Ministries

Altar Servers assist the priest during the liturgies. Their roles include by carrying the processional cross and sometimes incense and candles. They hold the proper liturgical book for the presider and perform other functions that enable the celebration to flow in a reverential manner. This ministry is open to all youth and adults, 5^th grade or older. Training is required and provided. If you are interested please contact Deacon Jim Olinger.

Eucharistic Ministers distribute the Body and Blood of Christ to fellow Catholics at Mass.  They assist with set up of Communion vessels prior to Mass, assist Mass celebrant with the distribution of Holy Communion, and properly clean and store the vessels after Mass. This ministry is open to those who have received the Sacrament of Confirmation. Training is provided. If you are interested please contact Matt Ruttle, 278-5815.

Lectors proclaim the scripture at all Masses, Sundays and weekdays, and special liturgies such as Vespers. The ministry of the lector is of utmost importance to the life of the Church, for the lector proclaims God’s living word. If you are interested please contact Matt Ruttle

In Music Ministry  there are many ways parishioners of all ages can become involved, primarily through the singing assembly. Below is a description o how one can participate. If interested in any one of them please contact Narisa Lao at Precious Blood 274-5954.

• ADULT CHOIR: This choir leads the sung prayer of the community regularly for Sunday and major holydays throughout the year.
• INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC MINISTRY: Parishioners who play musical instruments are invited to consider sharing their talent with the community. Instrumentalists are always welcome, especially during the Christmas and Easter seasons.
• CANTORING: The role of the cantor is to support and lead the singing assembly and to proclaim psalms. To this end cantors must be competent not only as singers but as leaders of prayer. Persons interested in becoming a parish cantor need not be members of any choir. Cantors provide leadership in singing Sunday and Holy Day Masses as well as parish celebrations of the Liturgy of the Hours.

The Ministers of Hospitality Ushers and Greeters are there to greet current members and to assist/direct visitors. They are also there to help with members of the congregation who require special assistance.  At the end of Sunday Mass they distribute bulletins. If you are interested please contact Matt Ruttle for ushers or Mike Nieport for greeters.

The Bereavement Ministry will serve families who have lost a loved on e to death through the Catholic Communities of Northwest Dayton.  The members of the ministry are trained to provide comfort and support to the grieving families by giving them our time, hearing their thoughts, and sharing their tears.  The Funeral Committee sees that all is in order and ready for a Funeral Mass/service.  They prepare the altar and church for a Funeral Mass, serve as altar servers, and toll the bells.  Other duties include preparing the pall for the casket, handing out the liturgy aids, being Eucharistic minister, and ushering.  If you are interested in this very important ministry, please contact Joyce Bachmann, 937-416-9927.

Volunteers bring Holy Communion to homebound parishioners and also to area nursing home patients on a weekly basis and on a schedule which is mutually advantageous to all. Service to the homebound at their residence is usually because of chronic medical or other circumstances that keep them from coming to church. If you are interested please contact Matt Ruttle.

The overall goals of St Rita Parish Pastoral Council:

• To serve as a vehicle of dialogue and communication among members of the Parish Family.
• To encourage communication among all members of the parish and will resolve conflicts in the practical working out of programs of various committees, associations, and commissions.
• To provide advice and counsel to the Pastor.

Stephen Ministry is the one-to-one lay caring ministry that takes place in our parishes. Stephen Ministry lay caregivers are trained parishioners who are equipped to provide high-quality, confidential, Christ-centered care to people who are struggling from divorce, job loss, grief, illness, or some other life crisis.  Stephen Ministry Leaders assign a care giver who can best serve the parishioner who is in need.  Contact:  Curtis Kneblik, 276-5954 for St. Rita & Precious Blood, and Barb Franz, 836-4175 for St. Paul.

God’s Garden is a volunteer-run garden that provides needy families with fresh locally-grown produce that they otherwise may not be able to obtain. The garden is a product of the efforts of parishioners from of all three parishes and is located on the St. Paul Parish grounds. If you are interested please contact Valerie Hagemeyer.

Our three parishes have on Conference dedicated to serving the impoverished within their geographical parish boundaries.  A combined Conference works for greater efficiency to manage and run a food pantry, to arrange volunteers to provide meals to a homeless shelter, to organize and deliver food and Christmas gift baskets, and to offer financial assistance to those needing help.  If you are interested please contact:  Pat Lewis 937-540-9565

The purpose of the Community Table is to provide a community gathering place where people experiencing emotional and financial stress can secure temporary food and shelter, learn in classes and in small groups, and/or develop relationships that support healthy and sustainable lives in the larger communities.   Membership in the Community Table is open to any local Christian congregation, civic, governmental and charitable organizations in the Northmont area.  It is funded by donations from each Church as well as Corporate and Community donations.  If interested please contact Beth Crouse.