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The greatest public work or service done in the name of or on behalf of the people is called LITURGY. The Catholic mass is a visible sign of the communion in Christ between God and humanity. Several moving parts (choirs, lectors, greeters, etc.) come together each week in order in order to celebrate this great work
After a magnificent liturgy, you may wonder out loud, “Pray tell, how was this particular group of people able to just pull such a fulfilling and life-giving experience? Every aspect, from the opening procession to the closing song, was woven together into one organic whole.” Cooperating with the Holy Spirit makes Jesus accessible in the Liturgy. The Liturgy committee at St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta meets around seven times a year with the specific goal of pulling together and organizing different Liturgical celebrations. If you are interested in participating on the Liturgy committee, please speak to your ministry head. Our Liturgical Ministries
Altar Servers
The SMTC Altar Server Program is both traditional and unique. Altar servers accompany our priests and bishops during the Catholic mass and different celebrations. New altar servers are trained and installed each year, making a commitment to serve at least two weekend Masses each month throughout the year. Altar Server parents are grateful for they can sign up for mass electronically in our program.
The Chinese Apostolate helps make our program unique and special. Over half of our grade school students are non-Catholics. All students, 4th grade and up, are invited to join our program, no matter what their religious affiliation or background. A culture of evangelization is built through our unique Altar Server Program. If you are interested in enrolling your child in our Altar Server Program, you may speak with Mr. Joe Delfin or Ms. Miranda Huang after mass. You are also welcome to contact the Parish Office either by email or by calling 312-842-6777 (STWS) or 312-842-7979 (SBWS). ALTAR SERVER RESOURCES
Decoration
Beginning with the Easter Triduum as its source of light, the new age of the resurrection fills the whole liturgical year with its brilliance. Gradually the year is transfigured by the Liturgy. Each liturgical season marks the changing of colors, both in church decor and vestments. Divine color coordination continually draws the people of God into the mystery of the Catholic faith, marking different seasons not through chronology, but rather Christology. The beauty of both of our worship sites is astounding. Each worship site possesses sublime artistic qualities as well as grandiose architectural characteristics, spanning well over a 100 years. Nevertheless, we invite those with an aptitude for interior decor to join our Decorations Ministry. Ms. Elizabeth Masangcay and MS. Barbara Hudren serves as leads in this ministry. If you are interested in applying your talents with interior decor, please contact the Parish Office either by email or by calling 312-842-6777 (STWS) or 312-842-7979 (SBWS). Eucharistic Ministers
"In each of our lives, Jesus comes as the Bread of Life – to be eaten, to be consumed by us. This is how He loves us. Then Jesus comes in our human life as the hungry one, the other, hoping to be fed with the Bread of our life, our hearts by loving, and our hands by serving." While priests and deacons are the ordinary Eucharistic Ministers, laypeople often are needed when the congregation gets too large to serve as extraordinary Eucharistic Ministers. If a baptized Catholic is interested in learning more about what is required to become a Eucharistic Minister, please contact Ms. Elizabeth (Bette) Pienta or Sheila Lin at the Parish Office either by email or by calling 312-842-6777 (STWS) or 312-842-7979 (SBWS). Greeters & Ushers
Research tells us that when an individual comes into a new worship site for the very first time, on average it usually takes just seven minutes for that person to make a decision whether or not they will ever return. First impressions can be the last impressions. Greeter can help our parish make a good first impression with newcomers. Greeters and Ushers not only welcome individuals to the worship site, but they also hand out song books, collect tithes and donations, distribute bulletins, and help straighten up after mass at all weekend Masses. If you are interested helping out as greeter or usher, please contact Chris Lee at the Parish Office either by email or by calling 312-842-6777 (STWS) or 312-842-7979 (SBWS). Hospitality
“Keep on loving each other as brothers and sisters. Don’t forget to show hospitality to strangers, for some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it!” Renew My Church reflects this biblical passage, reminding each parish in the Archdiocese to build a culture of hospitality. Hospitality ministers help to bring about a warm and welcoming experience to all those present. They assist not only with the preparation of food for receptions, but help to foster an environment that enables people to meet one another. It is also at the table among family and friends that the Lord is truly present. By serving as a hospitality minister, love is shown to our sisters and brothers and, in turn, to Christ, Himself. For additional information about this ministry, or if you are interested in becoming a Hospitality Minister, please contact George Lee at the Parish Office either by email or by calling 312-842-6777 (STWS) or 312-842-7979 (SBWS). Lectors
The Liturgy of the Word is part of all sacramental celebrations. The reading of Sacred Scripture is meant to awaken a response of faith in the listeners. When the word is proclaimed, it is Christ himself who speaks. Having encountered Christ in the word, the people enter with a deeper appreciation into the heart of the celebration. The signs that accompany this reading emphasize its dignity, the use of a beautiful book, and a procession with the book of the Gospels. The combination of word and action helps make visible the invisible action of Christ and the Holy Spirit in the hearts of the assembly. If you feel called to serve as a lector, contact one of our lector coordinators, Ms. Barbara Hudren and Ms. Jade Yee. They can be reached after Mass or at the Parish Office either by email or by calling 312-842-6777 (STWS) or 312-842-7979 (SBWS). Ministers of Care
The Church carries forward Christ’s healing ministry in a variety of ways. Ministry of Care cares for those who are hospitalized, in nursing homes or confined to private homes.. Ministers are trained and formed to conduct pastoral visits with time to listen and pray about the concerns of the sick or shut-in person and to share Eucharist with them. The person who cares for the sick and shut-in needs to have specific qualities and gifts, including a listening presence, compassion and empathy, a non-judgmental mindset, confidentiality, commitment and follow-through, prayerfulness, a gentle demeanor and commitment to continuous training and spiritual development. Serving as a Minister of Care is not volunteering; it is a ministry. As such, it’s important that Ministers not act on their own, but on behalf of the Church. For additional information about this ministry, or if you are interested in becoming a minister of care, please contact Sr. Caritas at the Parish Office either by email or by calling 312-842-6777 (STWS) or 312-842-7979 (SBWS). Music
Music ministry at St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta has a long tradition of quality and resonance, connecting the people of God at our parish with heart-felt and prayerful experiences—both liturgical and in the concert setting. At the core of our music program are the many dedicated volunteers, singers and instrumentalists alike. With multiple masses celebrated every Sunday, occasional concerts, and special holiday liturgies, numerous opportunities exist for talented volunteers to participate in our music ministry. While Sunday singing is central to our ministry, some members sing only on special occasions, concerts, or for certain portions of the year. As you can see below, there are many ways to share your talents at our parish! We invite you to learn more about our four volunteer choirs by visiting our Music Ministry page. Sacristans
Among other things, the Sacristan performs important preparations before each mass, carefully arranging the liturgical books, vestments, sacred vessels, and other things necessary for the celebration of the mass. This is a ministry suited for someone who is quiet and likes to work behind the scenes, making sure the altar is prepared for mass. The head sacristan works with the pastor to make sure that the vestments, church furnishings, and liturgical vessels are all in good condition, and, if necessary, sent out for repair. We have been blessed with sacristans who take personal initiative, remedying problems before they happen. Sacristans enjoy paying careful and prayerful attention to detail. If you have a talent for attention to detail and like to working in the background, please reach out to one of our sacristan coordinators, Ms. Judy Lukwinski or Ms. Lucy Moy, at the Parish Office either by email or by calling 312-842-6777 (STWS) or 312-842-7979 (SBWS). Translator
From 1570 to 1965 the Tridentine Mass was celebrated in most countries in Latin. In the early 17th century in China, however, Jesuit missionaries secured permission from Pope Paul V to celebrate the mass in Chinese. This serves as a reminder that it is good to make an effort to translate the mass into the vernacular, or common language of the people. We are blessed at our parish with a dedicated and talented team of translators. Like the Jesuits in China over 400 years ago, our translators actively build bridges between different cultures. Every week homilies, bulletin articles and other important documents are translated. St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta takes great pride in carrying out these critically important duties for the Chinese Apostolate. If you have talent as a translator, please reach out to Wing Chan after mass or contact the Parish Office either by email or by calling 312-842-6777 (STWS) or 312-842-7979 (SBWS). |
