Hello, Church

A Catholic blogger recently posted about his disappointment in the lack of welcome and hospitality while he searches for a new parish to pitch his permanent tent in a faith community that resonates with him. I understand his journey. When I was writing A View from the Pew several years ago, I encountered a variety of ministries of hospitality or lack thereof. In my opinion, the ministry of hospitality belongs not only to particular ministry. Hospitality and welcome belong to the entire Church and rooted in sacred scripture. (...we must have our wits about us and have a determined focus on prayer, love, and hospitality. 1 Peter 4:7-11).

A well trained ministry of hospitality as the Church gathers to pray models Christian koinonia for its parish community and for anyone who has the courage to step through the doors of a parish church on a Sunday morning.

Phantom strangers

The ministers of hospitality may be the people we take the most for granted and prepare the least in lay ecclesial ministry. Yet, these people greet everyone, including newcomers at the door of the church. Often times, ministers of hospitality may be the first people we meet when and where we worship. Far more than the folks who hand out the worship aids, well trained ministers of hospitality convey the personality of a particular parish. How does your parish want to be known and remembered by the stranger? To the person who finds the guts to return after being away for many years? To someone seeking a faith life and decides to give Catholicism a try? How do you greet and receive them? Or are they phantom strangers that slip in and out and escape your notice?

Smile, greet, listen, anticipate, serve

A warm smile and a friendly greeting create a welcoming environment.  Well trained ministers of hospitality anticipate needs as they survey the landscape and search for available seating for families, single participants, the elderly, the newcomer, people with special needs. They listen well to anyone who may ask a question and well informed about the liturgy and their parish so that they can offer proper assistance.

A well trained ministry of hospitality models an exceptional experience the minute someone steps into a worship space. I’ve even seen ministers of hospitality who are so on their game that they make sure that the sidewalks leading up to the church doors are cleared of any litter and debris before they greet the first person who arrives for worship. The model permeates the worshipping community that takes its lead from this service of hospitality to generate a gracious welcome.

A well trained ministry of hospitality sets the bar high so that all members of the community become watchful for the stranger in its midst and provide assistance, including helping to guide returning Catholics or uninitiated Christians through worship that they might find new or unfamiliar. Hospitality and welcome is the work of the entire assembly; a healthy foundation may be found in a robust ministry of hospitality.

Begin now

Holy Week begins next Sunday and Triduum is upon us. Think of the guests who will enter your church to accompany their loved ones who will be initiated as Catholic Christians at the Easter Vigil. Consider all of those Catholics who come to worship only on Christmas, Ash Wednesday, Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday and never feel as though they quite ‘fit in’ with the people who worship faithfully. How will your receive them? Will they leave as phantoms? Or will you seek them out and invite faithful members of the assembly to step up and seek them out? What a perfect time to begin a new ministry of hospitality.

Yes, yes, I know – you have a lot to do between now and then and you just cannot possibly add one more thing to your plate. Hello, Church: What’s more important than welcoming people into the fold if they’ve been away for a long time? Home from college for Easter break? A newcomer looking for a home? People who may not have considered a faith life and there’s just something so welcoming about your parish that they might just decide to return? Here’s an opportunity to welcome the stranger among us. There’s no time like the present.

Here are great resources to shape a vibrant Ministry of Hospitality in your parish.

- Guide for Ushers and Greeters, Lawrence E. Mick (Chicago: Liturgy Training Publications, 1997).

- Liturgical Ministry: A Practical Guide to Spirituality, Donna M. Cole (San Jose: Resource Publications, Inc, 1996).

- The Ministry of Hospitality, James A. Comiskey (Collegeville: The Liturgical Press, 1985)

If you need help, we'll come to your parish and help you get started. Email us at roncallicenter@gmail.com or contact us through this website. We're here for you.