Altar Society

Overview

The altar society is a group which takes care of cleaning the church altars, the altar linens and liturgical vessels such as chalices, ciboriums, etc. Included in this is the cleaning of Our Lady's statue, the baptismal font and surrounding areas.

Mandatory Activities/Responsibilities

Each person works on a weekly rotation with the other members of the society
One day per week the liturgical vessels are to be removed from the vault, washed, dried and returned to the vault
Soiled linen is removed from the soiled linen drawer or the vault and taken home to be washed, pressed and folded and then returned to the sacristy and put in their proper drawers
The church altars, Mary's statue and the Baptismal area are to be dusted each week
The person needs to ensure, each week, that the caretaker has turned of the alarm on the Blessed Sacrament altar so that it may be approached without setting off the alarm

Skills, Experience and Qualifications

The altar society member must be able to come to the church during the day, at a time when the Church is not in use, on the week they are assigned to carry out their duties
They must have the resources and ability to wash and press the linens
They should be familiar with the church and know their way around the building

Personal Traits and Qualities

The person should

be diligent and understand the importance of this ministry
have a reverence for the sacred vessels and the sacred spaces with which they are working
have the ability to work alone or with another person

Orientation and Training

The Coordinator of the altar society will show you around the sacristy and the altar areas and show you exactly what needs to be done
You will be given a list of the sacred vessels and altar linens with their proper names and how they are used
You will be shown how to fold each of the various linens and where to put them after they have been washed and pressed

Participant Group

You will be serving the whole parish community by making sure that all the linens and vessels that are used for liturgy are clean and presentable.

Support, Supervision and Evaluation

Support will be given by the Coordinator of the Altar Society and by the other members of the society
Support will also be given by the church caretaker who will be around when work is being done to offer assistance
Supervision will be done by the Coordinator and the other members of the society
Evaluation will be given at the end of the period of your ministry appointment or when there are ideas put forward to improve the quality of the ministry being offered.

Length of Ministry Appointment

2 years

Benefits and Working Conditions

You will be working in the church itself and thus having an opportunity to spend some time in this sacred space
You also have an opportunity to come to a better understanding of the rituals of the liturgy and especially the celebration of the mass
You have a sense of satisfaction in knowing that the Church in which you worship and the vessels used for worship are clean and suitable for the sacred purpose for which they are being used

Screening Measures

This is a low risk ministry
You will need to complete the Ministry Application Form and the Ministry Covenant Form and submit an evaluation at the end of your ministry term

Contact

Parish Office at (416) 489-1540, Ext 221 or office@olphtoronto.com.