The Hospitality Ministry: Building a Welcoming Environment for All

Creating a welcoming environment here at Saint Michael Parish is one of the main goals of the Hospitality Ministry. It is important that everyone feels welcomed and invited when preparing to celebrate the Holy Mass. Daniel Comeau, one of the Hospitality Leads at SMP, knows how important a welcoming environment can be.

“We are all a community,” Daniel says. “We are all members of the parish — like a family. It is how we serve and respect each other as a family and community. I am so happy to see every parishioner who comes into Mass and I think it is very important for folks because they are being welcomed into the community that is preparing to celebrate Mass together.”

Another goal of the Hospitality Ministry is to ensure that all of those in need of assistance receive the help and accommodations they need. There are now sections for those that need help when receiving Holy Communion.

The Hospitality Ministry is always looking for more parishioners who are willing to act in a service role as we strive to create a welcoming environment. This is a wonderful way for busy parishioners to get involved because the time commitment is no different from simply attending Mass. The obligation to attend Sunday Mass is already there. However, we invite parishioners to be more actively engaged as greeters or ushers.

“This ministry also provides a great way to connect with other parishioners,” Daniel says. “Greeting and ushering allows me to connect with a lot of the parish on any given Sunday and to have interactions with people as I serve God.”

Anyone can help the Hospitality Ministry with their goal of creating a welcoming environment. It could even involve something as simple as saying “hello” to fellow parishioners after Mass. As members of the community, you can be intentional about greeting and communicating with someone different each week. This makes people feel welcome and it helps you get to know everyone just a little bit better.

“Serving as a hospitality minister and engaging with other parishioners has provided a lot of value and energy for me,” Daniel says. “Other people can experience that too, especially when you learn that you can communicate and assist other parishioners as a family. If you feel called, I would encourage you to get involved.”

If you feel called to get involved with the Hospitality Ministry, please reach out to Nicole Nussel at nnussel@saintmichaelparish.org.