Sep 12, 2003Members of Fr. Diamond Council provide the bulk of the ushering corps at St. Leo's and almost all of the new recruits. We are always in need of more help to replenish losses and to augment our teams so that members can take a weekend off occassionally. Ushering is an important and rewarding ministry. Ushers welcome parishoners to Mass with a friendly greeting and help set the tone of respect and dignity that is so essential throughout the service. After Mass, we hand out bulletins and do a quick cleanup in the church, picking up waste paper, retrieving lost articles and putting kneelers pack in their proper position. If you'd like to volunteer or if you have questions about the Ushers ministry at St. Leo's, contact Bill Jayne, PGK, at wjayne@erols.com or (703) 352-1534.
USHERS’ DUTIES--ST. LEO THE GREAT
GENERAL: There should be five ushers for each mass. Four will take up the collections—three in the main aisles of the nave and one in the balcony—and one to escort the gift bearers to the altar. Ushers should arrive 15 to 20 minutes prior to mass. Male ushers should be dressed in coat and tie; that is, business dress. Female ushers should also be dressed in appropriate business dress.
BEFORE MASS: Open doors from the vestibule into the nave of the church. Greet participants as they arrive and be available to answer questions they may have. The team captain for each mass should select a family to present the gifts, taking care to select different families each week. Endeavor to seat all those attending mass. Those standing in the back of church should be encouraged to find a seat.
DURING MASS: One usher should remain in the vestibule to open and close doors at the appropriate times, to attempt to maintain order and to assist with emergencies that may arise.
Place gift table in center of main aisle after the Entrance Procession.
Close vestibule doors after opening hymn.
Those arriving late should be discouraged from entering the nave during the readings, the Gospel, and the Homily.
Distribute bulletins to all exits.
Prepare collection baskets and offering bag for use.
After the Prayers of the Faithful, the bearers of the gifts should be in place to carry the gifts up the main aisle to the celebrant when he is ready to receive them.
The ushers begin collection of the offering immediately after the Prayers of the Faithful.
The usher following the gift bearers will carry a token collection basket up the center aisle, following behind the gift bearers.
After the celebrant receives the gifts, the usher carrying the collection basket will accompany the gift bearers back down the aisle and consolidate the offerings in the basket with all the others received.
The contents of all offering baskets will be consolidated into one bag and two ushers will carry the bag to the sacristy, placing it in the safe. The ushers carrying the offering bag should stop and bow as they come even with the altar, both on the way to the sacristy and on their way back.
The vestibule doors should be opened just before Communion.
During Communion, ushers should proceed to the head of each of the three main aisles and guide parishioners, row by row, in an orderly line to receive Communion.
Close vestibule doors immediately after Communion.
If a second collection is scheduled, begin the collection immediately after the Tabernacle is closed, following the same order as the first collection.
After the final blessing, open vestibule doors once again.
AFTER MASS: Hand out bulletins at each door. Check the inside of the church for personal items left behind and place them in the box in the Ushers’ Room. Replace hymnals left in the pews, pick up wastepaper and any other trash left behind and place it in the trash can in the Ushers’ Room. Close interior and exterior doors.
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