Welcomers
This is a page dedicated to the ministry of Welcoming. If you are interested to be a welcomer in the parish, please talk to the parish priest or contact Andrew Pembroke: st.thomas.rota@gmail.com.
Parish of St Thomas of Canterbury, Sevenoaks
Ministry of Welcome
"Welcome one another just as Christ has welcomed you, to the glory of God." Romans 15:7
When we gather together for Mass, Christ is present. He is present in the priest standing ‘in persona Christi’. He is present sacramentally, in the consecrated Eucharist. He is present in the word of God. And He is present in all of us as a community of disciples of Jesus.
The Ministry of Welcome encourages all to know they have a place in in the celebration of the liturgy, giving thanks to God for the sacrifice of the Mass. The Ministry of Welcome asks us to remember and model the reverence towards our neighbour as a fellow temple of the Holy Spirit. Through the hospitality that we show others when we welcome them, we welcome the Lord Himself.
Liturgical Ministry
A liturgical function is also exercised by: Those who… welcome the faithful at the church doors, seat them appropriately, and marshal them in processions.
General instruction of the Roman Missal 105d
When people come to church, they experience not only the liturgy, but the people associated with the church. Ideally the experience should be positive.
Everyone who comes to Mass is coming because God is calling His family to come together to celebrate, praise and thank God for the gift of his Son, Jesus Christ. The Ministry of Welcome is a privileged way to share in giving the welcome that our loving God gives us at every celebration of Holy Mass.
To be a minister means to serve and care for others. Welcome Ministers serve the people, the priest and the parish.
The members of the welcome ministry communicate a sense of belonging to the parishioners. They support all at Mass, and are an important extension of the church and our Catholic family.
They exemplify:
Both adults and children, new faces and old are treated equally well.
Kindness, reverence, positivity and dependability. They should be warm, engaging, welcoming beacons of Christ's love to strangers
Being aware of others, including those who are happy to attend church undisturbed.
Biblical hospitality
It’s important that we recognise that hospitality isn’t an add on, but central to our sense of community and who we are. We can start by reflecting on two very different examples of hospitality in the Bible.
The first comes from this quote in the Book of Hebrews :
“Remember always to welcome strangers, for by doing this some people have entertained angels without knowing it” Hebrews 13.2
Hebrews is a long reflection on the Old Testament, and this verse is referring to a number of encounters with angels that appear in Genesis and Judges, of which this one is the most famous:
The Lord appeared to Abraham by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat at the entrance of his tent in the heat of the day. He looked up and saw three men standing near him. When he saw them, he ran from the tent entrance to meet them, and bowed down to the ground. He said, “My lord, if I find favour with you, do not pass by your servant. Let a little water be brought, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree. Let me bring a little bread, that you may refresh yourselves, and after that you may pass on—since you have come to your servant.”
Genesis 18:1-5
What qualities of hospitality can we see in this passage? What can we draw on for ourselves?
Enthusiasm and joy – Abraham rushed from the entrance of his tent to the visitors
He reverenced them - bowing down to the ground – showing great respect
Hospitality – He encourages them to stay – offering food and drink
An alternative approach:
Matthew 19:13-15
13 Then people brought little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples rebuked them. 14 Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” 15 When he had placed his hands on them, he went on from there.
Does this feel familiar? How welcoming are our churches of difference?
How to welcome?
We can see from this that hospitality isn’t an add on. It’s absolutely central to our communities. But when we think about the teams that we need at Mass on Sunday, eg Eucharistic Ministers, readers, children’s liturgy, coffee, what part do welcomers play? It sometimes feels like an optional extra but actually it’s a ministry of skill, welcome and tact.
Time commitment:
Ministers of Welcome arrive ideally 15 minutes before mass to meet with the Priest and/or Sacristan and allow time for their own private prayers before mass. They fully participate in the Mass and stay until the dismissal, to ensure people leave safely.
Responsibilities:
Be identifiable.
Make all people coming to mass feel welcome – old and new parishioners, visitors and those with children.
Distribute (or make people aware of) the newsletter, hymn books (if required) and Order of Mass cards if available.
Answering questions: where are the lavatories, how to register with the parish, how to apply for baptism or other sacraments, when they can go to confession, where they can get a glass of water, how to get a Mass intention, how to make a payment on the card machine etc. If they ask a difficult question don't hesitate to ask the priests, who are always most obliging.
Be particularly attentive to people in need including the elderly, frail, and disabled and confirm with the priest if anyone needs extra help during communion.
After Mass begins, ideally sit near the back of the church so you can take care of late arrivals and show them the empty seats available.
Some people may for a variety of reasons, such a crying baby or because of ill health, not wish to enter the main body of the church, and prefer to participate in the Mass from a porch area etc which is absolutely fine.
Establish before Mass if the readers and EMoHC have turned up and select people to take the collection (usually two).
At the conclusion of Mass, leave the church early to be available as people depart to address any supplemental questions, collect hymn books and issue invitations to tea and coffee etc.
If there is a medical emergency or damage to property etc in the church during Mass, or a disruptive event immediately outside the church, it is your responsibility to take charge as the priest is on the altar and cannot leave it.
Welcoming people with disabilities
Disability is such a broad term that sometimes we get overwhelmed just thinking about it, but Pope Francis reminds us:
“The church cannot be ‘mute’ or ‘tone deaf’ when it comes to the defence and promotion of people with disabilities.
Words and gestures of outreach and welcoming must never be missing from any church community, so that everyone, particularly those whose journey in life is not easy, can encounter the risen Lord and find in that community “a source of hope and courage,”
Pope Francis speaking to families, carers and disability professionals on 21/10/17.
General Tips for Welcome and Inclusion
It is helpful if YOU…..
have a welcoming manner, a smile, use welcoming words such as “good to see you”
speak directly to the person with disability, not only to their companion or interpreter
focus on the person, not the disability
treat adults with disabilities as adults
use a normal voice and volume, unless instructed to do otherwise
ask for instructions before providing assistance; don’t assume you know the need
recognize that the person may have multiple disabilities and, therefore, multiple needs
relax; we are all people with gifts and challenges
Do you know of a person or family living in the parish, who might need additional support for themselves or a family member in order to participate in Mass or other aspects of parish life?
If so, please encourage them to approach one of the clergy for guidance, or if appropriate perhaps offer to introduce them.
Being a welcoming community
What would it be like if our whole congregation became known for its friendly smile?
“Rejoice in the Lord always” Philippians 4:4
“An evangeliser must never look like someone who has come back from a funeral” (Evanglium Gaudium, 10)
“If Jesus is in your heart, please notify your face”
Welcome has to be a priority of our church communities. The Bible says so, Pope Francis says so. If welcome is about more than greeters, it needs to be a golden thread that runs through the whole parish.
Encourage everyone in the parish to think about when they have been made to feel welcome and what difference that made to them.
What other opportunities are there for welcome?
Welcome begins with the welcoming team, but extends to everyone who has a liturgical function, including music leaders, children’s liturgy, Eucharistic Ministers, those doing the announcements etc.
Could include:
Children’s liturgy – could someone be the welcomer for late comers each week?
Greeting people and families that we haven’t seen at Mass before
Hospitality after Mass
For all parishioners to take up the periodic opportunities that the Church promotes at particular times of the year to encourage friends and family no longer attending Mass to return
There might also be opportunity to make parishioners and visitors alike aware of the parish’s pastoral activities (as advertised in the newsletter) which are open to anyone in our wider community of Sevenoaks, i.e. activities such as:
· Bereavement support
· Parents & Toddlers group
· St Thomas’ Coffee mornings
Let’s finish with words of encouragement from the Holy Father:
“The Church too must be a large room. Not a small and closed circle, but a community with arms wide open, welcoming to all. Let us ask ourselves this question: when someone approaches who is hurting, who has made a mistake, who has gone astray in life, is the Church a room large enough to welcome this person and lead him or her to the joy of an encounter with Christ? Let us not forget that the Eucharist is meant to nourish those who are weary and hungry along the way. A Church of the pure and perfect is a room with no place for anyone. On the other hand, a Church with open doors, that gathers and celebrates around Christ, is a large room where everyone can enter.”
Pope Francis, Homily for the Feast of Corpus Christi