Ministers of the Liturgy

Active, Conscious Participants or Passive, Entitled Bystanders?

How does the assembly at prayer - your church community experience the liturgical leadership of its pastoral ministers?

Does the community see witness the people named as leaders in the service of the liturgy actively and intelligently engaged?

Or does the community experience see passivity among ministers of the liturgy?

Does the community at public prayer perceive an entitled group of benefactors who only deign to do ministry as they serve as servers, ministers of hospitality, communion ministers, readers, collectors, sacristans, priests, deacons, religious educators, guides for the rite of Christian Initiation - the myriad of leadership that begins at what the Second Vatican Council describes the source and summit of our faith - the Eucharistic liturgy – the Mass?

How do parish leaders engage in the work of the people – the liturgy - as ministers and servants of the public prayer of the Catholic Church? 

Presented on June 1, 2015 at Our Lady of Assumption Parish in New Bedford, MA by Denise Morency Gannon, BMusEd., MA, CPS.

Denise serves as the director of the Roncalli Center, founded on October 11, 2012 on the 50^th anniversary of the Second Vatican Council. Denise’s professional experience in the pastoral arts and music education spans over 45 years in elementary, middle and high school, Catholic parishes, three colleges, diocesan service in clergy formation and education and leadership for pastoral musicians.

Denise maintains several blogs and has served columnist and feature writer for numerous liturgical publications. She is a composer of original music and published with World Library Publications.