Liturgy & Worship

Welcome!

You are most welcome to become a part of one or more of our parish ministries.

Questions?
Except where noted below, please contact Judy Dulemba at 412-367-9001, ext. 8517 or [email protected].

Our Lady of Mount Carmel Liturgical Ministries
Liturgical ministry at Our Lady of Mount Carmel is led by Ted Rybka, Director of Worship. The Liturgy department oversees all things having to do with the celebration of the liturgy: Masses, funerals, Communion visits, and church decoration.

Recruiting, scheduling, and training is coordinated directly by the Liturgy Committee, a team of volunteer leaders who focus on a particular apostolate for the entire grouping.

Adoration
It is an amazing privilege to be able to adore our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament, exposed for our worship. Our Adoration opportunities at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish also provide an opportunity for liturgical ministers to volunteer in a new way. We have altar servers and sacristans to set up and minster during Adoration, coordinated by various leaders depending on the particular location. For more information about Adoration, click here.

Altar Servers
Altar servers assist at the altar of the Lord in the Mass. They provide for the needs of the priest and deacon and make sure that the Sacrifice is carried out with the proper solemnity. To serve at the altar is an honor which allows us to be a model for the congregation and to be close to our Lord Jesus Christ in the Eucharist.

Volunteers for altar serving must be in the fifth grade or above and may be trained beginning in the summer after fourth grade. The students of Holy Cross Academy serve the weekday Masses during the school year at Saint Sebastian Church and are assigned by Kelly Ryan. Funeral and wedding altar servers are coordinated by various volunteers depending on the particular church. Contact: George Linkhauer, [email protected], 412-952-4127.

Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion
Extraordinary ministers of holy Communion, or EMHCs, are installed to assist the clergy in the liturgy and take Communion to the sick and homebound. They are entrusted with the sacred duty of handling the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. Our EMHCs know that they have the great privilege of assisting the ordinary ministers, the priests, in distributing the Eucharist.

Prospective EMHCs must be at least 18 years of age and fully initiated into the Catholic Church, having received Baptism, Confirmation, and the Eucharist. Volunteers are trained and commissioned before being sent out to the sick and homebound or being assigned for Sunday Masses. Anyone interested in joining this apostolate is asked to contact Judy Dulemba at 412-367-9001, ext. 8517 or [email protected].

Lector Ministry
Our lectors proclaim the Word of God at Mass with boldness and reverence. They take Scripture as their nourishment and speak as proclaimers of God's Word, letting the Holy Spirit speak through them.

There are two lectors for each Sunday Mass and there is one lector for each weekday Mass. A lector must be at least 16 years of age and fully initiated into the Catholic Church, having received Baptism, Confirmation and the Eucharist. The only exception is for the Holy Cross Academy school Masses, which are served by students.

Paul Skirtich is the Liturgy Committee leader entrusted with coordinating the lectors in our grouping. Anyone who would like to join this ministry of the Word is asked to contact Paul Skirtich: [email protected], 412-487-2430.

Ministers of Hospitality (Ushers and Greeters)
Our ministers of hospitality are comprised of ushers and greeters. Greeters bring their joy and passion for the Faith to parishioners and visitors, welcoming them into the House of the Lord for worship. Ushers give themselves to the quiet service of their brothers and sisters, doing everything in their power to minimize distractions so that the congregation can focus entirely of Jesus Christ, present in the Mass. These volunteers work together to ensure that parishioners and visitors are in the best position to connect with our community and enter into the liturgy. They often work together and do both apostolates in the same Mass, though this is not required.

Ministers of hospitality are only scheduled for Sunday and Holy Day liturgies. The Liturgy Committee leaders who are tasked with coordinating our ministers are George Shaheen, Rita Morasco and Andrew Dashner. Anyone interested in joining our ministers of hospitality can contact the specific leaders for more direct assistance:

George Shaheen: [email protected], 412-720-0843
Andrew Dashner: [email protected], 412-445-0616
Rita Morasco: [email protected], 412-398-4099

Sacred Space (Art & Environment)
The sacred space apostolate, also known as art & environment, deals with the liturgical space of each of our four church buildings. Each church has a group of dedicated volunteers who provide for the needs of the particular space via activities like decoration, floral arrangement, cleaning, ironing, and keeping an eye on our stock of liturgical items.

These apostolates are coordinated by various individuals throughout our grouping, so please please contact contact Judy Dulemba at 412-367-9001, ext. 8517 or [email protected].

Sacristans
Sacristans are the custodians of the house of the Lord, taking care that everything is in order for the celebration of the Mass. They humbly serve the Lord behind the scenes by setting out the sacred vessels and making sure the sacristy is neat and tidy. Sacristans exercise their apostolate before Mass begins, portioning the proper amount of hosts and wine to be consecrated at Mass. There is usually one sacristan per Mass who serves at that time consistently, week after week.

Anyone who would like to become a sacristan is asked to contact Judy Dulemba at 412-367-9001, ext. 8517 or [email protected].