Below is a list of opportunities to volunteer within your Parish.  If you are interested in becoming  a liturgical ministry volunteer, please contact:

William McDougal, Director of Music and Liturgy
[email protected]
(650)-494-2496 ext. 5

• ALTAR CARE
Our parish altar care ministers are responsible for laundering the liturgical linens (purificators and corporals), and the towels used during Mass and baptisms. Often on a rotating schedule, the used linens are picked up one weekend, laundered, folded and ironed, and returned the next weekend or at one of the daily masses.  Each of our three church sites needs volunteers to assist with this minitry.

• ALTAR SERVERS
Altar Serving is offered to those children who have been baptized and have received their First Communion and are in 5th grade or older.  The primary role of the altar server is to assist the priest in the celebration of the liturgy during Mass. Altar servers are chosen from among the faithful who display a desire to participate in an intimate way during the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. It is an extreme privilege to kneel so close to the altar as our loving Savior, Jesus Christ, becomes truly present, Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity upon the altar.

• ENVIRONMENT AND ART
Our Art and Environment ministers are a group of creative people who use their talents to enhance and support the worship spaces at each of our three church sites. Their goal is to provide an hospitable environment of prayerful participation. This is done by creating appropriate surroundings and rich symbolic representation in keeping with the liturgical seasons. 

• EXTRAORDINARY MINISTERS OF THE EUCHARIST
Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist assist in distributing Holy Communion at weekend and daily Mass and some assist in bringing the Eucharist to the hospitalized and homebound as part of our Pastoral Home Ministry. The gift of distributing the Eucharist is special, not only to our parishioners who receive it, but for those who have come forward to take on this ministry.  If you would like to join this ministry, we will provide training and support for you.
We also provide periodic training sessions for all Extraordinary Ministers in order that you might deepen your understanding and commitment to this holy ministry. 

• LECTORS
 Lectors are not readers, but are proclaimers of the Good News of the Lord.  Being a member of the Lector Ministry helps you to gain a better understanding of the readings of the week because you prepare them at home and practice before coming to Mass to proclaim them.  By proclaiming the Word of the Lord each week to the best of your ability, lectors have a very important role to play in each liturgy.

• MUSIC MNISTRY
St. Thomas Aquinas Parish with our three worship sites and seven weekend Masses supports a wide-variety of music ministries within the parish. The styles range from a single musician, to contemporary music choirs, to a traditional Gregorian choir. 

• SACRISTANS
A sacristan is a member of the parish who is responsible for preparing our churches for Mass, both for daily Masses as well as on Sundays and special liturgies.  The sacristan ensures that all necessary items are available and in their proper place.  They will gain an awareness of the vocabulary and sacristy practices. The successful sacristan also needs to be detail-oriented with excellent communication skills, as they interact closely with clergy and other liturgical volunteers.

• USHERS
Ushers serve an important duty of helping greet the faithful, seating them at large masses and important feast days, and assisting with the collection of the offertory. 

For more information, please contact:
William McDougal, Director of Music and Liturgy
[email protected]
(650)-494-2496 ext. 5