Liturgical Ministries

If one member suffers in the body of Christ which is the Church, all the members suffer with that member." (1Corinthians 12:26)

For this reason we who are baptized into Christ and nourished at the same table of the Lord are responsible for one another. When a member of Christ's Body dies, we, the faithful, are called to offer consolation to those who have suffered the loss of one whom they love. This ministry is part of the pastoral care by the community to those who have lost a loved one.

Adult parishioners act as altar servers at the Funeral Mass of a fellow-parishioner. They accompany the presider as he greets the family and receives the body in the entrance procession and assists the priest during the Mass. We need about 5 servers in order that every person buried from Blessed Sacrament has parishioners present to assist at the Funeral Mass.  Could you be available for one or two services a month? Call 508-668-4700 to get involved.

 Open to boys and girls of all ages after completing the 3rd grade.  Altar servers are scheduled on a rotating basis in groups of two or three to serve the worshipping community at Saturday evening and Sunday morning Mass as well as for special feasts and seasons in the liturgical year. They may also serve at weddings and other special celebrations on a rotating basis. Training is provided, and new servers are mentored by experienced volunteers. If you are interested in learning more about the Blessed Sacrament Altar Server program, please contact Ann Marie Harootunian at [email protected]  or for the St. Mary's Altar Server program, please contact Kerry Pitman at [email protected]. Thank you.

Being a cantor involves making the assembly's prayer possible through song.  The cantor has the responsibility of leading the assembly in a recurring refrain to be sung and inviting the assembly to join voices in hymns used throughout the Mass. The Responsorial Psalm between the Old and New Testament readings, the Gospel Acclamation, and other proclamations, such as parts of the Gloria are other examples of the cantor's responsibility.

The requirements to be a cantor are a strong, singing voice, the ability to encourage the people to join in the songs and dedication to the Ministry of Music.  If you are interested in becoming a cantor, please contact Oksana Berezkina at [email protected] .

May all our voices join together to proclaim the goodness of the Lord.

“The aim and final end of all music should be none other than the glory of God and the refreshment of the soul.” - Johann Sebastian Bach

With these profound words we would like to invite every member of our parish who loves music to join our wonderful team of Music Ministers of Blessed Sacrament Church. 
  
Music Ministry consists of the following groups: 

• Youth Choir
• High School Choir
• Adult Choir
• Two Handbell Groups
• Funeral Choir
• Instrumentalists

We, the Music Ministers, are very enthusiastic about our service to the parish as we lead the congregation in prayer and help the faithful to worship during our weekend and Holy Days liturgies. 
  
Together with St. Mary’s music ministry, all music groups participate in major Feast Days such as Christmas Eve masses, Christmas Midnight Mass, Holy Week, Easter Vigil, Easter Sunday, Confirmation, First Communion Masses, etc. We also perform at various concerts throughout the year.  We “sing and ring” at nursing homes and senior centers bringing Holiday music to those who cannot come to our church. While it seems to be a serious commitment, it is also a very joyful one. 
  
We are truly blessed with deeply devoted, open-minded and warm-hearted people involved in Music Ministry. All the music groups work together embracing the challenge of bringing the musical part of liturgy to the new level of emotional and spiritual expression. 
  
Great Saints of the past such as St. Augustine, St. Cecilia, St. Gregory and others highly appreciated the role of music in the worship. We all know the famous quote from St. Augustine’s: 

“Bis orat qui bene cantat” or “He who sings well prays twice”.  And we believe that “singing well” means singing with all your heart! 
  
We invite anybody who loves to sing, to ring the bells, to play an instrument – please come and join us! 

If you want your child to join Youth Choir, please contact [email protected].

To join the Adult Choir or Handbell Groups, please contact our Music Director Oksana Berezkina, [email protected].
 
Funeral Choir is a wonderful music ministry where we have an opportunity to manifest our catholic faith in a very special way. Funeral Choir provides music for funeral and memorial services throughout the entire year. They meet before each service for the instructions.
 
Out of all the choirs and groups Funeral Choir is the easiest in the sense of commitment because the members of this choir sing only when they are available depending on their own schedule. It is also one of the most important ones because it proves us to be a true community, to show our support to the families in hard times, to share their grief, and to remind them that they are not alone.

If you want to join Funeral Choir, please, contact Oksana at [email protected].

Whatever Choir or Music Group you want to join, please, be sure that we will cherish your dedication and your talents. Commitment can be difficult at times, but the reward is great: we grow in faith and devotion pouring our hearts and raising our voices in song!

Echoing St. Francis of Assisi, we pray to become “an instrument of peace” and to bring love and joy to the hearts of believers.

Holy Communion is offered under both species (forms) of bread and wine at our weekend liturgies at Blessed Sacrament Parish and St. Mary's. Eucharistic ministers assist the priest and deacon in the distribution of Holy Communion at Mass. Training is provided. Scheduling is based on need and availability. If you are interested in becoming a Eucharistic Minister at Blessed Sacrament, please contact Oksana at [email protected] or [email protected] for St. Mary's. Thank you. 

Homebound Visitation

Do you know of someone who is homebound or unable to attend Mass and who would appreciate the Eucharist being brought to them?  If you would like to arrange a home visit or nursing home visit for a member of our Walpole Catholic Community, please contact the Parish Office at 508/668-4700 x119 and she will assist you.  Such visits can include regular weekly visits to receive the Eucharist or with a parish priest for the Sacrament of Healing. If you are interested in serving as a pastoral visitor, please reach out to Deacon Jim Hyatt at jim[email protected] or Deacon Rey Spadoni at [email protected].
 
 

Lectors proclaim the Word of God at weekend Masses and special celebrations.  Skills required are an ability to read in public and the ability to proclaim the Word with enthusiasm, strength, and conviction. You must be confirmed to fulfill this ministry.  Ongoing training and spiritual development are provided. If you are interested in becoming a Lector at Blessed Sacrament, please contact Ann Marie Harootunian at [email protected] or at St. Mary's, please contact Mary Garrity at stmvolunteers.com. Thank you.

Junior Lectors participate in the 9:30am Family Mass at Blessed Sacrament Church. This is a wonderful way for anyone from 4th grade through 10th grade to be involved in the Mass. If you are interested, please contact AnneMarie Dion at [email protected].
 

“The Child grew in size and strength, filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon Him. His parents used to go every year to Jerusalem for the feast of the Passover, and when He was twelve they went up for the celebration as was their custom. As they were returning at the end of the feast, the child Jesus remained behind unknown to His parents. Thinking He was in the party, they continued their journey for a day, looking for Him among their relatives and acquaintances. Not finding Him, they returned to Jerusalem in search of Him. On the third day they came upon Him in the temple sitting in the midst of the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. All who heard Him were amazed at His intelligence and His answers.” - Luke 2:40-47

Ushers are responsible for taking up the collection at all weekend Masses. Ushers need only be honest, responsible, and either male or female. 

Greeters at Blessed Sacrament welcome people at the doors of the church as they arrive for Mass, and are available to answer questions or provide directions.  Ushers at St. Mary's collect the offertory.