Liturgical Ministries

The Lector is someone who is assigned to read a Biblical text other than the Gospel at Mass. The proclamation of the Word of God is truly a service to the Church as Lectors bring the living Word of God to the liturgical assembly. The Word of God is not merely read during the liturgy; it is   

proclaimed. Effective proclamation involves the delivery of the message with clarity, conviction and appropriate pace. It stresses the ability to evoke faith in others by demonstrating one's own faith.

In the Archdiocese of Omaha, a man and woman who is a practicing Catholic, high school senior or older and has received the sacrament of Confirmation is invited to serve in the ministry of Lector at Mass. If you have a love for and rudimentary knowledge of the Bible, a willingness to prepare well, and possess the skills necessary for effective oral proclamation, you are invited to take part in this ministry. You must first attend an Archdiocesan training and then be mandated by the Archbishop at a special liturgy at the cathedral.

Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion (EMHC) are lay members of the parish who assist the ordinary ministers of communion (Priests and Deacons) with distribution of Holy Communion at Mass.  EMHC’s are also commissioned to take Holy Communion to the sick and the homebound of the parish as needed. 

In the Archdiocese of Omaha, a practicing Catholic man or woman who is a high school senior or older and has received the sacrament of Confirmation is invited to serve as an EMHC. Candidates must be approved by the Pastor, and attend an Archdiocesan training and then be mandated by the Archbishop at a special liturgy at Saint Cecelia Cathedral. 

The purpose of music ministry in a parish is to enhance the liturgy by adding to the beauty and solemnity of the Mass through music.  The music ministry at Holy Ghost is a group of dedicated men and women of the parish who provide music for the 5:00 PM Mass on Saturdays, the 10:00 AM Mass on Sundays, and special liturgies throughout the year. As St. Augustine said, “Those who sing well, pray twice.” But singing well does not mean being a trained singer, however! It means giving glory to God with humility and joy with the voice He gave you, which is something that everyone is capable of doing.

If you love to sing and would like to become involved in the music ministry at Holy Ghost, you are warmly welcomed to join us! There is no audition required. You can either show up before or after Mass and talk to our music director, Ben Baber or call him (402) 731-2643 for more information.

Being a Sacristan is an important, meaningful and rewarding ministry at Holy Ghost. The Sacristan's role is to come to the church a half an hour before the scheduled Mass and prepare all that is needed for the Mass. This includes preparing the liturgical books, the communion vessels, offertory gifts, Tabernacle key, sound system, etc. The Sacristan will also check to make sure the Altar Servers, Lector and EMHCs are present and ready to serve in their ministry. The Sacristan also assists the presider with whatever details/duties he needs done for that particular Mass. After Mass, they make sure everything in the church and sacristy is put away and back in order. At Holy Ghost we encourage our Sacristans to also become an EMHC and Lector so they can fill in for that ministry if needed. 

Greeters are called to be ministers of hospitality at Holy Ghost as they help others feel the love of Christ when they arrive to worship Him at Mass. They are entrusted with promoting a sense of welcoming and belonging to all in our parish family and those visiting. Requirements for parishioners joining this ministry are a friendly attitude, a welcoming smile, and willingness to arrive twenty minutes prior to the Mass you regularly attend to greet those arriving for Mass at the door. Please consider joining this important ministry.

Holy Ghost, a Eucharistic community, invites its young people and adults to serve at the altar at Mass.  Ordinarily, they are responsible for the cross, the candle, holding the book for the Priest at the chair, assisting the Priest during the preparation of the gifts, and washing of his hands. In general, they assist the Priest and Deacon throughout the Mass as necessary.

YOUTH: This ministry is open to anyone in the fifth grade or older. Once he/she has been trained, Altar Servers will be scheduled to work with a team of three servers at Mass. A server who has proven his or herself to be faithful and proficient over time is invited to become “Gold Cross Servers”. They will have the added responsibility to help the younger servers and are given a gold cross to wear when they serve. Faithful servers entering into high school are invited to become “Senior Lead Servers” and will wear a white Alb with a gold and white cincture and serve as models and leaders to others when they serve at Mass. 

ADULTS: The ministry of Altar Server is open to all adults of the parish.  Those who are willing and available may also be scheduled to serve at funeral Masses that take place during the week. 

In this ministry those who serve as Gift Bearers symbolically represent the entire parish at Mass as we give back to God a small part of the many blessings that He has given to us. At the offertory of the Mass the Gift Bearers carry the unleavened Bread and Wine from the back of the church forward and present them to the Priest who receives them and carries them to the altar for consecration into the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. All practicing Catholics in our parish family are invited to take part in the ministry of Gift Bearers

The Cleaning Ministry is intended to keep the house that God has blessed us with clean, in order and welcoming for our worship each week. We have a wonderful group of volunteers who come together each week to ensure that our beautiful church is dusted, vacuumed, scrubbed, organized and prepared for our worship each week. They work hard to make sure our worship space is a blessing to God and to all who worship here. 

If you are interested in serving the Lord and our parish family in this capacity, please call Lyman Bridgman: (402) 731-0545 for more information.  

The Church Environment ministry team uses the Liturgical Year, and it's seasons, as the inspiration to create a worship space that is not only welcoming to our parishioners and visitors, but also to enhance our encounter with God through our prayer and liturgical celebrations.      The work can range from the simple - such as preparing the church for daily and weekly liturgies - to the more complex that is needed for the Advent/Christmas and Lent/Easter seasons.  The team also cares for the items and artwork that are used in our work; many were donated by parishioners, or are connected to the history of our church (as was discovered during the Centennial Year just past).  To continue to use these, and to tell their stories, is one of the best parts of being involved in this ministry.  Adding to our knowledge of liturgy is another important part - there is always more to learn!  

If you would like to help - you do not have to be an artist!  All gifts and talents are welcomed    and appreciated!  Please contact Ellie Morley (402) 731-3867.

Proper and timely handling of church donations is important to our parish family. Our Collection Counters are volunteers and are approved by the Pastor and work in teams on the weekends. They are responsible for counting the collections from the weekend and special Masses, preparing a collection report and delivering the collection and report to its assigned place. 

If you would like to help, please call the Parish Office: (402) 731-3599 Press 5

Members of this ministry are representatives from the parish who are responsible for carrying out the various aspects of the liturgy (music, liturgical ministers, environment, etc.) who work with the Pastor to establish a theme for the Church's liturgical seasons and plan the liturgies in accord with this theme. The dedicated members of this ministry meet at intervals throughout the year as needed but are mostly centered on planning the Advent/Christmas and Lent/Easter seasons. 

If you are interesting in helping with liturgy planning contact Ellie Morley: (402) 731-3867

The Ushers at Mass are important to the keeping the order and effective organization of the congregation. Ushers show up at Mass 15 minutes early and offer a friendly greeting to Mass attendees as they enter the church. They assist attendees as needed with finding a seat paying particular attention to those with special needs. Ushers sit at the back of the church and participate fully in the service. Ushers are also responsible for taking up the collection at the offertory. During communion, they assist the Eucharistic Ministers of Holy Communion by pointing out those who need communion brought to them. When the Mass is over, ushers stand by the church doors to distribute the weekly bulletin. They also straighten up all the pews. 

If you would like to help at Mass as an usher, please contact Lyman Bridgman: (402) 731-0504