Ministries and Groups

The life of our Lancaster Latin Mass Community continues to grow through organizations that enrich parish family life by providing opportunities to serve our parish, to grow stronger in our faith, and to get to know each other.  We invite you to be a part of these ministries and groups.

Altar Linen Care

Volunteers launder and iron smaller linens (purificators and corporals) weekly on a rotating basis.  If you are able to help clean altar linens for our Latin Mass, please contact Mary Ellen Gardner in the parish rectory at (717) 397-6921.

Choir

Our choir is open to members 14 yrs. and older in all sections with an ability to sing and a willingness to commit to sing Sundays and attend Wednesday evening rehearsals.  If you have an interest or know of someone who is interested in singing, please consider the Traditional Latin Mass choir. Just drop the choir director a line–Philip Crnkovich ([email protected]).

All our singing is Ad maiorem Dei gloriam.

   “To the greater glory of God”

Sts. Gregory and Cecilia pray for us.

Te Deum Laudamus Schola

The Te Deum Laudamus Schola* was formed in the Spring of 1994 with the purpose of preserving and fostering the Church’s great treasury of sacred music particularly Gregorian Chant. The six men who comprised the original group sang in many of the parishes in the Lancaster area while occasionally venturing outside the diocese. The Sunday Latin Mass at the Basilica of the Assumption in Baltimore was often a favorite venue. Over a ten-year span the Te Deum singers sang at over one hundred liturgical and non-liturgical events.

2002 Knights of Columbus Pro-Life Mass: Schola Members from left to right, Philip Crnkovich, Mike Helwig, +Conal O’Malley, John Spiziri, +Greg Crnkovich and Frank Weatherly. Members not pictured: Joseph Gartner and Jack Scogna.

Pope Benedict’s Summorum Pontificum changed the focus of the group as Mass in the Extraordinary Form (Traditional Latin Mass) became more accessible. The Te Deum Laudamus singers sang for the inaugural Traditional Latin Masses at St. Lawrence chapel in 2007 and St. Anthony’s church in 2008. For a time the group provided the Mass propers from the Liber Usualis while the TLM was celebrated at St. Anthony’s church in Lancaster City’s East End. Attrition and age has lessened the liturgical role of the group in recent years, but a new effort is about to begin to reboot the schola.  Men interested in this effort should contact Philip Crnkovich.

* “We praise Thee O God” Opening words of the hymn of praise from the Divine Office

KNIGHTS OF THE ALTAR

Holy Trinity Chapter

Our Knights of the Altar Chapter, Most Holy Trinity #20094, was established on April 22, 2018. The chapter is open to boys, ages 6 and up.  Our youngest servers may serve as torchbearers at High Mass and then gradually learn more roles as they get older. For more information, please contact James Manley at [email protected].

St. Michael’s Guard

– Latin Mass Contingent –

St. Michael’s Guard, “[an] ecclesiastical movement of men who provide the highest level of discipline, reverence, and humility serving at the Lord’s Holy Altar, with fervent study and practice of the rites of the Roman Catholic Church,” has established a new Latin Mass Only Contingent.  Membership is open to men ages 18 and older. If you are interested in joining, please contact Joseph Cunningham at [email protected].

Traditional Catholic Men’s Group

The Men’s Group is a means for Catholic Men, Husbands, and Fathers to come together on a monthly basis to strengthen, rejuvenate, and refocus our efforts to stay the course and fight the good fight, amidst the ongoing spiritual warfare we daily encounter, in order for us and those entrusted to our care, to hopefully one day be called a Saint. The Traditional Catholic Men’s Group meets the third Friday of each month at a different gentleman’s home to share a recorded homily followed by discussion.  To learn more, please contact Chris Sloane at [email protected].

Picture courtesy of Kelly O’Neill

Ladies Rosary Group

The Ladies Rosary Group, dedicated to praying particularly for our priests, meets one to two Tuesday evenings each month for prayer and fellowship. The gathering consists of 7:30 p.m. social followed by 8:00 p.m. rosary. For more information, please contact Carina DeBakey at [email protected].

Sacristans

Sacristans arrange the liturgical books, the vestments, and other things necessary for Holy Mass.  Our sacristans serve weekly on a rotating basis. To volunteer, please contact James Barbour at [email protected].

Pictures courtesy of Steve Shope

Ushers

Ushers greet parishioners coming to Mass, collect offerings, pass out weekly bulletins, help with parking for special events, and straighten the church after Mass.  They also carry out other duties before and during Mass. To volunteer, please contact our head usher, Jim Clavin, at [email protected].

Monthly Potluck Social

Every month on the Fourth Sunday, our community hosts a delicious potluck luncheon/early dinner after our 1 p.m. Mass.  Thanks to the efforts of Sally Morgan and her crew of volunteers, the social hall is prepared for our amazing buffet each month.

This event continues to grow in size and length as there is ample room for both children to play on one side of the gym while the adults socialize for several hours on the other side.

Newcomers or visitors are warmly welcome and should not worry about not having a dish to share on your first visit!

Please bring something to share on a future month!

Food contributions both large and small help make our socials a success!   Crock pot dishes are especially encouraged given that we are blessed with an increasing number of large families! (A good rule of thumb is to bring twice as much food as is typically required to feed your own family.)