Liturgy Ministries

About Our Liturgies

At St. Madeleine Sophie it is our goal to offer quality liturgical services in which we grow in faith and worship God according to the Roman Rite in community with our fellow Catholics.

Our three weekend Masses offer more than time choices.  We recognize that different people have different needs and preferences. Our Masses offer very different musical styles, with our Saturday evening Mass offering a more quiet atmosphere.  We suggest that new parishioners try out all three.

Being a part of a Catholic community of faith involves more than receiving Christ in Communion once a week.  We stress scripture and have an informative homily, which applies the lessons from the bible to our daily lives.  We offer special liturgies for children and youth and have opportunities to reach out to the poor.  We also share what is going on in our parish and celebrate special times in people's lives.

It has become the norm for baptisms to occur during Mass.  When children are baptized they become part of the community of Christ, and the most fitting time to do this is when the community is assembled.  Together we renew our baptismal promises and agree to support the parents and godparents in their duties as Christian parents.

Those studying the Catholic faith have special rites during their progress.  The Rite of Welcoming and Acceptance in the fall and the Rite of Sending to Election during Lent are significant turning points in the journey of these important members of our parish.  Adults are baptized and received into the Catholic faith at the Easter Vigil.

Assisted Listening Devices

For the hearing impaired our parish provides small radio receivers, which carry the spoken word and music without background noise.  The device is used in place of one's hearing aid.  Anyone wishing to try one out may ask the Sacristan prior to mass.

                               Email Loretta Wright for More Information

Saturday Evening Music

Music for our 5:30 pm Saturday Mass includes traditional and contemporary hymns.  Cantor: Debbie Broadus.  

Sanctuary Choir

Our principal choir for 8:30 am Sunday Mass features formal music by contemporary liturgical composers along with traditional hymns.  Director: Bob Ingalls.  Accompanist: Kevin Aanerud.

Cantors: Dave Hallek and Barbara Erickson

Contemporary Choir

Our principal choir for 11:00 am Sunday Mass features music with a rhythmic contemporary sound along with sacred chants and hymns.  Director: Ann LaBeck. 

People Around the World Choir

A choir of people who want to sing at Mass 1-2 times per month and promote intercultural awareness.  All parishioners are welcome.  Director: Cora Santos

Glory and Praise Choir

A choir of children in the 1^st through 8^th grades, which offers children the opportunity to develop their musical gifts and share them with our community.  The Youth Choir sings at Mass about eight times per year.  Director: Nancy Brooks.  Accompanist: Dave Hallek.

Children's Liturgy of the Word

Offered as a Mass enhancement at their age level for children in the 1^st through 6^th grades.  After being blessed by the Assembly the children process to a prayerful area of our Social Hall.  Here the Liturgy of the Word is proclaimed using readings, music, prayers and a homily in a form to better meet their needs.  Children return for Eucharist. 

CLOW is offered most Sundays of the school year at both the 8:30 am and 11:00 am Masses.  No registration is needed.  All 1^st through 6^th grade children are welcome.

                        More Information on Children's Ministries

Children's Liturgies

We have three Masses per year where young people have an opportunity to share their faith with the larger parish community.  The children and their families are very involved in the preparation and execution of these liturgies, sharing songs, scripture readings, prayers, dramatizing and offering gifts and bulletins.  The Eucharistic prayers and homily are more experientially understandable to children and the “child” in us all.

                        More Information on Children's Ministries.

Liturgical Ministries

At St. Madeleine's parishioners offer their gifts in service to our liturgical celebrations. 

• Greeters:  Friendly people offer us a warm smile and a cheerful hello as we come to Mass.  If you have questions or need direction, just ask.  Greeter teams are scheduled every fourth weekend.

• Ushers:  Dedicated volunteers help people at Mass, receive the collection and distribute bulletins.  Usher teams serve every third weekend.

• Altar Servers:  Boys and girls become more involved in their faith as they assist our priests at Mass.  Children begin serving when ready (about 9-10 years of age).  Training is provided and children are scheduled according to the time preferences of their families.

• Lectors:  Jesus sent his disciples out to the villages two by two to preach the good news.  Our lectors proclaim the scripture readings at Mass once every fifth weekend.  Members of our lector teams commit to attending training and reflecting on the scriptures with their team prior to reading at Mass.

• Gift Bearers:  At Mass one family brings up the bread and wine prior to the Consecration.  Families representing our entire parish community are scheduled approximately once every other month.

• Eucharistic Ministers:  Serving the Body and Blood of Christ to our friends is a wonderful way to grow in community and fellowship, and many ministers are needed to effectively distribute Communion to our large Assembly.  Eucharistic Ministers serve 1-3 times per month.

• Floral Decorations and Banners:  The Catholic tradition recognizes that what we see plays a role in our worship.  Volunteers make floral decorations, banners and displays, which help us focus our prayer and add beauty to our Church.

Our Liturgy Commission

Involved parishioners with a love of liturgy assist the priests and staff in planning for the liturgical seasons and other general liturgical concerns. Contact Fr, Jim Picton for more information.

Why Do Catholics Do That?

• Make the sign of the cross with holy water.  Holy water is water that was blessed at someone's baptism.  We use it as a reminder of our own entry into the Church when we were baptized in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

• Genuflect to the tabernacle.  The Consecrated Bread of Eucharist is kept in the tabernacle until it is brought to those who are sick at home.  This means that the Real Presence of Christ is there.  When entering the Blessed Sacrament Chapel it is our tradition to kneel on one knee as a sign of our faith and reverence.

• Bow to the altar.  During Mass the priest reverences the altar with a low bow.  The altar symbolizes the sacrifice of Christ and the bow expresses our faith in this great mystery.  Many lay Catholics have adopted this simple gesture of faith. 

• Receive both Consecrated Bread and Wine at Communion.  At the Last Supper Christ took both bread and wine, blessed it and gave it to his disciples saying, “This is my Body.  This is my Blood.”  That is why it is our practice to receive both at Communion.  We receive all of Christ when we receive either the Consecrated Bread or the Consecrated Wine, but it is a fuller expression of our faith to receive both.

• Receive Communion more than once a day.  Catholics occasionally find themselves attending more than one liturgy in a day, such as a wedding and then a weekend Mass.  Church law allows Catholics to receive twice.

• Light candles at a shrine.  Catholics often pray before a statue of Mary or another saint.  Lighting a candle is a traditional gesture, which expresses our faith that the saint will hear our prayer with God in heaven.

• Use incense.  Incense is an ancient expression of prayer, which Catholics inherited from the Jewish tradition.  As the sweet smoke rises into the air, it accompanies our prayer ascending to God.