Mass Coordinators

“And the more I considered Christianity, the more I found that while it had established a rule and order, the chief aim of that order was to give room for good things to run wild.”
~ G.K. Chesterton

Procedures for Mass Coordinators

In Preparation for Mass

Use the Ministry Scheduler to maintain your availability. If you become unavailable to serve at a Mass on your schedule, you are responsible for finding a substitute. Please use your ministry’s group text to ask for a substitute, then request a substitute in Ministry Scheduler. If no one responds to the group text, please follow up with individuals to find someone to accept your role. If you still cannot find anyone, please email Fr. Brett by Friday, so that the celebrant can be aware of the shortage.
Please do your best to respond to requests for substitutes – all of us will need a sub at some point! If you do accept someone’s substitute request, please then go to Ministry Scheduler to add yourself to the schedule.

Arrival at Mass

Arrive 20 minutes before the start of Mass and sign in to the binder in the sacristy.
Turn on the lights if they are not on already.
The presider will pray with all those serving Mass in the sacristy approximately five minutes before Mass begins.

Communicate with Priest(s), Deacon, and Music Director

Check with the priest(s), deacon and music director to see if they need anything or if there is anything special about the Mass (i.e., second collection, baptism, Children’s Liturgy of the Word, hospitality, family Mass, etc.)
If there is a visiting priest, introduce yourself and let him know your role and that you are there to help him.

Prepare the Hosts

Go to the tabernacle and genuflect; open the tabernacle door and the ciboria to see how many consecrated hosts and low gluten hosts are inside. This will help you determine how many hosts to put out for Mass. Close the ciborium, close the door to the tabernacle, and genuflect before leaving the tabernacle.
Based on how many hosts are in the ciborium in the tabernacle, determine how many unconsecrated hosts should be set out for your Mass. Open a packet of small hosts (100 per sleeve), and place enough for the Mass in the flat ciborium. Put one large host on top of the small ones. Add the small clip-on vessel for low gluten hosts. The hosts can be found in a cabinet in the sacristy marked ‘Hosts.’

Prepare the Vessels

Gather the vessels needed for Mass.
The vessels may be left out in the sacristy from a previous Mass on the small table to the left as you enter the sacristy or may be in the old tabernacle (with the key lock) in the sacristy behind the tall door on the right. Also note that below this tabernacle are drawers marked ‘purificators’ and ‘towels.’
- Fill one cruet with wine and one cruet with water. Cruets are kept in the wine chiller.
- Fill another cruet with water and place on the small table in the sacristy for purification.
- Place a purificator on the chalice, and put a cover over the chalice. Also add a second purificator for distribution of the Blood of Christ.
- When choosing a chalice for a visiting priest, choose one with a long stem for distribution of the Blood of Christ.
- Be sure to have a ciborium for each person who will be distributing the Body of Christ and a chalice and purificator for each person who will be distributing the Blood of Christ.
  - For the Saturday 5:00 p.m. and Sunday 8:00 a.m. Masses, one ciborium, in addition to the ciborium in the tabernacle and two chalices and purificators, will be needed.
  - For the Sunday 10:00 a.m. Mass, two ciboria in addition to the ciborium in the tabernacle and three chalices and purificators will be needed.

Prepare the Offertory Table

Place the flat ciborium/ciboria with the hosts and the two cruets on the offertory table behind the last row of pews.
If there is a school Mass, typically the teacher will have assigned four students to bring up the gifts, so make sure there are two ciboria to bring up during the offertory along with the two cruets.

Prepare the Credence Table on the Altar

Place the chalices set-up on the credence table.
- For the Saturday 5 p.m. Mass and Sunday 8 a.m. Mass, there should be the celebrant’s chalice and one additional chalice for the distribution of the Blood of Christ.
- For the Sunday 10 a.m. Mass, there should be the celebrant’s chalice and two additional chalices for the distribution of the Blood of Christ. One additional ciborium should also be placed on the credence table. Ensure there are enough purificators for each chalice.
Place a small glass bowl, towel, and small cruet of water on the credence table for washing of the hands.

Prepare for the Offertory and Collection

Check with the Ministers of Hospitality to be sure they found people to take up the gifts and placed the wicker basket and envelope on the back table.

Prepare the Ministers of the Word and of the Eucharist

As the Ministers of the Word arrive, let them know if there is anything different with this Mass. Make sure they decide who will read the first and second readings, prayers of the faithful, and the opening, and who will process in with the Book of the Gospels. If the deacon is there, he will read the prayers of the faithful and process in with the Book of the Gospels.
As the Ministers of the Eucharist arrive, let them know if there is anything different with the Mass. Remind them to decide who will distribute the Body of Christ and who will distribute the Blood of Christ.
Note: Five minutes before Mass, if there is no Minister of the Word or Minister of the Eucharist, look out over the community to identify a substitute and ask them to fill in.

Candle Lighting

10 minutes before Mass begins, light the candles.
When we have Altar Servers, have them light the candles.
Easter candle: the Easter candle should be lit during Easter season (Easter Sunday through Pentecost) and for a baptism during Mass.

During Mass be available in case something is needed.

After Mass make sure everything is cleaned and put away properly.

Remind the Altar Servers to extinguish the candles (or do so yourself if needed).
Put away the vessels.