Spotlight on:  St. Joseph Ushers
 

They greet you as you enter the Church, holding the door and always with a smile.  They help you to find that perfect seat on a crowded Sunday morning when you may be running a little late.  They tirelessly go down the aisles collecting your weekly offerings, while also organizing the gift procession.  They hand out bulletins at the end of every Mass. And if there's something special to be handed out, you can bet they're on top of it.   We're referring to a dedicated group of women and men who serve as ushers at all of the weekend Masses at St. Joseph Parish.
 
Our Parish has about 35 adult ushers and 5 teen ushers who work under the leadership of Mrs. Theresa Kaliner. Our ushers have been serving St. Joseph Parish from 1 to 20 years.  They are a true testament of commitment to our Church!  Theresa shared this on the usher ministry:  “I find ushers to be very helpful people who always say ‘yes’ to whatever is asked of them.  They are a warm and welcoming group of parishioners.”
The qualifications are simple:
--    be pleasant with a friendly personality
--    be concerned about the well-being and comfort of our parishioners
--    be familiar with the Order of the Eucharist
--    be diplomatic and calm even on busy days like Palm Sunday.
The time commitment is 1 hour per week during Saturday night or one of the Sunday Eucharists.
 
Here’s what some of our ushers had to say about serving in this ministry:
“It allows me one way to offer back to the Church community
 in a small way”                                             -  Larry Merrill (10:15am Mass)

“Being an usher is a wonderful way of celebrating the Mass, greeting, seating,
 assisting and directing the parishioners”      - Joe Miller (11:45am Mass)
 
The following are quotes from some of our teen ushers-
 “Being an usher is better than just sitting there.  I get to do something and help”.
                                                                                         - Alex (Sun. 5pm)
 “I like to help people”.
                                                                                         -  John

If you or someone you know would like more information on the Usher ministry, please call the Parish Office at (631) 669-0068.  Thank you!