Worship

Rev. Richard L. Allen, Pastor

Our very reason for existence as St. Gabriel the Archangel Parish is our shared faith in Jesus Christ. We are first and foremost a faith community, which responds to God's grace. We express this identity most fully in our community prayer, the Eucharist.

In the Eucharist, we are and become the Church. This liturgy connects us with Catholic Christians everywhere regardless of the limitations of time and space. We are one with Jesus Christ through the ages and one with Him throughout the world.

We bring to our prayer, our shared needs and abilities. We do not come alone. The Mass is not a personal prayer.

We come to the Eucharist from different background with various experiences and needs, but in that liturgy we are bound into one community that encompasses our uniqueness.

MISSION: Each member of the St. Gabriel community is called to full, conscious and active participation in the liturgy.

METHOD: As a Eucharistic people, we value and expect good liturgy.

The call to full participation means: greeting each other warmly, listening attentively to the Word of God, singing and praying aloud where appropriate, receiving the body and blood of Jesus reverently, and taking the Gospel message with us into our daily lives. Obviously within this range there are many levels and ways to participate.

The community further looks to its priests to lead our prayer by presiding and preaching well. To that end we invite to share constructive comments and questions with the preacher. The honest response of the community is very helpful.

The community calls forth some of its members in roles of service as ministers of our liturgical celebrations. Well-trained and effective ministers of hospitality, word, music, and Eucharist help us pray better. Because of our baptism and confirmation, we have both a right and a duty to take active roles. Our parishioners should respond according to the needs of the community and their own particular bent.

Types of Service

Communion Distributors. They help share the consecrated bread and cup at Mass.

At least 50 parishioners also take communion to the hospitals, nursing homes and to parishioners confined to home. We use a small case called a pyx to carry the host.

Readers. The readers have several roles. Most important is the sharing of the Word of God at Mass. They also handle the offertory prayers and the announcements.

Music. We need good music. Not professional, but solid. Some play the keyboard or other instrument. Some like to sing, either alone or in a group. We have the “contemporary choir” that accompanies us at the 8:30 Mass on Sunday during the school year. The “Folk Group” assists at the 10:00 Mass all year long.

Servers. Beginning in grade 5, many young people assist as Mass servers.

Ushers / Greeters. For the weekend masses we appreciate the service of greeters or ushers. Their first responsibility is to make people feel welcome. They assist in the orderly seating of the people, with the bulletins, the collection, and should be alert to any of the physical conditions during the Mass. They assist with the clean up and lock up of the building after the last Mass.

Cleaners. There is a group of retired people who care for the cleanliness of the altar area. The weekly, sometimes daily, care for details around the altar and with the items used at Mass is part of their respect for the sacrament.

Decorators. To highlight the different seasons of the Church year and the different modes of celebration, we use different items in Church.

Send mail to llynch@tcces.k12.wi.us with questions or comments about this web site. Last modified: 06/13/08

Send mail to llynch@tcces.k12.wi.us with questions or comments about this web site.
Last modified: 06/13/08