Parish Ministries and Volunteering

Parish Ministries and Volunteering

A lot of ministries, volunteering, and spiritual activities take place in the Catholic Church of Our Lady Star of the Sea, Llandudno, Conwy on a regular basis. Below are some of them.

Parish Council

The Parish Council exists to assist the parish priest in all matters relating to the pastoral life of the parish. Its decisions are usually communicated to the parishioners. If you would like a matter raised at its meeting, please bring it to the attention of the parish priest or of any council member.

 Finance Committee

The parish Finance Committee assists the parish priest in the administration of the goods of the parish, such as the parish properties and finances. Its members are drawn from the lay faithful who have expert knowledge in those fields relating to the goods of the parish, one of whom chairs the committee.

Catechetical Ministry

The purpose of this ministry is to catechise the members of the parish community in the beliefs, teachings, and practices of the Catholic Church. The catechists who deliver this catechesis are volunteers who have received adequate catechetical training. The categories of their ministry, with the corresponding coordinators, are given below.

  1. Baptism Preparation: Parents meet with the parish priest for some instructions to prepare them for the baptism of their children. Please contact the parish office for more information.
  2. First Holy Communion: OLSS is blessed every year with children who receive their First Confession and First Holy Communion. The programme that prepares the children for these sacraments usually starts in September and ends with the reception of the sacraments at a suitable date during the year.  A team of catechists that handles this ministry is led by Colette Owen.
  3. Confirmation: The parish also prepares children from (academic) year 7 upwards for the sacrament of Confirmation. Classes led by Fleur and Ashleigh Williams
  4. RCIA: For baptized adults Catholics who did not receive either First Holy Communion or Confirmation as children, and for non-Catholics who want to be admitted into full communion with the Catholic Church, the parish annually organizes the RCIA programme, beginning from October.  The candidates receive the sacraments during the Easter Vigil ceremonies. The programme is run by a team led by Jane Barnes.

 

Liturgical Ministry

This ministry deals  with the liturgical life of the parish. Its purpose is to make our community worship of God organised, inspiring, joyful, and enriching. The groups that make up this ministry are given below; you are invited to consider joining any of them that appeals to you:

  1.  The Sacristan takes care of the sacristy and gets things ready for liturgical celebrations, including weekday and Sunday Mass. The current parish sacristan is Kathleen Stones.
  2. Lectors are trained and commissioned to proclaim the Word of God at Mass on a rota basis.  You are welcome to join our readers. Contact the parish office if you are interested in this piece of ministry.
  3. Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion help the priest to distribute Holy Communion during Mass. Some of them also take Communion to some of the sick and the housebound in the parish. You are welcome to train and then join this wonderful team.
  4. Altar Servers, both male and female, young and old, help at Sunday Masses on a rota basis. Some of them are also available on other liturgical occasions.
  5. Children’s Liturgy: Children’s liturgy has resumed now the pandemic restrictions have eased, the liturgy is conducted by competent and vetted supervisors, taking place every Sunday morning during the 9:30am Mass. There are four competent teachers who alternate on a rota basis so there is always someone to lead the liturgy.
  6. Children’s Mass: We don’t have children’s Mass yet.
  7. Flowers: Volunteer flower arrangers have helped to make the parish well-known for its beautiful flower decorations, especially at Christmas and Easter and, indeed, throughout the ordinary season of the year. A lot of parishioners regularly make flower donations to the parish. We are grateful to the Ladies who help us in this ministry at the moment.
  8. Cleaners: The parish church has been blessed with the volunteers who always keep the church clean and tidy. They follow a Rota. If you would like to help, please contact the Parish Secretary, Ashleigh Williams, the sacristan  Kathleen Stones or the parish office.

 Safeguarding

The Catholic Church in England and Wales is striving towards a culture of safeguarding where all are safe from harm and abuse and everyone is encouraged and enabled to enjoy the fullness of life in Christ through the prayerful, caring, nurturing, supportive, and protective efforts of the Catholic community. The parish safeguarding representative, Mike Hendry, is responsible for promoting good and safe practices in all activities involving children, and vulnerable young people and adults within the parish. 

Singing Ministry

St Augustine says that anyone who sings well prays twice. The parish is blessed with many volunteer choristers, cantors, organists, and guitarists. You are most welcome to use your musical talents to enhance our community worship of God. You can join either the 4.30 pm Vigil Mass group on Saturday evenings or the Sunday 9.30 am Mass choir. Our parish singing is coordinated by Ashleigh.

Prayer Ministry

In addition to the Sunday Mass schedule, there are a number of other services and devotions in the parish.   One can always find in them something that suits his/her spiritual disposition. Below are some of the spiritual exercises that go on weekly in the parish.

  1. Rosary Group: The groups meets every Saturday at 10.00 am. This is followed by adoration and benediction. Plans are in place to start up new devotional groups.
  2. Adoration: The group meets on the first Friday of each month to join together in prayer and reflection. The first meeting will take place on October 7th at 7pm.

Evangelisation Ministry

The parish is deeply committed to sharing its faith with others through the witness of its members to the truth and love of God. It organizes and carries out its mission outreach. This team is yet to be formed. However, plans are in place to form one and get it up and running as soon as possible.

Youth Ministry

The parish values highly the spiritual wellbeing of its young people who are its future. At the moment, plans are being drawn up for the youth of the parish. If you have the gift of working well with young people, the parish will appreciate your involvement in this effort. Our Youth officer is Ashleigh.  You can contact the parish office for more information.

Caring Ministry

OLSS is a parish that cares deeply both for all its members and for others, especially those in particular needs, and has a number of parishioners who exercise this ministry of love and caring.

  1. Ministry to the Sick: Twice a month the parish clergy go to see the sick, the housebound, and those in the care homes in the parish and to give them Communion. They are also available on call to attend to the sick at any other time. If you or your loved one needs a visit, please contact Fr. Innocent on 01492860546. On a weekly basis also, some Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion take Communion to those in in cares homes and house bounds and the sick within the parish boundary.
  2. Wednesday Group:  This group organise our parish social events and charities, birthdays and Sunday tea and coffee. They also raise little fund for the parish.
  3. Society of Saint Vincent de Paul (SVP): SVP is an international Catholic organisation providing practical assistance to anyone in need. OLSS holds a branch of the SVP apostolate
  4. Welcoming: We try to have parishioners at the back of church at the beginning of Mass to greet everyone to OLSS Parish for worship, especially visitors and newcomers, and to make them feel welcome.  Our Stewards as very welcoming and hardworking.
  5. Homeless:  We have good number of the homeless calling the presbytery door always seeking for money and food. Most of the time, they are asking for financial help to solving their problems and to buy food. We welcome anyone willing to contribute either food or money towards the care of the homeless. If you wish to help, please contact the parish office or any member of the parish team.

Social Ministry

The parish values the one-to-one social interaction of its members and, on a regular basis, and organizes social events that bring the community together. Those events are organised by the members of the Wednesday group. They include the following which may be of interest to you:

  1. Sunday Tea & Coffee in the parish hall after the 9.30 am Mass every Sunday.
  2. Wednesday Group: This group meet after the 12.00 noon Mass every Wednesday for some craft, tea and coffee. Beautiful friendship and community bond are been created in those meetings. Visitors and new comers are very welcome.
  3. Parish Garden Party: This is yet to start.
  4. Volunteers Party once a year, to thank all the volunteers who render services to the parish during the year.

Health and Safety

As you may know, health and safety is a major issue in the country, and the parish takes its responsibility in this area very seriously. The parish places high value on the Health & Safety of everyone who comes into the church premises and has structures in place to make sure that people are safe.

Finance

Managing its finances in a transparent and responsible manner is of great importance to the parish. To be able to do that, the parish relies on the generosity and expertise of many volunteers, including the following:

  1. Gift Aid Coordinator: Peter Lewis
  2. Collectors who help with Offertory Collection headed by Kathleen Stones
  3. Counters who give their time to count all the monies received; Kathleen Stones organizes this group.
  4. Bankers;  Counters take care of this.
  5. Fundraisers.

Repository

The repository makes a variety of Catholic literature and articles readily available to the parishioners. It opens after each Mass on Sunday and is looked after by volunteers. If you wish to help, you can contact the coordinators: Kathleen, Joanna,  or the parish office.

Parish Shop:  Has not taken off yet.

Maintenance

  1. Maintenance Committee: Mike Hendry is the Chair and coordinator of our parish maintenance team. A team of volunteers who form the committee regularly check the parish premises and properties to identify anything that needs attention and to arrange to have it fixed.
  2. Gardening: Keeping the grounds of the church neat and tidy is also done by volunteers.   Please, contact the parish office if you wish to help with gardening.

 

THE SAINT VINCENT DE PAUL SOCIETY (SVP)

 

SVP  CAN WE HELP?

  • Can’t afford food?
  • Having problems getting to the shops?
  • Lonely?
  • Need a helping hand?
  • …….or just someone to have a chat?

We’re here for you – please ask.

 

For help in Llandudno ring: 07519 014061

Or  email: IanM@svp.org.uk

For more information about the confidential work of the SVP go to: svp.org.uk