Stewarding at St Marie’s Cathedral

“Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially those who belong to the family of believers.”

Galatians 6:10

Whilst we have always had volunteer stewards at St Marie’s, they now play a truly vital role within the Cathedral during these COVID times.  We are hugely grateful for all the steward volunteers who have stepped forwards!  Thanks to them, we are able to offer parishioners and visitors a choice of 18 Masses a week, and the chance to come into the Cathedral every day for private prayer.  

Although the role of steward is essentially the same whenever you volunteer, we find it has been helpful to differentiate 3 slightly different roles within the stewarding team. These are:

  • Weekday Stewards
  • Weekend Stewards
  • Relief Stewards

All Stewards are involved in reminding people to follow the current Health & Safety guidelines to protect against the spread of coronavirus. They are also there to help parishioners and visitors maintain social distancing. Without the presence of 2 Stewards at every Mass, Mass simply cannot happen.

Find Out More About Stewarding

Weekday Stewards typically have a dedicated weekday ‘shift’ at the Cathedral. These shifts all involve a weekday Mass.  Weekday Masses do not need to be booked, but Test and Trace (Track and Trace) slips currently do need to be completed by anyone intending to stay in the Cathedral for more than 15 minutes.

Weekend Stewards volunteer to be on a rota for a particular Weekend Mass – including the Saturday Vigil Mass, and all the Sunday Masses.  Since these Masses all require booking, the duties are slightly different.

The role of Relief Steward is suitable for those who are only able to commit to volunteering on a more occasional basis. They are still very important to us since they help to cover stewards’ holidays, illness and other absences. Relief stewards may be called upon to help at short notice.  

As volunteers, we understand that you are not always able to make it – and that is fine. Through good teamwork, communication and planning, we make sure that you get to have your much-needed time off!

Volunteering as a Steward – We Need You!

Given the critical nature of this role at this present time, we are constantly trying to expand our team of Stewarding volunteers. Remember: without our Stewards, the Cathedral cannot open, and Mass cannot happen! 

But Stewarding, like any volunteering role, is not a one-way street. All our Stewards get something positive out of the experience as well!  For some, it has been a great way to meet new people; for others, it has helped to build up confidence if you are a little shy. Almost everyone says that they enjoy getting to know their church community better.

We are grateful to anyone who would like to volunteer a little of their time. If this is you, please email your name, contact details and offer of help to:

[email protected]

or speak to a member of the PPC or clergy after Mass. 

Thank you! 

Please note: we will not be able to accept your offer of help if you are considered at risk from coronavirus. This includes everyone over the age of 70 years, those who have an underlying health problem, and those who are currently pregnant. 

Training Support for Stewards

We give our volunteers full training and support as they learn how to become a St Marie’s Steward. Having a shared understanding of the role takes away all of the stress, and enables it to be enjoyable! 

As well as giving you on-the-job support from an experienced Steward, we also have some online training resources available. There is the Steward Training Video (please see above), and a couple of Stewarding Guides (please see below):

Open to download the latest Weekday Stewarding Guide

Open to download the latest Weekend Stewarding Guide

If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to ask a senior member of the Stewarding Team, or get in touch with the PPC at [email protected].

Happy Stewarding!