Our Ministries

Ministry	Description
Altar Care	The Altar Care Ministry provides for the care of the Altar for Mass. This ministry also decorates the church for different liturgical holidays throughout the year.
Altar Servers	Children of the parish who are at least in the Fourth Grade and who are interested in serving God and the Church can become Altar Servers. Altar Servers assist the priests and Deacons during Masses. Training will be provided. The schedule can be found on this website.
Baptism Program	The Baptism Program is set up to help welcome and share our beliefs, practices and experiences relating to the Sacrament of Baptism. The program is run by volunteer couples. Each couple usually oversees two meetings a year. The meetings take approximately 1-1.5 hours and follow a format of introductions, viewing a video, discussion, and a question and answer period. This program fosters a closeness of one's faith together with their faith as a couple.
Confirmation	The Confirmation Team is responsible for preparing the parish's young adults to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation and to encourage them to build a lifelong commitment to live the Gospel message. The team consists of sponsor-catechists, whose role it is to share their faith with their candidates; the retreat team, who offer the candidates a unique opportunity for growth of personal spirituality in a controlled situation; and service coordinators, who manage the service requirements of the program.
Eucharistic Ministers	The role of the Eucharistic Ministeris to help distribute the holy Eucharist during the Masses. This is a vital and sacred ministry of the sharing of the Body of Christ. The Eucharistic Minister also brings the Hoy Eucharist to the sick, elderly or otherwise homebound members of the Church
Hospitality Ministers/Ushers	The Ministers of Hospitality are responsible for ensuring a welcoming and comfortable environment in the Celebration of the Eucharist and other ceremonies. Assignments are once or twice a month (depending on staffing). Duties include greeting worshipers, taking collections, seeing to an orderly Eucharist reception, dispersing weekly bulletins, etc. Ministers of Hospitality are required for all Masses. If you regularly attend the same Mass each weekend, perhaps you would consider joining the team. High School students, men women, and husband/wife teams are all welcome.
Lectors	Lectoring is an important ministry of the Church. It allows the written Word of God to be passed onto the congregation for insight and contemplation. As a Lector, you orate the reading at the Mass as the well as the responsorial Psalm, general intercessions and announcements. A good, clear speaking voice is our only requirement.
Music Ministries	9:00 A.M. Mass Family Choir The 9 A.M. Family choir is open to all individuals and families of the parish. Our members range in age from 4 year olds to adults. The choir sings year round. Our practice schedule varies, so please call for more information. Anyone who wishes to sing is welcome. 10:30 Mass Choir (One A-Chord) When you sing, you pray twice! Our mission as Ministers of Music is to offer an enriching experience of music in the Liturgy: one which encourages the participation of our entire community. We choose contemporary Catholic music that echoes the Scripture readings, and we pray that the Lord will use us to inspire His Word in the hearts of the congregation. Although we take our ministry "seriously", we also have fun. Many wonderful friendships have blossomed and flourished throughout the years. We look forward to welcoming new members—there is always a place for singers, and musicians. We practice each Thursday at 7:30 PM in the church sanctuary.
Pre-Cana	Pre-Cana is a program for couples getting married. Here at St. Elizabeth's, we do an all day session twice a year: one in the spring and one in the fall. Through the use of workshops, rap sessions and the team couples sharing their experiences of trying to live the Sacrament, we encourage the couples getting married to look in depth at their relationship and to remember when things get tough, that nothing is more important than the two of them and their love for each other.
RCIA	RCIA (Right of Christian for Adults) is an inquiry session for those interested in learning and understanding the Catholic faith. We welcome anyone who is interested in becoming a member of the Catholic Church, anyone who has been away from the Church, or anyone who hasn't received the Sacraments of Reconciliation , Eucharist or Confirmation.
Religious Education	Religious Ed (K) – Cathy King Religious Ed (1-2-3-4) Susan Brown Rel Ed (5-6-7-8) Jackie Czekaj Classes are held at the following times: Sun: 9-10 AM, 10:15-11:15, 11:30—12:30 Mon. and Tues.: 5-6 PM, 6:15-7:15PM Kindergarten: Mon. 10-11AM, Tues. 1-2PM Catechist, Aides and Substitutes Catechists are needed.
Youth Ministry	Young people are both the present and the future of our Church, the light of our world. At St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish, we endeavor to encourage youth to shine the light of Christ for the world to see. Youth Ministry at St. Elizabeth's combines spiritual, social, and service opportunities, so as to allow young people various outlets for growth. Through myriad options, we seek to nurture the development of every aspect of Catholic life. In doing so, we help to build strong foundations on which our youth can and will fulfill their greatest potentials as faithful and remarkable Catholic youth of today and adults of tomorrow. While many events are open to all high school students, youth ministry currently is geared towards teens who have been confirmed in the faith and wish to continue to grow and develop together as young Catholics. Confirmation preparation is an intense and beautiful experience for teens, the pinnacle of young spiritual life for many. After receiving the Sacrament, many find themselves searching for ways to keep the fire of Christ's love alive and burning in their hearts. To meet this need, we offer a ministry specifically to stoke that fire in confirmed teens from St. Elizabeth's and neighboring St. Jude Parish. In addition to participating in spiritual and social opportunities, the teens have created a chapter of Youth United through Morris Habitat for Humanity. By serving others, they grow in love and in faith as a community of believers. Additionally, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish ministers to young adults through a growing Theology-on-Tap program. Theology-on-Tap is a speaker and discussion series, designed to provide young adults in their 20s and 30s, married and single, with an opportunity to explore the Catholic faith in a relaxed social venue. Also run in conjunction with St. Jude Church, the Theology-on-Tap chapter meets once per month (September – June) at the Mount Olive Bar and Grill for dinner and conversation. Each event features an excellent speaker on a contemporary Catholic topic and offers a fantastic way to share the faith and build a community of young Catholic adults. All are welcomed and encouraged to give youth ministry a try! Please contact Shannon Jones at youth@stjudeparish.org or (973) 691-0038, ext. 23, to begin your journey through youth ministry.