What are the "caliber" of people like in your parish that volunteer to be lay liturgical ministers?

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Ostiarius

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I’m curious what what the average “caliber” of people that typically volunteer to be lay ministers, be they: acolytes, lectors, EMsHC, readers, altar servers, sacristans, etc?

How well do they know their faith? Do they have people skills? Do they take their ministries seriously? Are they already trying to learn more? Do they maintain a prayer life? Do they present/dress appropriately for their ministries, etc?
 
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Ostiarius said:
I’m curious what what the average “caliber” of people that typically volunteer to be lay ministers, be they: acolytes, lectors, EMsHC, readers, altar servers, sacristans, etc?

How well do they know their faith? Do they have people skills? Do they take their ministries seriously? Are they already trying to learn more? Do they maintain a prayer life? Do they present/dress appropriately for their ministries, etc?
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I don’t know about their personal lives .
 
They’re some of the most caring, giving people I know. In addition to seeing them at Mass, they are the people who are taking communion to the sick, attending scripture study, making meals for a local group that feeds the homeless, attending parish retreats, attending special events, etc. They support the parish as widely as they can.
 
What a strange question.
I don’t make it a habit to question or judge the motives or intentions of volunteers, in any capacity. I am just grateful that they share their time and talent.
 
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I am not closely acquainted with most of the liturgical ministers in my parish so I wouldn’t know much of anything about their personal lives.

What I do know is that they are well trained for what they do. (All of the liturgical ministries have regular training sessions.) They often are involved in other ministries (besides the liturgical ones.) Many of them attend daily Mass when their schedules permit it. I see them at all kinds of non-liturgical events at the parish. They take what they do for the parish very seriously.
 
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Brendan_64 said:
They are people who are helping the parish priest by carrying out jobs that need to be done in the parish, why do these roles need to be deemed ‘ministries’?
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If the function was being performed by someone who was ordained or instituted would it be considered a “ministry” then?
 
Ostiarius said:
How well do they know their faith? Do they have people skills? Do they take their ministries seriously? Are they already trying to learn more? Do they maintain a prayer life? Do they present/dress appropriately for their ministries, etc?
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It’s not overly difficult to ascertain how well people know their faith through conversation. Same with their people skills. Not hard to do.

How seriously one takes their ministries can often be determined simply by observing, and again through conversation. Nothing difficult.

Dressing appropriately for their ministries is the simplest of all to understand. Very simple.
 
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SMHW said:
If the function was being performed by someone who was ordained or instituted would it be considered a “ministry” then?
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No, it isn’t the function carried out by the priest or deacon that determines that he is a minister, he is a minister because of his ordination. If a priest has no sacristan for example and he is doing this himself is he carrying out a specific ministry by doing this, or is he simply doing something that needs to be done?

I think the ‘lay-ministry’ thing can sometimes run the risk of blurring the lines between the nature of clergy and laity, with deacons and priests being thought of as just being ‘higher up the scale of ministry’.
 
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Ostiarius said:
How well do they know their faith? Do they have people skills? Do they take their ministries seriously? Are they already trying to learn more? Do they maintain a prayer life? Do they present/dress appropriately for their ministries, etc?
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Only thing I’m sure of is that they are all sinners…and if that was an okay trait in the Apostles selected by Jesus, who am I to object!
 
I will not derail. I will address the question. I am RCIA director and lector. As far as my caliber? It’s high enough to pass muster with our bishop, our priest, and our DRE. Whether or not I measure to your standards is not on my list of things to worry about.
 
They volunteered, therefore they are of higher caliber than those who don’t in some respects. Depends on what you mean by the word, and frankly, it doesn’t matter. The question that does matter is, “What are YOU doing for your parish?”
 
Young, old, rich, poor, black, brown, white, reverts and converts and cradle Catholics in all stages and phases of life, just like the parish.
 
I’m a catechist, so I don’t know if that’s what you’re thinking of, but I can answer your questions with regard to myself:

How well do they know their faith? Honestly, sometimes I feel like I’m learning as much as the kids.

Do they have people skills? I try.

Do they take their ministries seriously? I do my best and think it’s important.

Do they present/dress appropriately for their ministries? It depends on your standards. I show up in jeans a lot.

Do they maintain a prayer life? I struggle with my faith, but I know the teaching of the Church is true and I do my best to pass it along to my students.

Despite my low “caliber” I’m one of the few who showed up to volunteer. I’m sure there are much higher-caliber people out there, but they aren’t willing to do it, so it’s kind of moot.
 
I don’t know if this thread is appropriate. But our “caliber” I would say is uncatechised.
 
I have a question for the OP. Have you been here before under other names? Your questions are strikingly similar to a poster who has appeared here under a couple of different names. Although if that’s the case I doubt if you’ll admit it.
 
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