Liturgy Meeting Minutes – 16 November 2015

Next Meeting: Tuesday 15 December 2015 @ 7:30pm

Attendees: Estelle Armstrong, Shauna Barrett, Nicole Bernier, Fran Bowen, Dottie Moon , Roberta Murphy, Lois Roy

Summary of Meeting:

Introductions and welcome to Fran Bowen and thanks for volunteering to help with environment

News/Issues/Concerns

  • Music ministry – The new director for The Choir, Anna, began last Sunday
  • Update on the Barn
  • Dennis and Lois have been pushing for a solution to the stairs and developed a plan to find that the town is blocking it – Richard Potticary is trying to help push the issue with the town
  • Liturgy will no longer have to climb to the second floor as we will keep all but a few seldom used items downstairs
  • A parishioner who is a carpenter has volunteered his skills and will fence off the liturgy materials and space with two entry points
  • Once we have space we will reorganize again, clean up and have the best solution we’ve had in recent memory – yeah!!!
  • Don Masters will also be improving the lighting in the barn – downstairs & up
  • As of Advent, the Eucharistic Ministers begin a new procedure to speed up the time it takes for them to receive communion before distribution to the assembly
  • Just as a Deacon would do, an EM will follow Father Michael down the line to distribute the Blood of Christ
  • Thanks to Praise Band member for making the suggestion after observing the practice of a visiting priest
  • The parish will be having a holiday potluck dinner on December 5th after the 5pm Mass
  • Organizers are seeking ministries to make a table centerpiece
  • Carolyn Davis volunteered to make one for the Liturgy Team
  • Kathy Butler has made amazing progress creating a slide show of our parish ministries to show prior to the Masses on Christmas Eve
  • She plans to share a draft of the show at our next meeting
  • She would like to incorporate a few pictures of this year’s Christmas setup and can do so if we have things in place by 12/23

Review of Remembrance Mass

  • It was beautiful and a moving experience – many loving comments from parishioners
  • Suggestions for the future – when it falls on the weekend
  • Ask people to come up center aisle
  • Ask the Assembly to be seated during the time people came forward
  • Improve coordination with St Columba
  • ACTION: Dottie will cover with Kathy during our next coordination meeting
  • Some confusion about the bulletin item
  • Calls from SC parishioners came to us as we didn’t have a SC name to put in the bulletin item
  • Roberta agreed that St Columba could keep the bowls they borrowed
  • She also helped them ready the floating candles and we will check that they add it to their procedures prior to the service
  • After hearing the poem that was read, Nicole said she could have better coordinated the music, so give her the script with enough time to select the music
  • Plan for the screen in future
  • Slides of pictures
  • Potentially the names of all who were lost that year or design way to show names as they are being called out

End of this Liturgical Year: Christ the King

  • Thanks to Nicole for volunteering to take the lead on setting up
  • Thanks to Lois for stripping away the plants, as requested, and dealing with the clean-up
  • Plan for the metal stand with the pillow and crown centered in front of sanctuary
  • Tall glass vases with gold wiry branches placed in back of sanctuary
  • The simple design will be great lead-in to Advent

Advent/Christmas Décor Planning

  • Planning Team met last Friday to come up with plan for the seasons
  • Overall plan is for simplicity and harmony to complement the season and the introduction of the Year of Mercy
  • Design overall is listed in a separate attachment
  • Additional thoughts/points
  • Be sure to place Advent Wreath on plexiglass if we use wax candles
  • ACTION: Lois will check the sockets to see if our advent candle set fit properly
  • Change to location of advent wreath
  • To allow for flowers to continue to be placed for Mary we will move the baptismal font under the screen to make room for the wreath
  • ACTION:We will ask Father if we could remove the American flag for this season only so that we can place the paschal candle in that corner
  • While font base is in use under the screen, we will use a small table with white cover for any baptisms that take place
  • We will use the quiet time before Mass, while people are still seated, to have family come forward and light the candles
  • aby Jesus brought in elevated at all Masses to soft instrumental music with the assembly seated and wait to have them
  • Altar will continue to be covered with simple white cloth
  • ACTION: Alert Lois/altar servers on what lights need to be turned on, etc
  • ACTION: Fran will work with Linda Boothroyd and contact Woodland Gardens to set up the poinsettia order
  • Once we have delivery time, we will set the final setup time
  • Lois is handling the outside décor and will add in branches with lights in pots to tie to the interior décor
  • Swags of twigs tied with purple ribbons will be placed on the doors
  • Roberta is making Mary banner to use in time for the Immaculate Conception
  • Baby Jesus will be brought forward at all the Christmas Eve Masses
  • Prior to beginning of Mass, assembly seated and quiet instrumental music playing
  • ACTION: Dottie will check with Ashley for her plans at the Masses

Year of Mercy Planning

  • We will place something for Year of Mercy on its inception December 8th and the following weekend
  • Handout on Year of Mercy
  • Social Justice banners and or reference to the spiritual/corporal works of mercy
  • Liturgy will keep Year of Mercy alive for parishioners with weekly actions:
  • Quote, written item or highlighting a ministry each week
  • Parish Council is supporting by holding coffee/donuts on the weekends highlighting ministry – when possible
  • Lenten challenge will support a yet to be determined social action
  • 5th Anniversary of the Installation of the African Wells
  • Commemorate at Masses the weekend of 1/25-26
  • Décor, Sanctuary Light, slides for screen and bulletin item
  • Use it as launch for this year’s Lenten challenge

Beginning Thoughts on Lent

  • Lenten Mission has been confirmed
  • To be held Monday. February 22; Tuesday the 23rd and Thursday the 24th
  • St Columba – 9am to 10:30am
  • Prayer service or liturgy included within the Thursday session
  • Holy Family – 7pm to 8:20pm
  • Tuesday and Thursday sessions will begin with evening liturgy
  • Topic: Social Justice
  • Leader: Sister Patty Cook, RSM, PhD.
  • Sr. Patty will also offer two afternoon Group Spiritual Direction sessions
  • Time not yet firm, but to be held in early afternoon
  • Sr. Patty will be at all the Masses the weekend leading into the missions to address the parishes and invite all to participate
  • Lenten Booklet
  • Matthew Kelly’s Rediscover Jesus
  • Good follow-on to this year’s Rediscover Catholicism
  • Sections will work well for daily devotions
  • Already ordered to take advantage of special pricing in October

1 Church of the Holy Family / Liturgy Team 17 November 2015