Altar & Rosary Society

The Ave Maria Parish Altar and Rosary Society is a liturgical ministry under the  direction of the Pastor and Parish Liturgist.  Membership of the Altar and Rosary Society (henceforth referred to as the ARS) is open to all registered members of the parish, who wish to participate in this ministry’s activities.

Documents

• Linen & Sacrarium Procedures
• Parish Laundering Liturgical Linens Handbook

Mission Statement

The ARS is a ministry of the Ave Maria Catholic Church which supports and enhances the parish’s liturgical needs, by caring, cleaning, and replacing articles in the sanctuary area (including the altar; baptismal font; ambry; ambo; and tabernacle), such as (but not limited to) altar linens and candles, votive candles (including the tabernacle vigil candle), communion vessels, and vestments needed for liturgical celebrations.

Purpose

The primary purpose and goal of the ARS is to assist the parish’s clergy and liturgist in ensuring the sanctuary area is well cleaned and stocked; required vessels, linens, and vestments are serviceable and available for us in/for the parish’s scheduled liturgical celebrations; and vigil/votive candles are available for the parish faithful.

Responsibilities

The activities of the ministry include to:

• Work directly with and through the parish’s liturgist for all purchases, unresolved  issues with other parish ministries, operational concerns and maintenance requests, and/or topics of discussion for the parish’s monthly Liturgy Committee.
• Collaborate, if/as needed, with the parish’s Environment Committee regarding the decorating, changing of liturgical banners, etc., in the church’s sanctuary, worship, and gathering spaces.
• Collaborate, if/as needed, with the parish’s other ministries involved in liturgical celebrations (e.g., Coordinators of Sacristans; Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion (EMHCs); Altar Servers; Proclaimers; etc).
• (Entrusted with the care of the sanctuary) Provide and maintain a suitably clean dwelling place for Our Lord Jesus Christ.
• Purchase, maintain, and clean or replace the altar, credence table, and tabernacle linens, as needed. *
  (*As needed constitutes:  when soiled with dried Precious Blood; ash markings; the cloth’s edges are frayed and unserviceable, etc).
• Change the altar linen colors to denote the vestment color for the day (as noted in the diocese’s Ordo). *
  (*If the Ordo denotes an option of more than one color, the ARS representative(s) will consult with the respective priest celebrant scheduled for or  before that particular day’s Mass for resolution.)
• Purchase, maintain, clean and replace (e.g., washing and ironing) the communion purificators, corporals, wash/hand towels, etc., if/as needed.  *
  (*If communion linens become unserviceable, they will be disposed of by burning or burying the article in accordance with the norms and traditions of the Church.)
  (*Communion linens containing remnants of dried, Precious Blood will be cleansed complying strictly with the guidelines prescribed by the USCCB.)
• Purchase, maintain, and clean altar server cassocks and surplices, if/as needed, but at least semi-annually. 
• Maintain and clean the Pascal Candle follower and stand, if/as needed.
• Maintain and clean priest and deacon vestments (e.g., albs; cassocks; surplices; chasubles; dalmatics, cope; humeral veil; etc).
• Maintain and clean other liturgical linens (e.g., funeral pall; etc), if/as needed.
• Purchase, clean, maintain, and/or replace sanctuary candles, as needed.
• Clean, maintain and replace communion vessels (chalices, patens, etc), if/as needed.
• Clean and maintain the baptismal font, ambry of sacred oils, ambo, lectern, deacon and presider chairs, the votive candles and stands, and the statuary and stands.
• Order sufficient materials and supplies to fulfill their duties (with a minimum of a month reserve), such as (but not limited to):
  • Paraffin candle oil.
  • Tabernacle vigil candles.
  • Vigil/votive/memorial candles (large and tea-lite).
  • Candle lighting waxed tapers.
  • Incense.
  • Thurible charcoal.
• Conduct monthly meetings; at times suitable for the majority of the interested parish faithful.  Meeting minutes will be completed and a file copy provided to the Parish Liturgist and Pastor within 7 days for parish recordkeeping.
• Staff the scheduled ARS coffee and donuts after-Mass Sunday activities in Dwyer Hall.
• Conduct rosary-related activities; as requested, directed, or approved by the pastor, parochial vicar, and/or parish liturgist.

Changes to and/or additions to the ARS ministry’s responsibilities and duties will be at the sole discretion of the pastor (whether verbally or in writing), parochial vicar, and/or parish liturgist.  Resolutions to problems will be resolved by the ARS with the parish liturgist.