Sacred Heart Catholic Church of Mercedes 

 

 

"There are different gifts but the same spirit, 

there are different ministries but the same Lord-

To each person the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common goo.d" 
1 Corinthians 12:4-7

Ministry-Service

Formation for ALL Catechists will be through courses offered by the Sacred Heart Parish Institute. There will be ongoing opportunities to learn and develop so that all serving in ministries may be grounded in their Catholic Faith, therefore allowing them to give witness to the spiritual tradition of the Catholic Church. All parishioners serving as Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist, Lectors and Ushers must enroll as students of the Sacred Heart Parish Institute and complete Level One Catechesis, Mass 101, Mass 102.
Sacristan

The sacristan is responsible for the overall preparation of liturgical celebrations. Every element in the sanctuary needs to be in order, clean and ready for the Eucharist celebration. He/she arranges books needed for the celebration, marking all of the divisions. He/she also lays out the vestments and anything else needed for the celebration, such as chalices, cruets, linens, oils, processional crosses, candles and torches. The sacristan takes care of ringing the bells that announce the celebration.
Lectors/Commentators
Lectors proclaim the Word of God during the Liturgy of the Mass. In proclaiming the Scriptures, the lector becomes a voice through which the Spirit speaks to the worshipping community. All gathered in worship grow spiritually as they are fed from the table of God’s Word. Lectors are responsible for the 1st and 2nd readings from Scripture and on occasion, the responsorial psalm prior to the Gospel. Training is provided through the Sacred Heart Parish Institute.

Commentators facilitate the celebration of the Liturgy. Both are a part of the same Ministry and our members can perform either function. Commentators provide the opening introduction to the Mass, lead the Prayer of the Faithful prior to the Offertory and read the weekly announcements at the end of Mass.
Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion

The extraordinary ministers provide assistance to the priest with the distribution of the Eucharist during the Mass. Training is provided to adult parishioners on the proper reception and delivery of both the body and blood of Jesus Christ. Schedules provide full coverage for all weekend Masses. Training is done through the Sacred Heart Parish Institute.
Music Ministers/Choir

 

At Sacred Heart music/choir ministers provide music to enhance our liturgical celebrations. Our choirs provide inspirational music at the different weekend Masses. Through singing the hymns, we express praise to our Lord, remember His Blessings and commit to follow Him.

 

Please contact the office and/or the specific choir of choice if you have a calling to serve in this ministry.
Altar Servers

 

Altar servers assist the priest with the celebration of the Mass. Training is provided for young boys and girls to provide this service at Sacred Heart and we encourage them with the formation of their Catholic Faith. All Altar Servers must fulfill the following requirements: Must have made their 1st Communion, must be attending CCE or Youth Works, must attend Mass 101 and Mass 102 workshops.
Greeters/Ushers

Greeters and ushers provide a welcoming atmosphere to all who enter the church for Mass. Every person who enters our church doors feel welcome and loved with a warm greeting and a friendly handshake. Ushers assist in passing the collection basket, assist in seating parishioners , place reserved signs on pews for special groups, direct communion procession flow and hand out bulletins.
                        Adoration
Eucharist Adoration is the adoration of Jesus Christ's presence in the Holy Eucharist. At Sacred Heart we adore our Savior's presence every Wednesday from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. On the first Friday of every month, we have adoration from 11:30 a.m. until 7:00 p.m.followed by 7:00 p.m. Mass.  Jesus Christ love for us was shown when he was crucified on the cross to pay for our sins and give us eternal life. He loves us and offers Himself to us in the Holy Sacrament of the Eucharist. We invite all the Sacred Heart Community to join us for an hour or two for adoration. 
Prayer Devotions

Devotions are forms of prayer that are not part of the church's official liturgical books. Everyone is encouraged to participate individually or as a group to pray the devotion of choice such as the Rosary, novenas,Stations of the Cross, Sacred Heart of Jesus, Divine Mercy Chaplet, Our Lady of Guadalupe and/or whatever devotion you so desire.Sacred Heart invites the community to unite in prayer. "For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them." (Matthew 18:20)

 

Solidarity/Works of Mercy

The Spiritual and Corporal Works of Mercy are actions that illustrate the ways to show charity towards others with compassion and mercy to those in need. Corporal Works of Mercy are kind acts by which we help our neighbors with material and physical needs. Spiritual Works of Mercy are acts of compassion by which we help our neighbor with their emotional and spiritual needs. Sacred Heart Catholic Church encourages everyone to get involved in works of mercy in our community. Some acts of mercy may be visiting nursing homes, hospitals, those imprisoned, praying for the deceased, comforting and counseling the ones in need. Everyone in our Sacred Heart Community can individually and/or as a group serve our brothers and sisters in need.