Sharing our Time and Talent
in the Parish of St. William the Abbot
The 2006-07
Guide to Parish Ministries and Organizations
Mission
Statement of St. William the
We, the Parish Family of St.
William the Abbot, are a
welcoming community of
faith, guided by the Holy Spirit
and centered in God’s Word
and the Eucharist.
Through the Sacraments,
prayer and the stewardship of our
God-given gifts, we are
called minister with respect and
compassion to all, from the
youngest to the oldest.
We commit ourselves to
continue the mission of Jesus
Christ, to proclaim His
Gospel and to love one another as
He has loved us.
Liturgical Ministries
Adult Choir
The
Adult Choir leads the congregation in song at the Sunday
Altar Guild
The
Altar Guild is responsible for those tasks that keep our Altar and Sacristy in
good, clean and efficient order. These
tasks include: washing and ironing the linens, changing the Holy Water, and
keeping the Sacristy organized and in good order.
Altar Servers
When
the community gathers to celebrate the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, a number of
ministries are exercised. Those who serve at the altar assist the presider and
the assembly in praying as well as possible.
After appropriate training, young parishioners—beginning with Grade
5—are commissioned as Altar Servers.
Eucharistic Ministers
Eucharistic Ministers are specially trained and
commissioned members of our parish who assist the priests and deacons with the
distribution of Holy Communion at our parish Masses. Some ministers choose to attend further
training to become “Eucharistic Ministers to the Homebound.” In our parish they are then assigned to bring
Holy Communion to the frail-elderly, the infirm, the handicapped, or to those
suffering from an extended illness. This
is a very rewarding ministry for both the communicant and the minister. Training is provided by the Rockville Centre
Diocese. To apply, please contact our
Pastor, Fr. Bill Koenig.
Children’s ‘G.I.F.T’ Choir
The G.I.F.T. Choir is a choir which sings for the
Folk Group
The
Folk Group leads the congregation in song at the Saturday
Handbell Choir
Our
Parish is fortunate to have a Handbell Choir.
This is a group of dedicated parishioners who play our new three-octave
set of Malmark Handbells for holidays, concerts, and special occasions. No musical experience is necessary. All Adults/Young Adults are welcome. Rehearsals are alternating Sunday evenings
after the
Parish Liturgy Committee
Several
members of our community gather regularly to pray and plan upcoming liturgies
in our parish. This committee works with
other committees and the different music ministries with the goal of fostering
Christ’s presence in the Liturgy to all who worship at St. William the Abbot.
Readers
Readers
are members of our parish community who assist at our Masses by proclaiming
God’s Word to the assembled community.
The Word of God is an essential part of the
Seasonal
Orchestra
Our Seasonal Orchestra enhances our Concerts
and Special Events, and provides us with solo/ensemble instrumentalists on
occasion for Masses as needed.
Relatively good sight-reading skills and proficiency with your
instrument is required. Youth and Adults
alike are welcome.
Ushers
Ushers
are parishioners whose presence, conversation and activities speak of a genuine
desire that all who come to one of our liturgical events are welcome. Ushers are men and women who facilitate
various parts of the Mass to insure a sacred and smooth gathering.
Youth Bells
This is a handbell choir consisting of children 5th
grade through 8th grade at St. William’s School. Rehearsals are Mondays during lunchtime in
School. Some musical experience is
preferred. The group performs at the
School and Parish Concerts and at liturgies throughout the year.
Youth Choir
This is a group of teen/preteen and young adults who sing
at the
Sacramental
Preparation
Baptismal Preparation
Program
Newborns
are a great joy to new parents. These
parents usually contact the parish shortly after the child’s birth to arrange
Baptism. We assist the new parents by welcoming
them to a one-time preparation class.
These sessions are hosted by one of the couples of our Baptismal
Committee and one of our priests or deacons.
A parent from the parish is part of the presentation at each class. The
members of the Baptism Committee also serve as hosts at the Baptism ceremonies
on Sunday afternoons.
Confirmation Preparation
Program
Confirmation preparation is
a two-year program that involves active participation by the students,
sponsors, parents and the parish. The
youngsters of the parish celebrate the Sacrament at the conclusion of Grade
7. Youngsters who request the Sacrament
in Grade 7 or later are offered a two-year age appropriate program of study and
formation. Preparation for the Sacrament
involves catechesis which integrates doctrine, worship, and service. Adults who request the Sacrament of
Confirmation are invited to join the RCIA process.
In-Home Pre-Cana
The
in-home Pre-Cana program at St. William’s is a ministry to couples seeking
marriage in the Church. Several times a
year, two married couples host
The G.I.F.T. Program
The
Growing in Faith Together Program (
Parent
Meetings, special Prayer Services and monthly grade level Masses all aim to
nurture the faith of the participating families.
Rite of Christian Initiation
of Adults (RCIA)
RCIA
is a Process for those Adults from ages 18 and over wishing to become a part of
the Catholic Church. If those wishing to
become Catholic have never been Baptized into another Christian faith tradition
(catechumens), they are prepared to receive the Sacraments of Initiation:
Baptism, Confirmation and 1st Eucharist. For those Adults who have already been
baptized into another Christian faith (candidates), they are prepared for Full
Communion with the Catholic Church by receiving Confirmation and 1st
Eucharist.
In
the RCIA process we also welcome those Adults who have been baptized as infants
into the Catholic Church but for whatever reason have not received the
Sacraments of Confirmation and 1st Eucharist.
The candidates and
catechumens meet weekly throughout the year with the RCIA team. The team is composed of members of the parish
who pray together, share their own faith journey, their own relationship with
God and their knowledge of the Church and its traditions. It is also a process for the families and
friends of the candidates and catechumens, in which their own Catholic faith
grows and becomes more important to them.
RCIA is a Process, not a
program. It is the ongoing journey of faith that we
all experience during our lives.
There is also an RCIA
process adapted for those who are under the age of 18, and come under the
guidelines listed above.
Wedding Rehearsal Ministry
The
Wedding Rehearsal Ministry is a fun, rewarding and easy ministry. Teams are assigned to a wedding and assist
the bridal party in their rehearsal.
Rehearsals are scheduled on both Thursday and Friday evenings at
Education and Formation
St. William the
Fun with God
Fun
with God is a Sunday preschool program for four and five year olds. In this bimonthly class, held during the
The
St. William the Abbot Home School Association objectives are: 1) acquiring an
appreciation of Catholic Education; 2) promotion of mutual educational
responsibilities between parents and teachers; 3) encouraging cooperation
between home and school; 4) fund-raising efforts that enhance the total
educational experience for children, parents, and teachers. Participants include parents and legal
guardians of
Religious Education
Religious
Education is a “womb to tomb” ministry aiding all members of our parish who
strive to grow in their love and knowledge of Jesus Christ.
Children grades Pre-K
through Grade 7 receive doctrinal instruction, faith formation and sacramental
preparation in parish programs under the direction of the Priest Moderators and
the Directors of Religious Education.
The G.I.F.T. Program, grades
1 – 3, provides instruction and involvement for students and their
parents. Students, grades 4 – 7, receive
weekly instruction, which culminates in Confirmation at the end of 7th
grade. Junior High and High School
students are encouraged to join Youth Ministry.
Continuing Adult Education
and Spiritual Enrichment are offered in the form of lectures and classes,
marriage preparation (Pre-Cana), for the baptism of a child, and for those who
are interested in becoming members of our Church (RCIA). These opportunities are listed in the Parish
bulletin.
School Board
The
St. William the Abbot School Board assists and advises the Pastor and Principal
in the policy-shaping process by formulating and adopting school policies. The Pastor has the final authority to accept
the recommendations of the Parish School Board. School Board members are
elected for a three-year term. Elections
are held every spring and board membership is open to all parishioners.
Youth Ministry/High School
A
social, apostolic, spiritual and educational program for teenagers who have
made their Confirmation. The Youth
Ministry program is available for all teens in grades eight through
college. Guidance is by Adult members of
the Parish in consultation with the members of the Youth Group. Annual events include a Talent Show, Good
Friday Stations, an overnight retreat on Parish grounds, as well as a weekend
retreat at
Parish Social Ministry
The parish is where the Church lives.
Parishes are communities of faith, of action and of hope. Parishes are the place where God’s people
meet Jesus in word and sacrament and come in touch with the source of the
Church’s life. More and more the social
dimensions of our faith are moving from the fringes of parishes to become an
integral part of local church life. Communities
of Salt
St. William the Abbot
supports the following Social Ministries:
Women and men volunteers who
collaborate with Social Ministry in providing direct services and assessing
needs. Confidentiality is assured in
assisting individuals and families in need.
Time: meet every other week.
Outreach – Direct Services
Transportation - Transport people to and from medical
and other appointments within the local area.
Time: as needed.
Shoppers – Shop for or with
people unable to shop on their own.
Time: as needed.
Friendly Visitor – Telephone
and/or visit a homebound individual. The
time spent with the homebound individual can include listening, sharing
stories, playing cards, etc. Time: one
or two hours a week.
Special Projects – Assist with
the Lenten Soup Supper and the Christmas Star Program. Time: as needed.
Abbot INNKEEPERS
Parishioners and friends volunteer their time to assist
the Interfaith Nutrition Network
(INN) located in
Advocacy
When an individual or family
needs exceed our resources, information and referrals are made to the
appropriate local, county, state or federal agency. On-going support and follow-up are available.
Ministry of Consolation
The
Ministry of Consolation provides personal contact, warmth, and outreach to
people at a time when it is most needed.
Coordinators, Cake Bakers and Greeters are needed. The time commitment
varies.
Support Groups
The Abbot Seniors are women and men that
gather bi-monthly to enhance the social dimension of this club. During the year, additional activities and
outings are planned. The Abbot Seniors
is open to anyone over 50 and looking to enjoy a pleasant and relaxing time
with newfound friends. Time: every other
week.
Rainbows is a support group for children who have suffered a
significant loss in their lives either by death, divorce, separation or any
other painful transition. The aim is to
implant in these grieving children belief in their own goodness and value to
their family. Time: Fall and spring.
Moms and Tots -
Mothers and children gather once a week, September through mid-June to share
experiences, ideas and friendship. The
mothers focus on parenting skills and developing positive self-esteem in
themselves and their children. The
children have playtime with experienced babysitters while their mothers
meet. Time: Wednesdays, 1 ½ hours,
September – mid-June.
Spiritual
Ministries
Adult
Legion of Mary
The
Legion of Mary is a group of parishioners who gather weekly with a particular
love for the Blessed Mother. Members of
this group are highly involved in many aspects of our parish’s life. The very reason for the groups coming
together is to work toward developing an individual talent that can be offered
for the glory of God with Mary as our model.
Activities include: home visitation to our auxiliaries, Pilgrim Virgin
Apostolate, bringing Communion to the homebound and to nursing homes on Sundays
and also during the week. We visit
people in hospitals, delivering prayer cards and praying with patients. We have a yearly Mass for deceased members of
the Legion. Members of the Legion also
teach Religious Education.
Nocturnal Adoration Society
The
Nocturnal Adoration Society are parishioners who gather to respond to Christ’s
plea, “I am so sad that I feel as if I am dying. Stay here and keep awake with me.” “…Can’t any of you stay awake with me for
just one hour?” Matt. 26-38-40.
Nocturnal Adorers witness to
the Real Presence of Christ in the Blessed Sacrament. We gather once a month for one hour to
fulfill the Lord’s plea to ‘Watch with Him.’
During that hour we pray both publicly and privately in the presence of
the exposed “Blessed Sacrament.”
Rosary Society
St.
William’s has an active Rosary Society whose members promote devotions to the
Blessed Mother particularly through praying the Rosary. New members are always welcome.
Small Christian Communities
Our
parish has many small groups who gather together weekly, bi-monthly, and
monthly to pray with and share on the upcoming Sunday Scriptures. They listen and share on the ways God has
touched their lives and encourage one another mutually to go forth and live the
Good News.
Women’s Spirituality
Retreat
– 18th Annotation – Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius. Ladies meeting once a week for 13 weeks in
someone’s home. Starting in
October. There is a small fee. Helen Capano is a Spiritual Director and her
partner is Valerie Ackerman. For
information, please call Helen –
General
Parish Organizations
Bingo
Every
Saturday evening our parish hosts Bingo in the school cafeteria. Teams are formed and expected to work every
12 weeks. Workers arrive at
Catholic Ministries Appeal
Committee
Each
year our Rockville Centre Diocese holds a special fund drive that helps both
the diocese and St. Williams accomplish many charitable works. Our committee coordinates this effort at the
parish level. Members are involved with
phone calls, mailings, and other methods that help our parish meet and exceed
our goal. St. William’s receives a
portion of the funds raised through the Parish Sharing Program to support
parish projects.
Each
year our parish holds a blood drive.
This necessary ministry has helped thousands of people in need of blood
transfusions. This drive requires
preliminary work by our parishioners who organize the drive. Trained medical personnel do the actual
taking of the blood, our parishioners host and support the event and do the
necessary clerical work and phone calls.
Brownies/Girl Scouts
St.
William the Abbot has an active scouting program for young girls. Our program ranges in ages from Kindergarten
through High School. The mission
established is to work together as a group offering service within our community.
Building and Grounds
Committee
A group of parishioners who
give advice and recommendations to the Pastor regarding 1) the upkeep and
maintenance of the parish’s buildings and grounds, 2) projections for
long-range planning regarding the buildings and grounds and 3) assistance with
certain projects as they are carried out by outside contractors or
volunteers. Members are appointed by the
Pastor; people interested in serving should make themselves known to the Pastor
Cub/Boy Scouts
St.
William the Abbot has an active scouting program for young boys. Scouting at all levels is a leadership
development program that uses outdoor activities, citizenship, and a shared set
of values to build self-confidence, maturity, and independence.
CYO
CYO
is a parish-based organization providing various athletic activities for your
youth. Our objective is to assist the
youth in discovering and developing their athletic talents while helping them
learn a sense of value and fair play.
Catholic
children and parents can deepen their faith in Christ through sportsmanship,
virtue and cooperation.
Registration announcements
are made through the Parish Bulletin.
CYO fields teams in boys/girls basketball (June registration),
boys/girls swimming (fall registration), girls’ volleyball (late November
registration), girls cheerleading and boys’ baseball. Check the bulletin for specific grades and
ages for each sport.
Fathers’ Club
The Fathers’ Club of St. William the
The
Fathers’ Club, under the guidance of the Pastor and/or the Principal of the
School, does not engage in fundraising and is not compensated for the work they
perform.
Family Festival
Every
summer our parish sponsors a festival filled with fun and rides. A core committee works to plan the
event. However, many generous
parishioners unite to implement and make the event a success. The festival is a
great way to meet fellow parishioners while having loads of fun.
Finance Committee
The
Finance Committee reviews, with the pastor, all of the revenues and
expenditures of the parish church and school and makes recommendations as
needed. Membership on this Committee is
limited in number. Anyone interested in
possibly serving on this Committee can make themselves known to the
Pastor. Membership to this Committee is
by appointment.
General Office Helpers
An
occasional ministry whereby parishioners join together to help with parish
mailings or other general clerical work.
When mailings are done, it is usually after the 8 and
Hospitality Ministry
In
this Martha and Mary ministry, we seek to serve our parish family with
fellowship, in the hope of gathering together to share our journey over a “cup
of coffee.” Our team’s responsibilities
include baking, setting up, greeting, serving and cleaning up after parish
events, September through June.
Human Life Committee
The
Human Life Committee works at promoting our Catholic pro-life teaching. The committee keeps the parish informed of
current issues by publishing items in the bulletin regarding legislation,
post-abortion counseling, crisis pregnancy support centers, weekly prayer
vigils, and many other contemporary issues.
The committee is concerned with all the various threats to human life
from the moment of conception until natural death.
Pastoral
Council
An advisory group of
Parishioners who meet with the Pastor to oversee the overall effectiveness of
the Parish in proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the effectiveness of
the Parish of St. William to serve the needs within and outside the Parish.
Pastoral Council members are
appointed to a three-year term.
Candidates are surfaced through self-nomination, recommendation of the
Staff, Pastoral Council members and Parishioners. Bulletin announcements notify people when the
process of selecting new Pastoral Council members is taking place.
Stewardship Committee
As
can be seen in this booklet, our parish has many groups and organizations that
make this such a wonderful parish. It is
through the generosity of all that makes these activities possible. The Stewardship Committee works throughout
the year to help enable parishioners discern how best to share the gift of
their talents and time. There is a core
committee as well as occasional subcommittees who work to promote and
coordinate this process in our parish.
Technology Committee
This committee is comprised
of people of the parish who endeavor to further the Gospel message through
technology. The work of the group
centers on the Parish Web Site (www.stwilliam.org). Some of the work of the committee is
non-technical in nature. The group
explores all aspects of parish life in its efforts to bring the advantages of
information and technology to the work and spiritual life of the parish.
The Abbey
St.
William the Abbot has a quarterly periodical, which is mailed to the homes of
our parishioners, called The Abbey. It is edited by one of our parish members and
serves to keep the parish community informed of significant events that occur
in our parish. Publicity members such as
photographers and “reporters” attend various parish events and offer their
reflections on the event.
Welcoming Committee
In
the spirit of helping new members of our Parish Family feel at home, we place a
phone call of “Welcome,” and offer ongoing assistance in helping to meet their
needs.
(Please use this form to indicate your
interest in or renewal of a Ministry.
“Making a
Return to the Lord”
2006-07 Time and Talent
Information/Recommitment Form
Name: ________________________________________________ (Please use a separate form for each person)
Address: _______________________________________ Town/Zip: _________________________Tel:________________
Please place a check (ü) in the appropriate box and return at Church by October 9th or mail/drop off at the rectory.