LITURGICAL MINISTRIES
Click on any of the headers below for more information on that ministry and contact information.
Altar servers
"Vocations are born in prayer, and only in prayer can they persevere and bear fruit.” -Pope Francis
Serving at Mass is a privilege that is open to the youth of our parish, age 9 through high school. An Altar Server is a good Catholic who has received Baptism and First Communion and attends Sunday Mass weekly. Servers should be mature enough to understand their responsibilities and to carry them out well and with appropriate reverence. Training is provided in the fall after Time & Talent sign-up. You must attend the initial trainings and periodic additional training. Servers are scheduled on a rotating basis.
SCROLL DOWN TO THE BOTTOM OF THIS PAGE FOR VIDEOS THAT EXPLAIN THE NEW WAY THAT OUR SERVERS SERVE AT MASS (per Fr. DiTomo, June 2023).
If you are interested in becoming involved, please contact Fr. DiTomo by email at [email protected] or by phone at (847) 669-3137 ext. 103.
Serving at Mass is a privilege that is open to the youth of our parish, age 9 through high school. An Altar Server is a good Catholic who has received Baptism and First Communion and attends Sunday Mass weekly. Servers should be mature enough to understand their responsibilities and to carry them out well and with appropriate reverence. Training is provided in the fall after Time & Talent sign-up. You must attend the initial trainings and periodic additional training. Servers are scheduled on a rotating basis.
SCROLL DOWN TO THE BOTTOM OF THIS PAGE FOR VIDEOS THAT EXPLAIN THE NEW WAY THAT OUR SERVERS SERVE AT MASS (per Fr. DiTomo, June 2023).
If you are interested in becoming involved, please contact Fr. DiTomo by email at [email protected] or by phone at (847) 669-3137 ext. 103.
lectors
Lectors are Confirmed adults and youth who proclaim God’s Word at our liturgies. Two lectors are scheduled for each Mass and they proclaim the scripture readings, and assist by reading the prayers of the faithful when a deacon is not present. They are expected to prepare extensively to proclaim well. Auditions and training are required.
If you are interested in becoming involved, please contact our Director of Worship, Rick Yurs at (847) 669-3137 ext. 106.
If you are interested in becoming involved, please contact our Director of Worship, Rick Yurs at (847) 669-3137 ext. 106.
Extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion
The Ordinary Minister of the Eucharist is the ordained priest or deacon. ‘Extraordinary Ministers’ are lay people who assist the clergy in the distribution of Holy Communion at weekend Masses and special liturgies. Ministers must be at least 16 years old, have received Baptism, First Communion and Confirmation, and be a Catholic in good standing with the Church (single, in a valid Catholic marriage, divorced or widowed). There is an initial training session, and you must attend any additional training sessions or meetings when required. Ministers are scheduled on a rotating basis.
If you are interested in becoming involved, please contact our Director of Worship, Rick Yurs at (847) 669-3137 ext. 106.
If you are interested in becoming involved, please contact our Director of Worship, Rick Yurs at (847) 669-3137 ext. 106.
ushers
Ushers greet and assist people as they gather for worship, take up the collection, direct people to Communion, assist any special needs parishioners and distribute bulletins after Mass. They may be needed to help with First Aid in case of a medical emergency. This ministry is not only for adults, but is also open to mature minded teens. The only requirement is a desire to be helpful to the parish and its members, and to serve in a responsible manner in terms of meeting schedule commitments.
If you are interested in becoming involved, please contact our Director of Worship, Rick Yurs at (847) 669-3137 ext. 106.
If you are interested in becoming involved, please contact our Director of Worship, Rick Yurs at (847) 669-3137 ext. 106.
Liturgical Decoration Volunteers
This ministry decorates the liturgical space so that the community can experience the liturgical year in a prayerful way. If you would like to be involved, please contact Amy Eggers at (847) 669-3137, ext. 101.
MUSIC MINISTRIES
Click on any of the headers below for more information on that ministry and contact information.
Cantors
St. Mary Parish has been blessed with many dedicated and talented music ministers over her more than 100 year history. The Music Ministry is seeking additional qualified cantors to assist in leading the congregation in worship. It would be optimal if cantors had previous experience and some musical training; however, it would be possible to train anyone with a generous spirit, great voice and willingness to learn! Anyone who is prayerfully considering the ministry of cantor will be asked to audition and work closely with our Director of Worship, Rick Yurs. If you hear the Father’s voice calling you to be a cantor, please contact Rick at (847) 669-3137, ext. 106.
Adult CHoir
The Adult Choir sings at most 10:30AM Sunday Masses (Sept.-May). Practices are held in the church on Thursdays from 7:15-8:30 PM.
New members are welcome anytime! No audition required! Questions? Contact Mary Bell at (224) 817-6210.
New members are welcome anytime! No audition required! Questions? Contact Mary Bell at (224) 817-6210.
Youth Choir
The Youth Choir is open to all children of our parish, grades 3rd-8th. The children sing once a month at the 10:30 AM Mass (Oct.-Easter). Practices are held at the church on Thursdays from 6:00-7:00 PM. New members are welcome anytime! No audition required!
Questions? Contact Mary Bell at (224) 817-6210.
Questions? Contact Mary Bell at (224) 817-6210.
Angelus Choir
The Angelus Choir sings every 4th Sunday at 12:00 PM Sunday Masses (Sept.-May). Practices are held in the church on selected Saturdays from 6:30-8:30 PM. New members (high school students & adults) are welcome anytime! No audition required!
Questions? Contact Tommy Martinez at (773) 213-7104.
Questions? Contact Tommy Martinez at (773) 213-7104.
instrumentalists
We welcome all instruments! We ask that you have at least 5 years experience. Auditions are required.
Questions? Contact Mary Bell at (224) 817-6210.
Questions? Contact Mary Bell at (224) 817-6210.
ALTAR SERVER TRAINING VIDEOS
Dear altar servers and families. As you will have noticed we have made some changes to how servers are to serve the Mass. We made these changes to continue to add reverence to the celebration of the Mass and also to make some actions and responsibilities more practical. Please watch these videos to familiarize yourself with the new way of serving Mass. I apologize for the sound on some of these videos. -Fr. DiTomo, June 2023
Video 1: The Entrance
Video 2: The Introductory Rites
Video 3: The Liturgy of the Word (with Gospel Procession)
Video 4: The Preparation of the Altar (with 4 servers)
Video 5: The Preparation of the Altar (with 2 servers)
Video 6: The Liturgy of the Eucharist through the Conclusion