“Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.”
John 3:18
Volunteering
The Church is one family, and we are all invited to play an active role in the life and work of the Church!
There are many different ways you can contribute to the life of the Church and its parish, here at St Marie’s. Here are some of the ways you can consider volunteering:
To contact members of the Cathedral’s Clergy, please speak to them after Mass, or email them via the office at: [email protected].
To contact, Candida Calvert, Eileen Maher, Niall Corroon or the PPC in general, please email: [email protected].
To contact Margaret Helliwell, please email: [email protected].
Everyone else can be contacted via the office at: [email protected].
Paying Attention to the Gifts of the Holy Spirit
We are most effective when we operate out of the gifts of the Holy Spirit – or Charisms – as well as from our natural skills and talents. When we operate out of a Charism, we feel an immense sense of inner peace and joy, and everything feels smooth and straightforward and almost effortless. It is also when we are the most fruitful.
Our Charisms are the ways in which God has chosen to bless the world through us; they are a gift of God for others.
As we try to discern how God would like to collaborate with us, it is important to listen out for feedback from others. What is it that they are receiving from you? This feedback will help you work out what Ministry area you are most suited to, as a Volunteer at St Marie’s.
Looking After Our Volunteers
It matters to us that you are well looked after during your time as a Volunteer at St Marie’s. To this end, you will be assigned a Volunteer Coordinator to report to, and you will be asked to complete a Volunteer Registration Form in case an emergency should arise. When your time as a Volunteer comes to an end, there is a Volunteer Exit Form for you to complete.
Our Volunteering Policy contains lots of information that you may find helpful. Please speak to your Volunteer Coordinator or email the PPC to receive an electronic copy of our policy, or to find out where a physical copy can be accessed.
At St Marie’s, our dedicated team of volunteer Readers currently serve 18 Masses a week. We have 2 Masses per day on Mondays to Saturdays, and 6 Masses each Sunday.
Reading isn’t simply a matter of walking up to the Ambo and reading from the Lectionary.
Readers have to understand the part the Liturgy of the Word plays in the Mass, and prepare by studying all the readings for a particular Mass, including the Gospel, even though that will be read by a Priest or Deacon.
At a basic level, Readers need to be sure they can vocalise difficult words and phrases, making the words of the reading flow and come to life. At a deeper level, Readers need to understand the text and how the different readings relate to each other – the main reason for studying all the readings and not simply focusing on the texts they expect to read.
At St Marie’s, the Cathedral’s Readers’ Group organises training sessions to help new and existing Readers to carry out their ministry to the best of their abilities, and new volunteers are always welcome – and needed!
If you are interested in becoming a Reader at St Marie’s, please contact Bob Rae via e-mail to: [email protected],
or contact Cathedral House (0114-2722522) to leave him a message.
Alternatively, you can speak to one of our Readers after Mass.
Did You Know?
- Lay Readers – or Lectors – are mentioned in the earliest record of a Mass, written by Justin Martyr, in around 150 AD.
- Reading became a clerical duty at the time of Pope Gregory the Great (590-604 AD), but returned to being primarily a lay ministry following the Second Vatican Council (1962–1965).
