Those Various Ministries In The Parish

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Ryan1 said:
To be ministries they should be connected in some way with the sacraments, shouldn’t they?
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Yes minister means connected to the sacrament of Holy Orders.
There is a difference between the term “ministry” and “ministers”.

I realize people, even in parish bulletins, use the term “ministry” and “minister”, loosely. There’s the coffee ministry, there are “Eucharistic Ministers”, the outreach food bank ministry, secretarial ministry, and so on.

The fact that people use terms carelessly does not alter their meaning. What do you think “lay apostolate” means?
 
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Lay Apostalate vs. Lay Ministry

Lay Apostalates perform duties outside of the church walls and Mass. Assistance at Mass is a lay ministry. A minister could be under holy orders, but not necessarily. They simply must be assisting the Priest with Mass in some way.
 
From Constitution on Sacred Liturgy:

"28. In liturgical celebrations each person, minister or layman, who has an office to perform, should do all of, but only, those parts which pertain to his office by the nature of the rite and the principles of liturgy.
  1. Servers, lectors commentators, and members of the choir also exercise a genuine liturgical function. They ought, therefore, to discharge their office with the sincere piety and decorum demanded by so exalted a ministry and rightly expected of them by God’s people."
Note the distinction between “ministry” and “minister”. Not everyone who participates in a “ministry” is a “minister”.
 
Shaw mentions risk of over simplification, as well he should, as he over simplifies. For instance, he uses the term Eucharistic Minister rather than the Church term. But his article is somewhat useful.
 
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Overused perhaps.

When first joining the parish, there were “altar dressers”. This was a couple which would go into the sanctuary and lay out the altar. Usually around the time the collection was taken up.
 
Gosh. There used to be coffee and donuts after Mass in one local parish. Most would just grab a donut on the way out.

At another parish on a famous historic resort island here, the donuts were broken into quarters. Another parish in the state capitol offered bagles, donuts, coffee, or milk following Mass. Donations (cash) accepted.
 
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There was a documentary on my diocese some years ago on the local PBS affiliate. In it, there was a scene in which someone in the pew was making certain that all were closing ranks for hand-holding, possibly for The Lord’s Prayer.
 
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