March Joyfulness

Here's an updated list of upcoming events:

• Annunciation - Missa Cantata: Monday March 26th at 7 PM. Please be there at 6:00 PM to help set up and assist Fr. Reid.
• Junior Acolyte Enrollment: Wednesday March 21st after the Low Mass, our Postulants will be officially enrolled into the ministry. All servers are expected to attend.
• Witness for life - 40 Days for Life: March 23rd at the Latrobe Location: 3220 Latrobe Dr. Charlotte, NC 28211. (Danielle Mathis will provide a time for us).
• After Easter Server Party - Sometime in April after Easter at the Rusciolelli's Home. (More info to come.)
• Ascension - Missa Cantata: Thursday May 17th at ? PM.

New training schedule is up along with the new Mass schedule for March, April, and May. The Mass schedule is not final and can be altered so please send in suggestions for changes.

Getting back into the Spring of things

February:

Please note that we will not have a February 20th trip. We will make it up to Tryon this year sometime during the Easter Season. (April/May)

Postulants will have a review session for rubrics and the test on February 13th. Please ensure that you are taking the time to train at home. All Postulants will then take the written test and skills test on February 27th with Fr. Reid.

March:

First Missa Cantata of the year will be held in March for the Annunciation. We're looking for volunteers for all positions.

If there are any social opportunities or events you want to do, please submit suggestions. We're all ears...

New Server Rank Update

Please take a moment to review some changes to the server ranks on the side bar. After some prayer and review, the academic requirements for the group has changed. The change reflects what is believed to be a smoother transition through the ranks without compromising standards.

Here's a review of upcoming dates:

Friday & Saturday September 23rd and 24th = Eucharistic Congress
Saturday October 1st = service opportunity 7:45 to 11:30/Noon - St. Ann Carnival
Sunday October 30th = Missa Cantata - Christ the King - 12:30 PM
Wednesday November 9th = Rank Ceremony after Low Mass
Thursday December 7th = Missa Cantata - Vigil of the Immaculate Conception - 6:00 PM
Saturday December 17th = Solemn High Mass - 7:00 PM

Lenten update

Lent is upon us. I hope everyone got their ashes yesterday and has begun Lenten practices by now. I have some news for the entire group so here we go:

Next training session is this Tuesday March 15th from 4:15 to 5:45. Please be prepared for the training prior to arriving. Go over your Mass cards and your roles for the Missa Cantata. Just so there is no confusion, attendance is going to be considered when assigning roles for the Missa Cantata's this summer.

There will not be a Missa Cantata for the Annunciation this year on March 25th as there is no priest available to celebrate it. It is still a Holy Day of obligation, so make sure to attend Mass.

The next Missa Cantata will probably be in May for the Ascension. I expect Fr. Reid will want to do at least two to three Missa Cantata's between May and July so we'll be focusing on that in training.

Fr. Reid has mentioned a few things that need to be addressed: If you are not going to show up to Mass as assigned, then I need to be informed no matter what. We've had some team players help out, especially Will Borin and Joseph Mack, but it is the original server's responsibility to be aware and to manage to be at Mass. Second, Fr. Reid has mentioned that servers are arriving late to help set up for Adoration. Servers are REQUIRED to be at St. Ann's by 4:30 pm to set up for Adoration on Wednesday and by 5:45 pm to set up for Saturday evening Mass. This comes from Fr. Reid and it is a matter of obedience on the server's part. Lastly, when servers extinguish the candles, please let the smoke extinguish prior to replacing the glass chimney and wipe the chimney after Mass. We'll review this at training.

The April Mass Schedule is out but the training schedule will need to wait as I'm waiting for my April schedule from work at this time.

Fr. Reid did commend the servers and their hard work. Keep up the good work.

Photo credit: The Catholic Traveler

February Shake-Up

Two big ticket items:

First and most pressing is the February Mass Schedule. Due to circumstances, the change in training times in the last few weeks has wreaked havoc on the schedule. After taking time to review individual needs and ministry needs, I've re-worked the February Mass schedule. Please understand that I don't like this kind of change with such short notice. I have been trying to really address individual needs, but I have to make decisions based on the group as a whole.
Please also note, that the next training session is on February 12th at 10:00 AM and everyone needs to be there to catch up.

If you can't make a particular date based on the current schedule, let me know.

For future scheduling, I am waiting to post March scheduling information until the weekend of the February 12th when I'll start my new job at CMC-Pineville ICU. Once they give me a schedule at that time, I'll make the server schedule as opposed to making something now and having to change things again.

We have a green light for our Monday February 21st Server Field Trip. Servers and parents are invited on the trip; everyone can obviously come to the Mass.
Here's the rough draft itinerary:

• Everyone meet at St. Ann at 9:00 AM for Mass.
• Carpool up to the St. Lawrence Basilica in Asheville, NC. (Bring a snack for the ride up)
• Tour the Basilica with Fr. Reid and pray the rosary. (Bring your rosary)
• Lunch in Asheville at a restaurant. (Can someone head up research on a decent one?)
• Travel to either Linville, NC or Tryon, NC (Fr. Reid hasn't confirmed which one yet.)
• Tour the 2nd parish with Fr. Reid and Fr. Gober.
• Question and Answer session with Fr. Reid and Fr. Gober. (More on that to come)
• Carpool back to St. Ann.

We intend to throw in a outside activity during the day. This is the first time we've done this but I really think it's going to be a wonderful opportunity for the servers. I'll need someone to organize carpooling which can be done via email and during the Saturday Feb 12th training session.

Thanks to Griffin and Will for stepping up and assisting at the Candlemas this past Wednesday. It was good to try it out, and we'll be better prepared for next year. Comment away...

Let's get started again

Happy Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus!

What a wild and crazy Christmas Octave that was for a lot of us. Getting back into the swing of things here's what's going on:

Saturday January 8th from 10:00 AM to 11:30 AM, we will have our next training session. Those who have taken tests can bring those tests in for grading. Those who need to take written and skills tests will do so. After the training session, we will have a 15 minute informative session for the parents. After the session, questions will be answered on a one to one basis outside the Church.

Sunday January 9th 4:00 PM, we will have the Solemn High Mass in Greensboro, NC. Anyone who needs a ride just needs to pipe up at the next training session.

On Wednesday January 12th after the 6:00 PM MEF, we will have the ranking ceremony for the servers. Please make plans to attend.

Please note the updates to the Server rank information and application for advancement on the sidebar.

October: Focus on Mary

Happy Memorial of St. Therese of Lisieux! What a great way to start off October. This month our ministry will go right along with Holy Mother Church and spend time praying as our Heavenly Mother asks us to do.

After reviewing the results of the recent Junior Acolyte Test, I am aware of some areas of improvement in the formation of the servers. One important area is Mariology, the study of Mary, the Mother of God. Why study Mary? Why not just go straight to Jesus? Please read the following:

(1.) "For every Christian, and for every human being, Mary is the one who first believed. Out of her faith as Spouse and Mother, she desires to act upon all those who entrust themselves to her as her children. And the more her children persevere and progress in this attitude, the nearer Mary leads them to the “unsearchable riches of Christ.” (Ephesians 3:8) They recognize ever more clearly the dignity of man in all its fullness and the definitive meaning of his vocation, for “Christ fully reveals man to man himself.” (Vatican II’s Gaudium et Spes, #22) (Mary in the life of the Carthusians-.pdf)"

(2) "II. DEVOTION TO THE BLESSED VIRGIN
971 "All generations will call me blessed": "The Church's devotion to the Blessed Virgin is intrinsic to Christian worship." The Church rightly honors "the Blessed Virgin with special devotion. From the most ancient times the Blessed Virgin has been honored with the title of 'Mother of God,' to whose protection the faithful fly in all their dangers and needs. . . . This very special devotion . . . differs essentially from the adoration which is given to the incarnate Word and equally to the Father and the Holy Spirit, and greatly fosters this adoration." The liturgical feasts dedicated to the Mother of God and Marian prayer, such as the rosary, an "epitome of the whole Gospel," express this devotion to the Virgin Mary.517 (CCC 971)"

There's so much more, but suffice to say that Mary leads the sinner to Jesus. In that respect she epitomizes our mission: point to God; but Mary does a whole lot more than point. As for our ministry, when the servers choose to enter the full ministry of the MEF altar servers as Junior Acolytes, they will take upon themselves a commitment to having a devotion to the Blessed Mother. (note: approved by Fr. Reid) So here's how we're going to make all of this tangible for the servers this month:

• We're inviting servers and families to the Rosary Rally at St. Patrick's on Sunday October 10th at 3:00 pm. In addition, there will be Adoration, Benediction, and a Eucharistic Procession.
• On Saturday, October 23rd, we will be praying two rosaries with Fr. Reid and St. Ann parishioners at the Hebron abortion mill. This is following the Mass for Life at 9:00 AM at St. Ann's.
• We have the privilege of having Fr. Roux come and give a talk on Our Lady of Fatima at the Monday, October 25th training session. (4 pm to 6pm - yes, it's a 2 hour session) More info on preparation for this talk to come. (Yes, there will be a quiz on it. I love you, too.) Please invite family to come to this training session and listen to Fr. Roux.

September Training

Next training session is this Tuesday September 7th at 4:15 PM. Postulants need to be prepared to run through all of the Latin and rubrics up until the beginning of the Canon. Experienced servers need to be prepared this month to take the test for the first level: Junior Acolyte. This test will cover the Ac2 position at a Low Mass and the TorchBearer position at a Missa Cantata.

On Monday September 20th, Fr. Reid will be present to educate the servers on the Canon. In order to accomodate his schedule, the training time has been moved a half hour earlier going from 3:45 to 5:15. This is a great opportunity to learn about the pinnacle of the Liturgy. Please make plans to attend.

Please review the Mass schedule for changes to assignments.

Photo Credit: FaceMePLS

Mass Schedule Updated

I had some time to update the Mass Schedule for our servers for September and October. This schedule will be finalized on 9 pm Monday, August 23rd. Please contact me if you see any issues. Please note all of the wonderful Marian Feasts in September and the Missa Cantata at the end of October for Christ the King.

Please preview the schedule on the side bar to the right.

Evening post in between shifts

I'm busy but here's some updates:

• Will Borin and Sam Dehority have volunteered for tomorrow's MEF and Children's Benediction. Please be there by 4:00pm to set up quickly for the kids and then finish setting up afterwards before the regular Holy Hour.
• I'm trying to organize a training session for the Missa Cantata in Salisbury and here's what I've come up with so far: Fr. Ferguson FSSP and Noah Carter (DoC Seminarian) will be available on Saturday June 12th around lunch time in Salisbury. The next day is the Missa Cantata. Can we make it? Can we carpool? Please give me feedback so we can make this great experience work.
• This weekend: seminarians/ordinands become priests = huge! Friday night they have a Holy Hour for the Ordinands at St. Pat's. Saturday 10:00 AM at St. Marks for the Ordination. Then 10:30 on Sunday at St. Ann's for soon to be Fr. Rossi's first Mass. New priests (baby priests as my wife calls them) don't come around every day. I highly recommend that everyone show up and support these men. Pray for them.

More info to come...stay tuned

Finishing up April and May

We are officially planning the Ascension Missa Cantata Rehearsal for Monday May 3rd from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM at St. Anns. The Schola will be there as well. As with the last training session, we may have to swing the time to accomodate Fr. Reid's schedule, but as of now 6:00 PM is the set time.

Moreover, we have the results back for the pool party and the official scheduled date, time, and place is: Saturday May 22nd at 6:00 pm at the Borin's Residence. More information will be provided.

Please remember that the next server training will be at 4:45 PM at St. Anns this coming Monday April 19th. See you there!

April 5th Practice Canceled

I hope everyone had a great Easter Sunday! Please continue to enjoy the Easter Octave knowing that this evening's practice is being canceled. Some of you asked for it to be canceled, but in addition, I need to work at the hospital today.

Now that things have settled down after the Missa Cantata, more posts will be coming as per your requests. I will also get the Spring-Summer Schedule situated this week as well.

As usual with cancellations, please email, post, or call that you have received this information.

Annunciation announcements

If it wasn't official before, it is now; Thursday 25th at 7:00 pm Fr. Reid will offer a Missa Cantata for the Feast of the Annunciation at St. Ann's. I sat down with Fr. Reid this week and he accomplished a lot for the MEF at St. Ann's:

1. Hundreds of dollars of new cassocks have been ordered and will be at St. Ann's within 5 weeks. (Yes Luke, we ordered an 11 just for you.)
2. The Spring Mass schedule has been hammered out and is available on the side bar.
3. The Server training schedule has been completed and is available on the side bar. Please note the Monday March 15th training session with the Schola and hopefully Fr. Reid for a Missa Cantata rehearsal. It is imperative to make that training session.
4. An additional Missa Cantata may be planned for Thursday May 13th on the Feast of the Ascension which we did last year.

Let me know if mistakes have been made on the schedules or how I can help you in your ministry.

Piano = no practice today

Sorry for the late notice, but there will not be any practice today. On a better "note," my little family got an upright piano for the cost of moving it. On a worse "note," the piano fell on my leg while moving it. But the piano is fine, so don't worry.

My leg swelled up a bit, but rest, ice, compression dressings, and elevation have brought it down a good bit. I will need to rest it today and therefore practice gets cancelled. I've notified many of the server families, but please call someone if you talk with them regularly just to make sure they're aware.

Otherwise, the text Missa Cantata is officially scheduled for Thursday March 25th, the Annunciation. More details to come. I'll also work on the schedule, and we'll reschedule todays training for another time.

Please use this opportunity to go over the Latin and practice rubrics for the Low Mass. Have a happy Martin Luther King Jr. Day!

Schedule Updates for November

Please check the blog links for updates to the Mass Schedule and Training Schedule. Please feel free to comment, email, or call with concerns or questions. I'm hoping that the Sanctuary will be somewhat completed on Monday. We will have training come rain or shine.

Thanks to everyone for their cooperation with the construction and the unforseen cancellations of training sessions.

Missa Cantata Officially Canceled

Greetings from Spokane, WA! So, I've been emailing with Fr. Reid back and forth for the last few days. Yesterday evening, Fr. Reid called the ball and canceled the Missa Cantata on the 24th. The major rationale for the cancellation was the delay in getting the marble installed. Apparently there won't be a guarantee that the entire Sanctuary will be available, and while rubrics allow for flexibility in a Novus Ordo, there's specific requirements for a MEF where the entire Sanctuary needs to be accessible.

Fr. Reid has expressed deep regret in this decision, but he feels it's the most appropriate given the circumstances. We must trust in the reign of our Lord Jesus Christ and look forward to the next Missa Cantata which has yet to be rescheduled.

This news, while disappointing, is actually good news for a number of reasons:

1. We'll be able to train in a completed Sanctuary for the Low Mass and a future Missa Cantata without guess-work on how things might turn out.
2. We'll be able to schedule training sessions and rehearsals in advance, avoiding the confusion of last minute scheduling based on the availability of the Sanctuary and Fr. Reid.
3. We won't be rushing to get everything in order the day before the Missa Cantata.
4. The completed Sanctuary will truly provide the appropriate setting for the TLM with the completed altar, ambo, and altar rail.

I have to take a moment and thank the servers and their families for all of their work for the past few weeks. It was intense and short of one more training session to see how the Sanctuary would look and polish off some details, it was going to be a great Missa Cantata.

We will still have the training on Friday October 23rd from 4:15 to 5:45 pm as previously scheduled but will cancel the training on Monday October 26th.

Please note that while this blog will send posts out via emails, it is important to check the blog because emails can be deleted or overlooked and pertinent information may be missed. Posts will always be accessible on the blog.

New schedules will be out hopefully in the next few days. Please feel free to call or email me tomorrow.

3 sessions left to go...

Great training session today. Even with construction still going on, we did well. Please note that our rehearsal with the Schola and possibly Fr. Reid will be in one week on October 12th from 6:15 to 8:00 pm. I will make the final decisions on positions this Friday (4:15 to 5:45 pm) at the end of training that day. I will be testing the four possible Ac's first thing on Friday and I'll also be testing for Tb #1 and Tb#2. The group present will vote on the top 2 Ac's and top 3 Tb's. I get to choose from there.

Current thoughts after todays training:
Th: Joseph Mack
Ac's: Brady O., David R., Ben B., Joseph B.
Bb: Luke Bruck or Griffin Walsh
Tb's: JP Mack, Sam Dehority, Joseph Yellico, Griffin Walsh, and whoever isn't an Ac.
Cb: Chase M, Nate S., or David R.

I need to thank Sam Dehority for being willing to serve at the last minute this past Saturday and step up as Ac1. Fr. Reid said things went well. I appreciate that kind of teamwork in our ministry.

Study hard...pray hard.

Photo credit: John Stephen Dwyer

New Sanctuary is up and running!

Tonight we'll have the first MEF in the new Sanctuary. There's going to be a lot of guess work as to where items will be and how we will run the MEF, but it will all work out and glorify the Lord.

Now that we're finally in the new Sanctuary, I've been able to finalize the Mass and training schedules for October. Please visit the links to the side and get the dates in your calendars. Please note that there's a chunk of October where there will not be training as I'll be in Spokane, WA for a family wedding. Therefore there's a number of training sessions close together for the servers to get used to the Low Mass in the new Sanctuary and to prep for the Missa Cantata.

This week there will not be practice. It is my hope that everyone and their families can attend the Eucharistic Congress this weekend. For servers, it's a great opporunity to witness the Diocese worshipping and adoring the Lord in the Eucharist. Moreover, a Norvus Ordo Pontifical Mass is always worth witnessing. Before the Mass on Saturday, St. Ann's Schola which serves at the Missa Cantata, will sing at the Eucharistic Congress. Please support those who will be supporting us.

Photo Credit: Lauren Rupar

One brick at a time...

Update: Tim Mack made it through surgery early this morning! He's recovering but still has some ground to make up. Thanks to Theresa Ostendorf for the updates.
Please also keep Thomas Mathis in your prayers as this past week he also under went surgery. He's recovering as well and will provide information as he can.

************On a personal note, I'd like to make sure that the rest of the servers take care of themselves and their families as we've had a breakout of surgeries. I will continue to pray for you all...especially considering that we have a Missa Cantata coming up. :)********************

I've updated the training and Mass schedule for this month. Please note the change from some Mondays. In order to be off later, I had to make some concessions. I am going to strongly encourage attendance as we'll be training for the new Sanctuary and the Missa Canata.

This Friday, we'll be training and helping out with the move into the new Church. PLEASE be available Saturday to help move items over as we'll be doing the first MEF Low Mass on Saturday at 6:30 pm. We will need your help, please. (You'll also be the first to see how the new Church will look.)

I've also completed the master server sheet for the Missa Cantata which answers most of the questions for the Missa Canata in the new Sanctuary. Individual server position sheets will be available shortly.

Please stay tuned and keep praying for those who are recovering.

"August Happenings"

1. With so many of our servers attending Discernment Day, we are in need of other MEF servers to volunteer in assisting with set up for the Wednesday (Aug 5th) Benediction/Adoration. We have servers who can make it for the Mass, but we are in need for Benediction/Adoration. I will be working and so I cannot make it at that time.
2. My little family will be moving to a new house in a few weeks (Aug. 22nd). In order to make the move successful, I've had to move a training session from Monday August 17th Training session to Tuesday August 18th for the same time (4:15 to 6:00 pm).
3. Seminarian Lucas Rossi will not be attending any more training sessions due to schedule conflicts and he will be leaving his post at St. Ann's next week. I am asking all of the servers and their families to offer up prayers for Lucas and provide a card so we can gather them up for a spiritual care package for his last year in seminary.
4. We will begin work on the next Missa Cantata at the next training session. Servers are asked to bring their previous Missa Cantata work with them so we can jump start right back in it.
5. Early September will be the move in time for the new Church. Please be flexible with the schedule as we approach. We will be looking to help Mrs. Kuhn and Fr. Reid move items from the Sanctuary back into the new Church as well so stay tuned for more information.