As ministers of hospitality, ushers stand as models for the Christian community. For this reason, the Church teachings that “(t)he lay Christian faithful called to give assistance at liturgical celebrations should be well instructed and must be those whose Christian life, morals and fidelity to the Church’s Magisterium recommend them.” (Redemptionis Sacramentum, 46)
In general ushers are responsible for several specific areas:
- Storing the bulletins before Mass
- Being present and ready to assist in the narthex at least 30 minutes before Mass
- Carrying out the collection during the offertory during Mass
- During times when this is not possible, ushers will put out the collection basket in the narthex and ensure that it is attended at all times
- Following the tamper evident bag procedure for all collections
- Putting out the bulletins after Mass
- If needed, helping the sacristans to secure the building before departing
- At any given time, standing ready to respond to emergencies
In order to be an usher, one must be:
- a baptized Catholic in good standing with the Church
- a member of Saint Mark parish community
- have successfully completed a background check via the Archdiocesan Virtus volunteer portal
- carry a desire to more deeply understand and serve at Mass
- be willing to commit to regular ministry (at least twice monthly)
We are always looking for regular ushers to assist. We welcome all children, youth, and adults who desire to serve to inquire about how they might join this ministry. For more information, contact the parish office.
For those interested in learning more specifics, please feel free to browse our usher guidelines packet (below). Note that this is a work in progress – please bear with us as we update and adapt this document.