Lay Ministers Men or Women

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adrift

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My parish is small. I believe we have about 500 families. I am guessing at the number. :o We have 56 people who are Lay Ministers, 15 men and 41 women. That to me is very lopsided and disappointing that more do not volunteer their talents.😦 After realizing how few men volunteer I wondered how it was in other parishes.
 
adrift said:
My parish is small. I believe we have about 500 families. I am guessing at the number. :o We have 56 people who are Lay Ministers, 15 men and 41 women. That to me is very lopsided and disappointing that more do not volunteer their talents.😦 After realizing how few men volunteer I wondered how it was in other parishes.
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If a parish has 56 lay ministers, how many men and women does this parish have currently in formation to be priests and nuns?

Another lopsided question from another perspective, I suppose.
 
Lepanto said:
If a parish has 56 lay ministers, how many men and women does this parish have currently in formation to be priests and nuns?

Another lopsided question from another perspective, I suppose.
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Good question. We have few children. I know of no one from our parish that is seeking a religious life.😦 We encouraged each of our sons. My youngest when he was six told me that if none of his brothers became a priest, he would. I’ve tried to hold him to that but he says “Aw mom I was only six”
 
What exactly is a “lay minister”? Is it someone who heads up a certain ministry, like the rosary-makers group or whatever? I ask because our parish does not use the term. It’s a very large parish with around 4,000 registered families, and lots of active ministries, but I’ve never seen or heard the term “lay minister” used there.
 
adrift said:
My parish is small. I believe we have about 500 families. I am guessing at the number. :o We have 56 people who are Lay Ministers, 15 men and 41 women. That to me is very lopsided and disappointing that more do not volunteer their talents.😦 After realizing how few men volunteer I wondered how it was in other parishes.
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Of those 56 individuals, how many are ‘retired’ or not employed out side the home? … What are the demographics of your parish? You spepak of families but how many are families with children, families without children, Widows, divorced or never married singles?

I believe that there is more to this than the presence of [or the lack thereof] a “Y” Chromosome …

Our current priest once discussed a study of a previousl parish’s demographics that he undertook They wanted an analysis of parish offerred programs in response to the constant complaints of "Not enough programs for [insert here: Children, Teens, Families, Adults] … and the numbers of parishioners potential and participating …

He said he never realized how many “Singles” there are in a parish, they largely don’t complain and are offerred few targeted opportunities … they also tend to volunteer in the parish [especially those who are older] and they are more likely to be women …

So perhaps you should do some research. how many families [registered households] are in your parish?

How any are families with children at home?

How many are couples without children? Broken down as to: Pre-children? and Post Children?

How many are “Single” households? Divorced, Widowed, Never Married … broken down into age categories if possible …

How many adult parishioners are retired?

How many work outside the home?

Then look at where your volunteers coe from … want a different set …

Target those who aren’t volunteering …

This analysis may help you look at commitments and how to modify that to attract say … men who work … Does the Eucharistic Minister training happen on Friday Mornings at 10:00 AM? You are not likely to get many volunteers from those who work M-F 8AM to 5PM …

similarly if Religious Education occurs at 3:45 PM on Monday and Wednesday afternoon - you loose those same workers … offer a Sunday Morning RE session - with training and formation for catechists on a Monday Evening … you may increase your volunteer pool …
 
About 75% of our EMHCs are women, all our lectors are women, all our cantors save one are women, 75% of our choir is women, and I’ve only ever seen an altar boy once… and that was at the spanish mass, all other times mass is served exclusivley by altar girls.

I’m considering switching parishes…
 
ibkc said:
What exactly is a “lay minister”? Is it someone who heads up a certain ministry, like the rosary-makers group or whatever? I ask because our parish does not use the term. It’s a very large parish with around 4,000 registered families, and lots of active ministries, but I’ve never seen or heard the term “lay minister” used there.
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I took the term from the schedule they send. It has lectors and extraordinary ministers of communion so I guess that is what they mean by lay minister. Is that improper? What would be better?
 
Jsmith17 said:
About 75% of our EMHCs are women, all our lectors are women, all our cantors save one are women, 75% of our choir is women, and I’ve only ever seen an altar boy once… and that was at the spanish mass, all other times mass is served exclusivley by altar girls.

I’m considering switching parishes…
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Jsmith17 … what are you, male or female?

If male, what volunteer activities do you do? Are you an altar server? Lector?

If you are female, do you not know any men/boys at your parish? … Have you ever encouraged one to volunteer? … Have you volunteered to recruit and train volunteers for these various ministires?

Now perhaps you are a volunteer in lots of ministries … if so this next comment is not for you …

How easy it is to switch parishes - rather than roll up ones sleevs and volunteer …

if you believe you need more men volunteers …

Recruit them …

If you are a male reading this … go volunteer in your parish …
 
YADA said:
Of those 56 individuals, how many are ‘retired’ or not employed out side the home? … What are the demographics of your parish? You spepak of families but how many are families with children, families without children, Widows, divorced or never married singles?

.
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These are very good questions. I am very glad you asked them. I wish I could answer. Looking at the list, I saw one widow. Her husband served often. Some of them are in mixed marriages. Our town is mostly retired people. It is a town that like many others in the state is a grow and bust economy. When we first moved here there were many children. We had around fifty children serving as altar servers now there is ten. They have even gone to using adult servers. My husband was in that capacity for four years. I am not being critical. I don’t think it is good or bad. I was just curious about the dynamics of other parishes.
 
YADA said:
How easy it is to switch parishes - rather than roll up ones sleevs and volunteer …

if you believe you need more men volunteers …

Recruit them …

If you are a male reading this … go volunteer in your parish …
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I agree with your sentiment. How easy you ask? The next closest parish is an hour away. That would mean a two hour trip if the weather is good. I have tried hard to recruit. Not only men but women too. I wasn’t intending it to be bashing either sex. I was shocked when I realized that there were so few men. It is nothing against the women. Thank goodness for them. I am a reader so is my husband and son. As I wrote, I was curious if it was just our community.
 
I hear you … sorry if I sounded cross … BUT

ON MY SOAPBOX NOW - because I feel the need to rant a little - PLEASE DO NOT TAKE IT PERSONALLY, this is for those who may have not consider this aspect …

I have been on my parish pastoral council, admin council. I assis with the liturgy team, RCIA and I have taught RE and assisted with Teens and confirmaiton. In addition I have been an usher, EMofHC, Lector, altar server [on rare occassions]. I am a member of our Pro-Life group … and a few years back I gave rides to mass and took Communion to the home bound on occassion. And every year for theh last 7 years I have lead a Lenten small faith sharing group. I m not telling you this as a brag … just as context …

I have been confused with being parish staff … yet I own a business … 🤷

My husband is active in the Kinghts of Columbus, is an usher, EMofHC, and occasional Lector and has worked with RCIA and the Pro-Life cause …

Both of us - Male & Female - active in the parish … And I do have a harder time saying “No” then he does … but I am getting better … I no longer teach RE :o and I only serve as an EMofHC when people fail to show up. 😦

We often hear many ‘complaints’ and they usually come from idividuals that we see at mass [some regularly, some occassionally] but never see volunteering 🤷 …

so I sometimes feel like challenging people to get involved … if you see a need take an interest, get involved, be part of the solution … don’t just change parishes … a parish is only as spirit filled and alive as the people who make it all happen … and trust me, the parish priest cannot do it all … nor does he want to …

We are the Church … we need our priest for those things only they can do … Offer the Mass, Hear condessions, Annoint the Sick … if the priest is placing fowers for the environment on Saturday afternoon insteand of hearing confessions … we will suffer greatly …

If the priest cannot make hospital rounds because he is working on the altar server schedule and calling to recruit servers … we all loose …

If the preist’s homilies are uninspiring because he spent all of the last week cleaning the church, teaching RCIA and training catachists, while also planning the Confirmation curriculum … who is to blame?

We need to be adult about our faith … be active, interested and involved … each and every one of us … Giving of our Time, Talent and Treasure 😃 … Time [very precious to me], Talent [those skills I have that can be a benefit to my parish and its smooth operation] and Treasure [the financial resources for the salaries/benefits of staff, operating costs - supplies, utilties, etc, and the maintenance & upkeep of parish facilities] … Time Talent and Treasure … we care called to do all three- not pick and choose between the three …

We need to take ownership … not walk away, not parish hop and shop … but roll up our sleeves … 👍

OKAY - OFF MY SOAPBOX 😊
 
YADA said:
Jsmith17 … what are you, male or female?

If male, what volunteer activities do you do? Are you an altar server? Lector?

If you are female, do you not know any men/boys at your parish? … Have you ever encouraged one to volunteer? … Have you volunteered to recruit and train volunteers for these various ministires?

Now perhaps you are a volunteer in lots of ministries … if so this next comment is not for you …

How easy it is to switch parishes - rather than roll up ones sleevs and volunteer …

if you believe you need more men volunteers …

Recruit them …

If you are a male reading this … go volunteer in your parish …
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Male.
I help with the hispanic ministry.

As an aside: This isn’t the only thing influencing my desire to switch parishes. I’m a rather traditional minded Catholic and my parish is extremely liberal.
 
ibkc said:
What exactly is a “lay minister”? Is it someone who heads up a certain ministry, like the rosary-makers group or whatever? I ask because our parish does not use the term. It’s a very large parish with around 4,000 registered families, and lots of active ministries, but I’ve never seen or heard the term “lay minister” used there.
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I would guess you would have to make a distinction between a “Lay Staff Ministers” like the Youth Minister, Young Adult Minister, DRE, etc, and “Lay Liturgical Minsters” EMHC, Readers, Ministers to the sick and homebound, etc.
 
Br.Rich_SFO said:
I would guess you would have to make a distinction between a “Lay Staff Ministers” like the Youth Minister, Young Adult Minister, DRE, etc, and “Lay Liturgical Minsters” EMHC, Readers, Ministers to the sick and homebound, etc.
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In my parish I’m the only staff – Religious Ed, Youth ministry, are all run by volunteers. That’s been my experience in all the parishes I’ve been in for the last 30 years. It makes it much more difficult to insist on proper training.
 
Our parish of about 950 families has about 90 boys in the altar boy cadre. (just about all the boys from 5 to early college)

The senior ( high school aged) boys are usually selected to lector.

We do not use EMHC’s ( or technically 1, an ordained Chaldean Sub-Deacon),

We have 6 men in formation to the Priesthood from our parish, have had 7 ordained from our parish in the last 10 years, and have 3 women in postulate
ovitiate programs towards religious life.

So, altar service is pretty much exclusively male. Our choir, on the other hand, is almost exclusively female (teen girls).

The Support Staff consistes of a paid, part time Secretary, and a paid, full time groundskeep\maintenance\handyman. All the rest are volunteers.

Religious Ed for young kids tends to be run by women, Adult Ed programs ( Latin classes, Thomistic Philosophy, Apologetics, Scripture classes) tend to be run by men. So that is about 50\50
 
Phemie said:
In my parish I’m the only staff – Religious Ed, Youth ministry, are all run by volunteers. That’s been my experience in all the parishes I’ve been in for the last 30 years. It makes it much more difficult to insist on proper training.
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However you MUST insist on proper training AND ongoing Formation!
 
I voted about equal.

Then again, their roles are very much specific.

Our lay ministers are:
Servers: about 8, all male as required by canon law.[1]
lay-readers: 4 (3 men, 1 woman)
lay-cantors: 6 (2 men, 4 women)
EMHC’s: none. [2]
altar “guild”: 4 women
bulletin folders: 2 or three women.
Collection/Offering: 5, all female.
catechists: 4, all female.

Note that our deacon-candidate is a lay-reader, lay-cantor, and server. He’s trained as an EMHC, but we’ve never used one.

two of the readers aren’t also cantors, but they’re also servers.

As a Byzantine Catholic Parish, the differences in canon law from Roman make a huge difference on the ministerial balance

[1] The Ruthenian Particular Law forbids women from ministries inside the Iconostasis.
[2] Ruthenian Particular Law restricts MHC’s to 1 per 75 communicants; filling, in order: the celebrant, then the deacons, and the concelebrants, then the subdeacons, then the acolytes, then finally laymen.
 
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