What is ministry?
In baptism we are intimately connected to the body of Christ for all eternity. We are identified with Jesus, thus having the privilege to be called Christian. As Catholics, we are initiated into the Eucharistic community. We are the mystical body of Christ. As St. Paul articulates for us, there are many parts but one body: each part playing a role. Each person in our community is important and has a special part to play.
There is truly only one Minister, Jesus Christ. He is the one who has accomplished salvation for humanity through His life, death and resurrection. Through the Apostles, Jesus has passed on the mission of proclaiming the Good News to the whole world. This is manifested in the formation of the Church. The Church is truly Church at the celebration of the Eucharist.
The result is that all baptized Catholics have a responsibility to reflect on their lives and discern how to offer their gifts to the service of God. This is realized in our participation in the Eucharist. We must recognize that we have different gifts and responsibilities. A parent’s first responsibility is to their family, their spouse and children. Others may be working in jobs that are certainly at the service of the Church (teachers, nurses, care givers, etc.). At times in our lives, we may have to give a personal situation all of our emotional and spiritual attention – a sickness, a job or something else. But we are all called to participate in the Eucharist. This is fundamental to our faith.
It is also important to recognize that we may have a desire or opportunity to serve in our community, whether as a liturgical minister or in an outreach group. In this light, we hope that the list of ministries on our website will provide you with ideas for your participation in the mission of our parish. Two questions that might help you discern which ministry you would like to participate in are: What are your gifts? and What is your time availability?
We are grateful to God for the gift of you. It is our prayer that you will be served by our community. We also hope to provide an environment for you to participate in our Eucharistic celebrations and to share your gifts for the Glory of God.
We consider that any work carried out in the name of the church is ministry. Ministry at St. Mark’s can fall into one of four categories: Liturgical, Sacramental, Social Ministries/Outreach, Administrative.
