Adult parishioners have many ways that they can share their gifts and talents to support the liturgy at St. John Neumann, both behind the scenes and more publicly. Learn more about each ministry and the contact person below. If you are looking for information on our liturgical ministries for children please clickhere.
Albs & Altar Linens
Members of the Linen Committee wash and iron the small altar linens that the priests and Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion use at Mass as well as the albs and gowns that the altar servers and priests wear.
Help is needed about once every three or four months for two weeks at a time to take care of these linens.
Worship the Lord with the creative talents He gave you
Creative individuals and “worker bees”: Come design, build, place, and tear down decorations for Christmas and Easter as well as other seasons of the church year.
The ministry meets once before Advent and Christmas and once before Lent and Easter to discuss ideas and make plans for building, decorating, etc. During execution, some building and creating is done as the builders’ schedules allow, but decorating usually begins on appropriate days at 9:30 a.m. (after daily Mass.) Teardown can be more loosely scheduled according to the schedules of the helpers.
Most meetings are at the church, but the ministry usually has a debriefing lunch a couple of weeks after the season has passed to discuss ideas about how to improve the next year.
“You have become a new creation and have clothed yourself in Christ. See in this white garment the outward sign of our Christian dignity. With your family and friends to help you by word and example, bring that dignity unstained into the everlasting life of heaven.”
Each time someone receives the sacrament of Baptism at St. John Neumann, they receive a handmade baptismal garment that has been prepared and sewn by members of our parish community.
Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion (Eucharistic ministers) are Catholics in good standing, at least 21 years of age, who help distribute the Eucharist at Sunday and Holy Day parish liturgies.
New ministers are enrolled by the Diocese of Arlington in the spring and attend training sessions within the diocese and in the parish.
The Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion for the Homebound support the home- and facility-bound members of our community. On Friday mornings, team members visit parishioners, who are unable to attend Mass, at their homes or in care facilities within our parish boundaries. Ministers bring them the Eucharist and visit with the home- and facility-bound parishioners.
If you or someone you know would like to have the Eucharist and is unable to attend Mass, please contact: Jay Cuasay at 703-860-6151 or jcuasay@saintjn.org.
Greeters
The Greeters welcome people as they enter the church for the weekend and Holy Day celebrations with a smile and a kind word or greeting, providing an atmosphere of hospitality in our community.
These volunteers keep our church and chapel tidy and ready for daily and weekend Masses. The most common duties include straightening the hymnals, dusting the sanctuaries and staions, changing the holy water, and clipping the candle wicks. Teams of two or three volunteers have a once-a-month commitment of a couple hours. The church can be cleaned anytime Monday through Friday; the Chapel is cleaned on Fridays.
Ministers of the Word (lectors) are teens and adults who study, pray over, and prepare the sacred scriptures in advance and proclaim these at the liturgies on Sunday, Holy Days, and special occasions. Training takes place throughout the year.
Music volunteers enhance the worship life of the community through singing, playing instruments, and running the sound technology. There are musical groups for adults and children.
Our ushers find seats for those in need, gather offertory contributions, direct Eucharistic Ministers to those who need the Eucharist in their pews, and distribute bulletins at the end of Mass.
The team of wedding coordinators helps couples getting married at St John Neumann by contacting the bride and groom one week prior to the wedding to discuss final arrangements. They also help with the wedding rehearsal and attend to essential details and setup at the wedding celebration. Training involves shadowing other wedding coordinators.
