christian Community when coming to Church. Ushers and greeters represent the entire Church in their ministry.

BEFORE MASS

  1. Arrive 20 minutes prior to Mass. This gives you a chance to get ready, pick up ministers’ cross, put out bulletins and collection envelopes, and to see that the Chapel is in order. Please do an overview of the Chapel to pick up any trash, items left behind, etc. Found items should be brought to the front desk.
  2. Wear a silver cross and a name tag. This identifies you as a minister and people will feel more free to approach you with needs and questions.
  3. Open the doors to the Chapel. People should be greeted with an appropriate welcome and each family should be given a bulletin. Please close doors to the Chapel once Mass begins.
  4. Ushers - Assist people in finding seats, especially as the chapel reaches capacity.
  5. Ushers - Identify those parishioners who will need communion brought to them and be attentive to others with special needs. Watch for those confined to wheelchairs, using walkers, canes, and the elderly who may have difficulty walking. Please assist them with seating. Chairs can be removed from the ends of rows to make room for wheelchairs. People should be asked if they would like communion brought to them.
  6. Greeters - Select a family to bring up gifts at Offertory time. Give them the Communion disc which should be placed back on the table when they prepare to process forward with the bread and wine. Instruct them to come to the back of the chapel when the collection basket passes their row.

DURING MASS
  1. Ushers - Do not permit people to walk up to the front of the chapel during the Homily or the Consecration.
  2. Ushers - Gather at the rear of the chapel after the Creed and begin the collection immediately after the “Prayers of the Faithful.”
  3. Ushers - Inform presider of children’s liturgy when children should return to the chapel.
  4. During the offertory. If collection is taking longer than usual, do not delay presentation of gifts. (NOTE: If communion disc is still on the table, it indicates that gift bearers still need to be chosen.) Instruct the gift bearers and the altar servers to proceed to the Altar. An usher follows with the basket, bows at the steps to the Altar and proceeds to sacristy and deposits accordingly. Two persons should always go to sacristy together.
  5. During communion. Go to a Eucharistic Minister as soon as the entire congregation has received and escort him/her to each individual who needs communion brought to their seat.
  6. Special collections, usually one per month, start immediately after communion. This collection goes into the red bags. Check with Father before Mass.
  7. After Mass. Collect extra bulletins and return them to tables in the hall. Bring any found items to the front reception desk. Replace chairs that were removed for wheelchairs. Take a brief walk through the Chapel to see that everything is in order.
  8. On special occasions. Ushers/greeters may be asked to assist in special ways. This might include managing crowd control (Christmas, Easter), reserving seats, or facilitating some aspect of the Mass. These special instructions will be conveyed to the Greeter Coordinators by Fr. Perry, Fr. Michael, or Deacon John.