5 minute read
The Hospitality Committee: Building a True Spirit of Welcome within Our Parish Walls and Beyond
The next time you arrive at Immaculate Conception for Mass, if you enter the church through the door by the choir room, you will be greeted by a very familiar and friendly face. Bob “Slug” Morris is almost always there waiting with a smile and a helping hand. For Slug, greeting at Mass is more than just an act of service — it is a way to enter into community with his fellow parishioners.
“Volunteering in Hospitality Ministry has given me a chance to really get to know people,” he says. “A lot of people have come to know me as well. We have created a great community and many relationships along the way. My door is near the handicap parking, so I have some ladies that I go out and help set up their walkers. I make sure they have a Eucharistic Minister come to their pews — they have become my people.”
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The Four Pillars of Parish Stewardship are Hospitality, Prayer, Formation, and Service. With Hospitality as the first of these, the Hospitality Committee most certainly plays a vital role in parish life. The committee is comprised of several different ministries including Mass Greeters, Second Sunday Social, Baptism Baskets, and We Care. They also typically host several events through the parish, though they, unfortunately, have been limited since 2019 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
For new parishioners or those who are new to the Catholic faith, the spirit of welcome within the walls of the parish can be crucial to their feeling of welcome or even their conversion. We never know exactly what is going on in someone else’s life, so that feeling of being wanted and welcome somewhere is very important and is a very critical part of the mission of the church.
Mass greeters set the tone for those entering the parish. By welcoming all who enter and being able to answer questions that anyone may have, greeters are serving Christ and helping others enter the liturgy.
“People have a tendency to wave but they don’t know each other,” Slug says. “Being a greeter has made me feel more for my fellow person. I have worked at the same door for three years. I get to help them and we have become friends.”
Shyril Savary is the President of the Hospitality Committee. As a convert to the Catholic faith, she knows how important it is to feel welcome in the life of a parish.
“From day one, I was a greeter,” she says. “As a people person, it is a great opportunity to get to know others. I love seeing families greeting at the doors together. It is a great ministry for the whole family. Greeting is also a very flexible ministry because you can choose the Mass that you attend and find a substitute if you are not available that weekend.”
Second Sunday Social is a place for parishioners to come together and get to know one another. God made us for community and this ministry fosters that community within the parish. All are welcome to visit and meet their fellow parishioners while enjoying donuts, juice, and coffee.
The We Care Ministry makes calls to the newcomers in the church. The parish office sends out a welcome packet including a beautiful welcome card. After this initial contact, the We Care Ministry reaches out to call the new parishioners to get to know them and let them know more about what things are going on in the parish. They also find out what kind of needs the new parishioners may have, as well. This reaching out to connect to the new parishioners is key to making the parish a welcoming home for them. Volunteers in this group also call sick and homebound parishioners to keep them connected to the church, even when they are not able to attend Mass or events.
“We Care Ministry calls the sick and homebound on a regular basis to keep them connected to the church,” Shyril says. “We visit with them so they know they are still a part of the community and we are praying for them. We find out if there is anything the parish can do to help them as well. It really is a beautiful ministry and a very important one for our parishioners.”
Baptism Baskets are another part of the Hospitality Committee. Baskets are assembled to be gifted to the newest members of the church community. These baskets are filled with baby items and children’s prayer books. This welcome shows parents that the church supports them as they raise their children in the Catholic faith, which they are called to do in the Sacrament of Baptism.
“We ask ladies in the parish to crochet these beautiful blankets for the baskets,” Shyril says. “These handmade blankets have a crocheted cross on them and they are just really special.”
St. Paul said in his letter to the Hebrews, “Do not neglect hospitality, for through it some have unknowingly entertained angels.” Being a part of this committee has a great impact on the life of the church and the community that we are called into through Christ.
“Because of the impact that COVID has had on the community, we are really in need of more volunteers, especially for greeters,” Slug says.
