God has blessed each of us with unique gifts and talents. As part of a parish family, we need all of our parishioners to share their time and talent here at St. Rose so that each of us can contribute to making our parish the best parish it can be.
Please review the opportunities to share your time and talents listed here. There are many ways to participate in the life of our parish family. If you see something that interests you, there is a contact name and email listed for each ministry. If you call or email the contact for the ministry that interests you, that person can get back with you to give you more information. Our parish needs help from individuals, couples and families.
I invite you to prayerfully consider how you can be active in your faith community here at St. Rose.
Rev. Jeff Hanley
Pastor
St. Rose and St. Cyril – Hastings and Nashville, MI USA
St. Rose Parish is always looking for parishioners who love singing and playing musical instruments to join the Adult Choir. The choir and musicians lead and enhance various Masses on weekends and liturgical holidays. For weekend Masses, the choir meets to rehearse 30 minutes before Mass begins. Rehearsals for holidays are published in the bulletin.
Adults and students in grade 3 or higher are invited to this ministry. New Altar Servers will receive their initial training in a group or one-on-one with Father Jeff. Altar servers serve at weekday school Masses and weekend Masses by assisting the priest in a respectful manner during the celebration of the liturgy. Altar servers are assigned for weekday school masses by the St. Rose school staff. Weekend altar servers are invited to serve at any Masses they attend by reporting to the sacristy at least 15 minutes before Mass begins.
A program of teaching, modeling, and accompanying the youth of the parish in their faith formation and friendship with Jesus. We are looking for Catechists who are willing not only to teach but be mentors as well. We have resources for their formation as well through Franciscan University.
All volunteer positions may require Virtus training:
Mt. Calvary Cemetery is the only Catholic cemetery in Barry County and is owned and operated by St. Rose Parish. Volunteer members of the cemetery board focus on the care and maintenance of the grounds as well as the sale of gravesites. Catholic cemeteries are places for remembrance, forgiveness and healing. Our parishioners who are involved in this work are a special breed and they demonstrate lay ministry at its best when their fellow parishioners are grieving
This committee meets to plan how to decorate the church for seasons, feasts, and celebrations for the liturgical church year. Members also install and maintain the decoration.
For two consecutive weeks, two to three times a year, two volunteers clean the main altar area, side altar area, choir area, sacristy, vestibule, dust window sills and heaters in the body of the church, clean and refill the holy water fonts, and clean the glass on the three glass doors. Volunteers will be trained in how to use the chemical-free cleaning products and tools. The schedule for cleaning is set up for three months at a time and volunteers handle any rescheduling among themselves.
We do not want anyone to miss Mass because they are not able to access transportation to church. If you could be generous and offer to pick up parishioners regularly or occasionally on your way to Mass, please consider volunteering for this ministry.
This ministry requires dependable individuals who pay attention to detail. People who are more comfortable providing service to others behind the scenes rather than in front of a congregation are encouraged to volunteer.
Each fall, our parish collects coats, hats, scarves and mittens to donate to the needy in Barry county. Volunteers are needed to organize and deliver all of the donations. The collection begins at the end of September and ends the week before Thanksgiving. This short-term commitment will make winter more comfortable for many people.
Donuts and Coffee are served after the 8:00AM and 11:00AM Mass on most weekends. Volunteers are needed to set-up, serve, and clean up and they may choose the Sundays that work for them.
This ministry is open to parishioners who are practicing Catholics, are at least 16 years of age and who regularly attend Mass. Extraordinary ministers should be examples of faith, charity and service who live in a way that reflects love for and desire to serve Christ by serving others. These ministers assist the priest at Mass with distribution of the Body and Blood of Christ. Sign-ups for extraordinary ministers at weekend Masses are posted in the sacristy every three months and emailed to all ministers. If schedule conflicts prevent ministers from serving at their assigned Masses, they are asked to arrange for a substitute. All extraordinary ministers must be approved by Father Jeff before being scheduled to distribute the Blessed Sacrament.
The role of Greeters before each of our weekend Masses is to welcome all who come to St. Rose of Lima church with a handshake, kind word and a smile. There are three doors that need this welcome. Greeters arrive 15-20 minutes before Mass starts. The schedule is for three months at a time, sent out via email and posted at each entrance of the church. This ministry is for singles, couples and families. The commitment is small and sets a climate of welcoming as soon as people walk in the door.
The Knights of Columbus is the world’s largest Catholic fraternal service organization. Founded by Father Michael J. McGivney in New Haven, Connecticut, in 1882, it was named in honor of the mariner, Christopher Columbus. The order is still true to its founding principles of charity, unity and fraternity..
Our council's business meeting is the second Wednesday of each month and the COR meeting is the fourth Wednesday of each month at St. Rose. "COR" is latin for heart and the root of the word courage. Prayer, formation, and fraternity all begin with the heart and direct the heart in relationship to God and others. Meetings begin at 7:00PM, usually in the adult education room.
All women in the parish are members of the Ladies Association. There are no regular meetings, but rather a loose organization that gets things done as needed. It is the women in the parish who:
volunteer to prepare and serve refreshments for parish functions throughout the year
contribute baked good and staff the bake sales after Masses
collect donations throughout the year for the bi-annual Christmas bazaar, sort through the donations, set up the Christmas bazaar, staff the bazaar and pack up the leftover bazaar items
take care of other things that come up throughout the year
Any money raised by these activities are used to meet needs our parish community.
This ministry is open to parishioners who are practicing Catholics, are at least 16 years of age and who regularly attend Mass. Lectors should be familiar with the Old and New Testaments and be confident enough to read aloud in public. They should be able to proclaim the scriptures with conviction and clarity. Sign-ups for lectors at weekend Masses are posted in the sacristy every three months and emailed to all lectors. If schedule conflicts prevent lectors from serving at their assigned Masses, they are asked to arrange for a substitute. All lectors must be approved by Father Jeff before being scheduled to read at liturgies.
St. Rose Parish offers a weekly live stream of Mass to support those unable to attend mass in person for any reason. It allows our parishioners to stay connected to our parish even when they are unable to attend in person. If you are comfortable with computers, are interested in video streaming, or would like to learn, we would love to add you to the St. Rose Live Streaming Team! We schedule out for two months or more and your commitment can be as minimal as once every two months. You will need to arrive at church at least 15 minutes prior to the scheduled Mass time.
The Parish Council is a group of parishioners who pray, reflect, and dialogue in order to help the Pastor in his role of governing and leading the parish. The Pastor consults with the Pastoral Council and seeks their advice regarding the spiritual life of the community. Members of the Parish Council are approved by the pastor and commit to attending meetings as scheduled.
Each September, we host a parish picnic for fun and fellowship. Events take place on a Sunday in September after 11 am Mass. There are many activities including children’s games, bingo, pony rides, a dunk tank, hamburger and hot dog lunch, music and many more. Many people are needed to work to coordinate various events and all parishioners are asked to participate in some way. The parish picnic is a wonderful way to get involved in the parish and meet some new people.
The St. Rose parish community believes in the power of prayer. If you, a family member, friend or fellow parishioner needs to be supported in prayer, please call Kathy Yeager.
The Office of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA) is a process, not a program. It is a class designed for adults who are seeking full communion with the Catholic church. This class guides inquirers through the education, formation and rituals of entrance into the Catholic community. On a weekly basis, from September through April, those interested in learning about the teachings of the Catholic church come together to discover where God is leading them in their lives.
Various members of our parish community are on the OCIA team and lead different sessions to help class members explore and develop their faith, learn and grow into what it means to be Catholic and reflect on the conversion experience. If you are excited about being a Catholic and believe that sharing your faith with OCIA candidates and catechumens is a ministry that God is calling you to do, please schedule a conversation with Deacon Phil.
Sacristans serve the assembly by preparing all the physical elements needed for the Mass. They prepare the vessels for the Eucharistic Liturgy, put out appropriate quantities of bread and wine, assist the Presider and other ministers in vesting, ensure that the books are properly placed and ensure that there are enough Eucharistic Ministers, Lectors, and Altar Servers for the Mass.
Sacristans are required to be at Mass an hour before Mass begins to allow sufficient time to set everything up for the Mass.
Anyone interested in training for the sacristan ministry and serving as a substitute sacristan can contact the sacristan listed as a contact for the appropriate Mass time.
SICK AND HOME-BOUND MINISTRY Contact: Deacon Jim Mellen
Due to illness or disability, some of our brothers and sisters are unable to be with us as we celebrate the Eucharist each Sunday. Approved parishioners take Communion and the Word of God weekly or monthly or occasionally to those who are unable to attend Mass because they are recovering from illness, are home-bound due to disability or are permanent residents in area nursing homes. If you are a positive, prayerful person, we need your help and compassion to serve these members of our parish. Commitment may be for a few weeks or ongoing as the circumstances and your schedule dictate.
St. Peter tells us “ Practice hospitality ungrudgingly to one another.” Are you a person who focuses on the positive, enjoys our parish community and always has ideas for making things more welcoming and enjoyable for others? Then please join this group at its meetings to help us show the love of God, as a community, to others. Meeting dates are in the bulletin or you can email for information.
The St. Rose Softball team is a great opportunity for anyone interested in a competitive game of softball balanced with fellowship, laughter, and our Catholic faith. We welcome all players regardless of skill level or playing history, male or female, ages 12-112. Game night is once a week, usually Tuesdays, with several double-headers on that night throughout the season. We start around Memorial Day and finish with a tournament the first week of August.
Vacation Bible School (VBS) is an exciting fun-filled week of faith formation activities for children ages 5 through 12 years of age. It takes place for one week during the summer months. Volunteers are needed as small group leaders, musicians, arts and crafts activity leaders, snack and refreshment volunteers and creative workers of all ages to help plan, decorate and build our props for the week.
USHERS
Contact: An usher at your Mass
The Usher ministry is a loosely organized group of parishioners who gather the collection, assist with the procession of the gifts, seat people as needed and distribution of bulletins. Parishioners who are interested in this ministry should notice who the ushers are at the Mass they attend and ask one of the ushers if they can assist at Mass the following week.