Content

• Content
• Requirements for a candidate for ministry
• Steps
• Tips
• Warnings

In many Catholic churches, priests have three to six ministers to help them conduct the service. Although female ministers were once banned in Catholic churches, they can now be served with the permission of the bishop of the diocese or the parish priest. If you would like more information on the Catholic minister, please continue reading the article.

Content

Requirements for a candidate for ministry

The candidate must meet the following requirements:

• The candidate must pass the first communion.
• The candidate must know how to kneel correctly.
• The candidate must know how to properly cross himself.
• A candidate can be male or female if their church allows female ministers to serve in their ward.

Steps

1. 1 Prepare for your task. Before arriving at church, make sure you are wearing good clothes, such as a collared shirt and trousers. However, wearing a collared shirt underneath some Albs is impractical. In addition, it is not necessary to wear nice clothes, since the parish will not see what you are wearing. However, make sure you are wearing dressy, decent shoes that are easy for you to walk in without stumbling, as the congregation will see this. Don't wear sneakers, high-heeled shoes, or flip-flops. If you have long hair, tie it up in the back or make a ponytail so you don't have to cling to anything.In some churches, ministers often carry candles, so if you don't pin your hair in the back, you could accidentally set it on fire.
2. 2 Come to church at least 20 minutes before the start of Mass. The sooner you arrive, the more time you will have to prepare. When you first go to church, make sure you have no gum or candy in your mouth. During Mass, it is indecent to chew or eat (NOTE: You may not receive Holy Communion if you ate something other than water an hour before Mass. If you ate and drank before Mass, then you had better avoid the sacrament, because otherwise you are committing a deadly sin.). If you will not receive holy communion, please do not serve at this mass.
3. 3 Go to the sacristy in your church, where the ministers keep an alba, cassock, or surplice. Put on the alba correctly and close it with buttons or zippers. Sometimes the alba is worn right over the head. The alba is usually belted, so make sure it's not too long or too short. Try to wear an alba that is about the same length as the other ministers, but if you are not sure how to proceed, ask a member of the clergy. If any of the albs is torn, let the priest or deacon know about it. Remember that you are choosing an alb that will suit you and will fit in length with your shoes.
4. 4 Decide who will do which work. Usually the steward or deacon decides this, but often the choice is made by one of the most senior ministers. If you are not sure what tasks to do, ask the priest or deacon about it.
5. 5 Wait for the priest or deacon, and in some cases the bishop to join you at the entrance to the church. And when Mass begins, please DO NOT TALK. Keep your hands clasped at all times. The chief minister should give the younger ministers different responsibilities. Depending on the traditions of your ward, different ministers will lead the procession. Often it is the one who bears the cross, sometimes the altar men follow him, but more often the minister with the censer will be at the head. Do not walk down the aisle until the priest tells you or gives you a signal. When you come to the altar, kneel down. If you are carrying something (such as a cross or candles), bow in front of the altar. After that, go to place to your place. When you go around the altar, make sure that you and your partner go in different directions - one should go to the left of the altar, and the other, respectively, to the right.
6. 6 Stand in your seats and sing the opening hymn, which you will also sing during your procession between the rows. After the end of the hymn, the priest will greet the parish. After the collective (short prayer), you will sit like the rest of the ward members.
7. 7 As you preach, listen carefully to what the priest has to say. His sermon will usually refer to the Bible readings of that day, and contain important information about the Faith.
8. 8 During the offering of gifts, which are sometimes called Offertory, wine and bread are brought to the altar. Sometimes the crusader also goes downstairs, accompanying the offering of gifts to the altar. Most often, a priest or deacon goes to the entrance of the temple to receive gifts and give them to the ministers to put them at the altar. The minister should stand on the side of the altar and serve the deacon (or priest) water and wine from the decanter and, accordingly, the jug. Then, with water and a towel, stand in the same place, letting the priest wash his hands.
9. 9 If bells are used, ring it for epiclesis (when the priest invokes the Holy Spirit, stretching out his hands over the gifts) and three times during the consecration of the host and the cup. Kneel down after Agnus Dei (Lamb of god).
10. 10 Follow local tradition when you receive the holy sacrament. After receiving the sacrament, ministers return to their seats.
11. 11 When a priest or deacon sings or says goodbye, all ministers proceed to the temple exit in pairs, usually in the same order in which they entered. Walk past the altar, allowing enough space for the other ministers and clergy to stand behind you, and then turn to face the altar. Everyone in the procession will kneel (unless you are holding something in your hands. Then you can only bow your head). Turn around and go to the back of the church, going through the main aisle. The priest and deacon usually stop at the entrance to the church to talk to the parishioners who are leaving.
12. 12 Clean up. The duties of a minister do not end with the end of the mass. Before removing your robe, extinguish all candles using tongs to prevent hot wax from getting on you, on the altar, or on the floor. According to ward tradition, a deacon or ceremony master can tell you if there is something else to do or if you forgot something, such as preparing for the next Mass. Hang your alba and belt neatly in the appropriate place.

Tips

• When you are walking or sitting, your hands need to be held in two positions - keep them clasped on the chest or at the waist.
• Always go to the restroom before mass. This is accepted etiquette.
• Hang up your robe after using it. Do not throw it in the closet - this is disrespectful to church overseers.
• Be quiet in the sacristy and avoid unnecessary noise. During this time, you can pray before Mass.
• If two ministers need to move to another place, they walk together at the same time, never move without your partner. Usually, ministers have partners, unless they do certain tasks, for example, if he is carrying a cross.
• Most priests don't kneel at the altar now. They just kneel in the chapel. In this case, at the altar, they only bow, but do not kneel.
• Be prepared to help a priest or deacon, especially if he is a guest in your ward. He may ask you questions about how the Mass is being held in your church. If so, try to answer these questions clearly and concisely.
• Remember that people are watching you during Mass. They can then tell the priest about the minister's behavior during the mass. While it's usually praise, sometimes it's the other way around. To avoid unpleasant incidents, try not to laugh or talk during the service. However, you can give orders during Mass and help other ministers if they don’t know what to do.
• Try to distribute responsibilities between yourself and other ministers. Don't force one person to do all the responsibilities! If there is a priest or deacon who distributes the work, they will definitely do the work.

Warnings

• If something goes wrong, don't show it! Behave as usual and the parish will not notice.
• Remember, you need to get a good night's sleep first - for a congregation, there is nothing worse than staring at a tired minister!
• When lighting candles or holding a fire, try to keep the flame away from clothing and hair. Alba sometimes, depending on its species, melt and stick to the body.
• Come dressed properly. Sneakers (sneakers) are usually not a custom to wear, but black sneakers may work if it is not a special occasion. Also, do not wear shoes with a reflective surface.
• If the weather is bad, remember to leave your home earlier than usual.