Most Holy Trinity -- St. Mary is served by many dedicated lay people!
Below is a list of the
different ministries and activities that are part of the life of our parish. Click on the name of the ministry or activity in order
to go to that place on this page.
The Altar Servers have an important liturgical role. They assist
the sacristans before and after the Mass; they lead the liturgical processions;
they accompany and assist the priests during the Mass and serve
at the altar as candle-bearers, cross-bearers and as incense-bearers. The
altar servers are
scheduled on a rotational basis. Boys and girls who have received their First
Communion (usually in the third grade) are invited and encouraged to become
altar servers. Many of our servers continue in this ministry throughout
their high school years. The servers are required to attend training sessions and
occasional meetings. Please
contact Fr. Timothy for information about how to become an Altar Server.
The Catechists provide religious education classes for children
enrolled in our parish Religious Education Program (click on this link to the Religious Education Office
for more information about the various programs offered). Parishioners who
are willing and qualified to teach the Catholic faith to our young people are encouraged to
become catechists. The catechists are required to participate in
occasional Diocesan workshops and training sessions. Our students and catechists
usually gather for the start of the classes each Sunday at 9:45 A.M. in the
gymnasium; after the classes, they are expected to attend the twelve noon Mass
together. Dismissal is after the Mass. Please
contact the parish office for information about how to become a Catechist.
The Trinity Human Services Center is a social outreach organization
that provides many services for economically disadvantaged families of our area.
The Center sponsors food and clothing programs, social services, a thrift shop,
E.S.L. classes, advocacy work, flea markets and health
fairs. (click on this link to the Trinity
Human Service Center for more information). Many of the activities of
the Center are assisted by dedicated volunteers. Please
contact Ms. Yadhira Deras for information about how to become a Center Volunteer.
The Charismatic Prayer Group (Círculo de Oración) meets every Friday
evening at 7:45 P.M. in the meeting room (enter through the sacristy immediately
after the 7:00 PM Mass or through the door at 153 Johnson Avenue once the
meeting has begun); the prayer group is conducted in Spanish. The group
comes together to read the Scriptures, to pray and share testimonies of faith,
to sing praises to God and to grow in faith together. The group encourages
its members to experience the gifts of the Holy Spirit as a normal part of
Christian living. All are invited to come and share this vibrant
experience of Christian prayer and fellowship. Please
contact Ms. Daisy Lopez for more information about the prayer group.
Each of the Sunday Masses at Trinity has its own Choir. Ms. Millie
Torres, our parish cantor and choir director, leads each choir; Brother Vincent often assists and
serves as the cantor for the 8:30 A.M. Sunday Mass. At each Mass, the
choirs are
accompanied by the organ, played by our organist Mr. Carlos Fernando Rojas; traditional and contemporary music
in both English and Spanish are part of each choir's repertoire. The
choirs of Most Holy Trinity come together for special Masses and Solemn Feasts.
The choirs hold regular and seasonal practices. Parishioners are
encouraged to become part of this important liturgical ministry. Please
contact Ms. Millie Torres for information about how to
join one of the choirs.
The Church Cleaners are volunteers who help to keep the interior of the church beautiful
and well maintained; they begin this important contribution to the parish each
Thursday morning after the 7:30 A.M. Mass (at approximately 8:00 A.M.). Working
under the direction of Mr. Santiago Martinez, our parish Director of
Maintenance, the responsibility of the church cleaners is to do only light
cleaning (dusting, sweeping and mopping); they usually spend about one hour in
order to complete this much needed work.Please
contact Fr. Timothy for information about how to volunteer as a Church Cleaner.
The members of our Cursillo group, affectionately known as “Cursillistas,”
meet every Wednesday evening at 8:00 P.M. in the meeting room (enter through the sacristy
immediately after the 7:00 PM Mass or through the door at 153
Johnson Avenue once the meeting has begun). During the Cursillo meeting,
conducted in Spanish, the participants spend time together examining a specific theme related to their
spiritual lives (with talks, called “charlas,” given by the members). The
“Cursillos de Cristiandad” (i.e., the “Little Courses of Christianity”), was
originally a Latino spirituality movement that began in the Unites States in
1957. Members of the Cursillo movement desire to have an encounter with Jesus
Christ; their objective is to promote and develop the evangelization of their
surroundings (in their families, parishes, places of work, schools, stores,
etc.) through their apostolate. Please
contact Ms. Elba Rodriguez for information about how to become a Cursillista.
The Decorating Committee is made up of a group of volunteers who
prepare our church environment for different liturgical seasons and events;
perhaps the busiest time for the committee happens during the Christmas and
Easter seasons when they give a great deal of time and effort to the church by
arranging and caring for flowers and decorations. Throughout the liturgical year
they set up and take down decorations particular to special celebrations and
events. Please
contact Fr. Santo for information about how to become a member of the
Decorating Committee.
Our E.S.L. (English as a Second Language) Classes are sponsored by the
Trinity Human Service Center. It is hoped that students enrolled will be able to
develop necessary English language skills needed in order to communicate and
function in this city, state and country. It is hoped that the E.S.L. classes
will enable the students to understand the world around them, to get better
jobs, to progress economically, to contribute to the life of their families and
to gain skills necessary for achieving life-long success as people living in the
United States. The classes are taught every Tuesday and Wednesday evening in the
Center from 7:00 P.M. until 9:00 P.M. Please click on the
following link, or contact the Trinity
Human Service Center for more information.
Many members of our parish Ecuadorian community come each Sunday during the
year between 3:00 P.M. and 7:00 P.M. for the Ecuadorian Volleyball Club.
The club meets in the gymnasium during inclement weather and during the winter
months, and in the school yard during the warmer months. Please contact
the parish office for more information.
The Greeters, also known as "ushers," are our parish ministers of
hospitality. The primary role of the Greeters is to welcome people,
especially newcomers, for the celebration of the Mass; they also distribute song
books, provide seating assistance, choose people to bring forward the offertory
gifts, help with the collection of money, direct the communion procession,
distribute the parish bulletins and gather the song books at the conclusion of
the Mass. Their service, while often thankless, is very important and
greatly needed. Please
contact Fr. Timothy for information about how to become a Greeter.
The youth group of our parish is affiliated with a Latino youth movement
called the “Jornadas de Vida Cristiana” (i.e., the “Journey of the
Christian Life”); the movement itself is closely associated with the “Cursillos
de Cristiandad” (i.e., the “Little Courses of Christianity”), a related movement
serving adult Catholics (see above). The members of our Jornada group,
affectionately known as “Jornadistas,” meet every Tuesday evening at 7:30 P.M.
in the school gym (enter through the door on the right side of the building); the meetings are conducted in English. If they have not done so
already, many of the young people who come on Tuesdays hope to make a
“Jornada weekend” someday, a three-day retreat in which they are offered a deep
experience of God. See the Brooklyn Diocese Jornada web site at: www.jornadista.org. Please
contact Fr.
Timothy for information about how to become a
member of the Jornada
Youth Group. Click here to view the Jornada web
page on our parish site.
The Lectors read the Scriptures at Sunday and Weekday Masses; they are
scheduled on a rotational basis. Lectors are appointed by the pastor and have an
essential liturgical role in the life of the parish. The lectors are
required to participate in occasional Diocesan workshops and training sessions.
In the manner in which they live their lives, these ministers must always
give witness to their Christian faith. Please contact Fr. Santo for
information about how to become a Lector.
The Legion of Mary meets in the sacristy chapel every Tuesday evening
at 7:45 P.M. and/or immediately after the 7:00 P.M. Mass; the meetings are conducted
in Spanish. The Legion is a world-wide apostolic organization of lay people; its
primary purpose is to glorify God through the sanctification of its members. The
members of the Legion are called to be instruments of the Holy Spirit through
prayer and by service to their parish community. At Trinity, the Legion of
Mary sponsors religious articles sales on most Sundays after each of the Masses.
Please
contact the parish office for information about how to become a member of the
Legion of Mary.
The Liturgy Committee meets on a the last Monday of each month at 7:00
P.M. in the dining room of the rectory (friary). The committee plans the
next month’s liturgical celebrations; its primary responsibility is the planning
of songs and music to be used at the Sunday Masses; it also plans for special
Masses and Solemn Feasts. All parishioners are invited to come and share their
ideas at the monthly meetings of the Liturgy Committee. Please
contact Fr. Santo for information about how to become a member of the
Liturgy Committee.
The Ministers of Holy Communion, officially known as “Extraordinary
Ministers of Holy Communion,” but commonly called “Eucharistic Ministers,” help
to distribute Holy Communion during Sunday and Weekday Masses; they are
scheduled on a rotational basis.
They are appointed by the pastor and have an essential liturgical role in the
life of the parish. Many of these
ministers also take communion to the sick and homebound on a regular basis.
The Ministers of Holy Communion are required to participate in occasional
Diocesan workshops and training sessions. In the manner in
which they live their lives, these ministers must always give witness to
their Christian faith. Please contact Fr. Santo for information about
how to become a Minister of Holy Communion.
The Money Counters are a group of adults who have been appointed by
the pastor to count money collected during the Sunday Masses. They open the
offertory envelopes, record the amount of each donation, sort bills and coins
and prepare a tally sheet that documents the weekly collection totals. The money
counters work each Sunday from 9:30 A.M. until 1:00 P.M. under the direction of
Brother Vincent. Please
contact Fr. Santo for more information.
Narcotics Anonymous is a self-help group “for men and women for whom drugs
have become a major problem.” The group meets every Saturday from
10:00 A.M. until 11:00 A.M. in the meeting room (enter through the door at 153
Johnson Avenue). Please
contact the parish office for more information about Narcotics Anonymous.
Also see the Narcotics Anonymous web site at:
www.na.org.
Our parish secretaries, Ms. Lucy Deras and Ms. Pauline De Sena, are available Monday through Friday from
9:00 A.M. until 4:00 P.M.; the Office Assistants are volunteers who work
in the parish office “after hours” when the secretary is not available. The
office assistants greet and assist people at the door, answer telephones, unlock
and lock the church, meeting rooms and gates, etc. They help with small cleaning
jobs and trash removal, and are often asked to complete other small tasks, such
as sorting mail, photocopying, folding liturgical programs, etc. The office
assistants provide limited assistance to people who come to the door after
normal office hours (i.e., Monday through Friday, 4:00 P.M. until 9:00 P.M., Saturday,
9:00 A.M. until 8:30 P.M., and Sunday, 9:30 A.M. until 2:00 P.M.).
Please contact one of the friars for information about how to become an Office
Assistant.
The Parish Finance Council at Most Holy Trinity -- St. Mary advises and assists the pastor
with regard to yearly financial budgeting and planning; it does not get involved
with the day-to-day administration of financial concerns. Members of the Finance
Council are chosen by the pastor. The current
members of the Finance Council are: Mr.
Max Vega, Mr. Benedicto Rodriguez and Mr. Victor Robles. Please
contact Fr. Santo for more information.
The Parish Council is a advisory body that discusses matters important
to the life of the parish; it makes recommendations to the pastor and parish
staff. Members of the Council are nominated and elected by the parishioners for
two year terms. The primary functions of the Council are the promotion of the
vibrant spiritual life of the parish and the implementation of planned
activities. The members of the Parish Council represent all parishioners of Most
Holy Trinity -- St. Mary. The current members of the Parish
Council are: Ms. Daisy Lopez, Ms. Elba Rodriguez, Mr. Luis Johnson,
Mr. Phil McHugh, Ms. Rita Leist, Ms. Ines Reddick, Mr. Eric Peterson, Ms. Carmen
Cardenas and Ms. Bozena Mellerowicz. Please
contact Fr. Santo for more information.
The Pastoral Visitors of our parish are Ministers of Holy Communion
who visit and take the Eucharist on a regular basis to those who are sick and/or
confined to their homes. When parishioners have notified the parish office about
family members who are unable to come to church because of a serious illness or
advanced age, pastoral visitors are then commissioned to minister to them. The
pastoral visitors must be enthusiastic and able to visit the sick and/or
homebound; their primary role is share the Eucharist with those who are unable
to come to Mass. In the manner in which they live their lives, these
ministers must always give witness to their Christian faith. Please
contact Fr. Santo for information about how to become a Pastoral
Visitor.
The Polish
Committee meets seasonally, and at other times when necessary, in order to
surface ideas, discuss goals and objectives, and to plan for the future of the
parish Polish community. Please
contact Fr. Darek for more information.
The Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (R.C.I.A.) is for those sixteen years of age or older who have not completed the Sacraments
of Initiation (Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist). It is also for those adults
who are not Roman Catholic and who now seek entrance into the Catholic Church.
Catholics who want
to learn more about their faith, or those who simply wish to renew their faith
are also invited to participate (click on this link to the Religious Education Office
for more information). The R.C.I.A. follows a process marked by different liturgical rites by which
the “catechumens” (those hoping to be fully initiated into the church) are
guided and gradually introduced to the Roman Catholic way of life. The
group meets every Wednesday evening at 7:45 P.M. in the Library (enter through the
gymnasium). Please
contact the parish office for more information.
The Sacristans, with the assistance of the altar servers, prepare the
materials needed for the celebration of the Sunday and Weekday Masses. They set out the Sacramentary, the Lectionary, the tabernacle key, the chalices and patens, the
hosts, the water and wine cruets, corporals, purificators, palls, hand towels
and lavabo bowl. The sacristans also check to see if the lights and sound system
have been turned on. At the conclusion of the Mass, the sacristans clean the
sacred vessels and return them, and the other objects used during the liturgy,
to their proper storage places in the closets of the sacristy. Please
contact Fr. Santo for more information about how to become a Sacristan.
Youth Ministry at Trinity covers all activities offered for the young
people of our parish. This includes the Jornada Youth Group, the religious
education program, sports activities in the gymnasium and other functions. At
times there are special spiritual and social events offered for the youth. Please
contact Fr. Timothy for more information.
If you have ideas about additional ministries and/or
activities that we might sponsor, please contact the parish office, one of the
staff members, or email us with your ideas at:
Cristiandad” (i.e., the “Little Courses of Christianity”), a related movement
serving adult Catholics (see above). The members of our Jornada group,
affectionately known as “Jornadistas,” meet every Tuesday evening at 7:30 P.M.
in the school gym (enter through the door on the right side of the building); the meetings are conducted in English. If they have not done so
already, many of the young people who come on Tuesdays hope to make a
“Jornada weekend” someday, a three-day retreat in which they are offered a deep
experience of God. See the Brooklyn Diocese Jornada web site at:
