Ushering Ministry

The Holy Society of St. Vincent

The main responsibility of ushers is to maintain order primarily during worship services and other Church activities for that matter.  They make sure that reverence is observed by the people inside the Sanctuary.  Ushers are also the extension of the Archbishop where gathering and welcoming the congregation during services is concerned.  They make people feel welcomed as they enter the Church and readily assist them for any concerns.  They are also a willing hand of support to any work assignments as may be given to them by the Church leadership.

PRE-SERVICE RESPONSIBILITIES

 They ensure that chairs are properly arranged and aligned prior to the start of any Church activity.  Customaries, offering envelopes, and other printed materials are checked and prepared for distribution to the congregation.

 Though there is an assigned community that cleans the Church a day before the Sunday Eucharist, the ushers oversees anything that may have been inadvertently left out by the group that cleaned the day before.  They make sure that all passageways are free from litter.

DURING SERVICE RESPONSIBILITIES

 As people enter the Church, they are reminded by the ushers to turn off their mobile phones and other similar communication gadgets.  Unnecessary movements and noise are monitored and attended immediately.  Restless children are escorted to the Narthex until they are ready to join the congregation again.  At certain portions of the Liturgy, going in and out of the Sanctuary are discouraged.  Movements if any are kept to a minimum.

 Ushers also man the Narthex Area while the Mass is on-going; they make sure that children do not make it as a playing area, and at the same time encourage “overstaying” people at the Narthex to go back in.  They are also on the look out for new faces in the congregation and keeps count of the attendance every time Eucharist is celebrated.

POST-SERVICE RESPONSIBILITIES

 It is during dismissal of the congregation that some ushers take time in handling Bible stories for children and other printed materials for the people to take home, while others collate the Customaries to be used for next Sunday.  The inserts in the Customaries are then taken out for preparation for next week’s use.

 After the people have left their seats, ushers scan the area for left-behind things and litter.  Lost and found items are turned over to the guard on duty for safe-keeping until retrieved.

 Ushers are also advised to be the last group to leave the premises after any Church activities to ensure that the congregation area is set and ready for the next day’s use.