Contact the Rectory at 631-588-8456 or michele@stjoronk.org if you are interested in joining any of these ministries.
For the protection of all God’s children, every minister 16 or older must have a background check. All ministers 18 and older must have VIRTUS training.
Altar Servers
Eucharistic Ministers
An Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion helps distribute the Body and Blood to the congregation at Mass. At this intimate moment of the Mass, we recall The Last Supper, where Our Lord gave instructions to do this in His memory; His sacrifice on the cross; and we look forward to His return in glory. This is also a special moment that deepens your faith and love of The Lord and helps you build a relationship with fellow parishioners. Additionally, you can be an Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion to the homebound. These Ministers bring the Eucharist to homes, hospitals and care facilities, offering Holy Communion, prayer and companionship to our fellow parishioners who cannot physically attend Mass.
Requirements/Training: Candidates for EHMC need to be a fully initiated Catholic and a registered parishioner. Training is required and will be scheduled at St. Joseph. Once all requirements are completed, you will meet with one of the EHMC leaders to review the protocol at Mass.
Contact: Antoinette Ventola alventola@aol.com or Geri Devenney geridev722@gmail.com.
Lectors
Lectors proclaim the Word of God at Mass. You must have received the Sacraments of initiation (Baptism, Eucharist, Confirmation), You must also be a registered member of the parish. Training will be provided. We also have a junior lector program for students from fourth through twelfth grade.
Liturgical Video Presentation
The “L” in LVP stands for Liturgical, meaning “the work of the people.” It refers to all the public worship we share during Mass. But it’s so much more than that!
Liturgy draws us into God’s incredible work. That’s why the LVP Ministry isn’t just about putting slides and videos on screen. It’s about diving deeper than the display screens. When you join, you’re actively participating and helping others do the same in the divine life of the Holy Trinity – that eternal exchange of love between the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. It’s truly touching the heart of God! Contact: Dan Keenan danielkeenan50@gmail.com
Hospitality & Safety
Ushers and Greeters are called to be Ministers of Hospitality. They are entrusted with promoting a sense of welcoming and belonging to all the faithful assembled for worship. They are the first point of contact for the communal celebration of the Liturgy and because of this, should take special steps in being living representatives of the Parish Mission Statement. Ministers of Hospitality minister to the entire community in a continually active way. By freeing each person of their own personal impediments to the Mass through a welcoming atmosphere, ministers of hospitality take an active role in enabling each person to come to a freer expression of God in the Liturgy.
Marriage Preparation
The Sacrament of Marriage is a vocation to which many in the Catholic faith are called. It contains joy, responsibility and commitment, and is supported through the strength and faith of others in the church community. Our Pre-Cana program offers couples the opportunity to have heartfelt conversations on various topics typically encountered during a marital relationship. The sessions are led by multiple couples with varying lengths of marriage, who share their insights and experiences with these topics.
The program aims to:
- help create a Catholic Marriage lifestyle that is satisfying and healthy.
- help engaged couples feel more secure in their roles as husband and wife.
- provide an awareness of some of the common issues that can stress a marital relationship.
- offer insight to conflict resolution that can help keep small problems from becoming major ones.
If you are interested in enrolling in the program as a recently engaged couple, please contact the Rectory Office at 631-588-8456. If you and your spouse would like to join this ministry, please contact the Rectory Office. There is no minimum or maximum years of marriage required. We are looking for couples that want to honestly share their marriage experiences with new couples.
Baptism
Baptism Ministry members are welcoming representatives of our Faith Community. One of the main purposes of the Baptism Ministry is to help create a relationship with the newly baptized families as their child begins their faith journey through the waters of Baptism.
Prior to the day of the baptism celebration, members attend a special Sunday mass where the families are presented to the community. This is followed by a social gathering, where they share a light breakfast with the larger parish community.
We especially encourage those parishioners who themselves have had a child baptized in the recent past because you already have a connection and a common bond with families who are preparing for Baptism.
If you think that you are being called to this ministry or would like to learn more about serving with this ministry, please contact Maryanne Trezza, St Joseph Director of Faith Formation, mtrezza@stjoronk.org.
Ministry of Consolation
This Ministry is made up of parishioners who volunteer their time in assisting families of the recently deceased. Members of the ministry meet with families at the rectory prior to the funeral Mass. They help those families choose hymns and scriptural readings from a prepared list. Ministers also prepare a short biography of the deceased so that the priest can personalize his homily. Ministers then attend the funeral Mass which is scheduled Monday through Saturday mornings. No experience is necessary, and training will be provided.
Contact: Clare Antonucci clareantonucci@gmail.com
Men's Prayer Group
The St. Joseph Men’s Prayer Group welcomes men of all ages. We meet on Tuesdays at 7:30PM to pray the rosary and enjoy fellowship.