Boys and girls in grade 3 or older who have made their first communion can become alter servers.  Altar servers assist the priest during the Mass. They wear the alb with cincture, carry the cross and candles and censor (if used), leading the procession and recession.  During the Mass they hold the sacramentary for the celebrating priest, assist with the preparation of the altar for the Eucharist, ring the bells during the Consecration, and help restore the sanctuary at the conclusion of Mass.

Becoming an altar server involves attending a training session with the Priest.  During the training the new servers will be instructed on the procedures used during the Mass.  Once trained, new alter servers are ideally paired with experienced alter servers for their first several Masses.  Altar servers select which Mass time they want to serve and may serve as little or as much as they would like.  If you are interested in becoming an altar server please introduce yourself to one of the altar servers or the priest after Mass.  You can also call the rectory at 508-881-1107.

Members of this group assist the priest or deacon at baptisms. Set up the altar for the baptism and warm the water. They light the baptismal candle and hand the priest the oils, and water used during the ceremony. There is training provided. Counting the set-up time the Baptism ceremony last for about hour. Up to five babies are allowed per ceremony. Baptisms occur on the fourth Sunday of the month. It’s an honor to be present.

Meeting Schedule: Members attend the Baptismal Preparation class every third Wednesday of the month at 7:00 p.m. and then assist with the Baptism ceremony at 12:15 p.m. on the fourth Sunday of each month.

The leader is Jill Morazzini.  You can contact her at the rectory by calling 508-881-1107 or by emailing [email protected].

Parishioners can become extraordinary Eucharistic ministers if they have received Confirmation and are practicing Catholics who participate in the sacraments and regularly attend Mass. These ministers are called "extraordinary" because they are "outside: (in Latin: extra-) the ordinary. That is, they are not priests or deacons, who are considered the ordinary Catholic ministers of the Eucharist.

Prior to becoming an extraordinary Eucharistic minister, volunteers receive formal training with our experienced Eucharistic ministers. As part of the training, volunteers are provided a booklet which provides the context for the role and explains the procedures. This training takes about an hour.

Presently Eucharistic ministers serve about two weekends per month. Ministers are requested to keep their assignment or get a replacement so that enough ministers are present at each Mass. It’s quite easy to find replacements as contact information for all ministers is distributed. Volunteers willingly cover for others and/or trade assignments.

Eucharistic ministers also serve as greeters for each Mass for which they are assigned. The warm and friendly reception you receive as you enter the Church is from a Eucharistic minister.
If you would like to volunteer for this rewarding Ministry please contact Christine Tofani who coordinates this Ministry.

Contact Christine Tofani
508-881-3236

Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist for Those in the Hospital and the Home-bound

The Parish has two groups that bring the Eucharist to those who cannot attend Mass.  One team brings the Eucharist to patients at MetroWest Medical Center in Framingham, and the other brings it to those in our area who are home-bound.  Visits to the hospital are done in teams of two, with two ministers splitting the various patient floors between them.  Given a list of Catholic patients, they ask if the patient or the patient's family would like to receive the sacrament. If they do not, the minister offers to say a prayer with them. The time spent in the hospital is between one and two hours. Ministers to the home-bound take the sacrament to the person's house, and may also spend some time talking with the parishioner. 

Like the extraordinary ministers who assist at Mass, parishioners can become extraordinary Eucharistic ministers for the sick and home-bound if they have received Confirmation and are practicing Catholics who participate in the sacraments and regularly attend Mass. These ministers are called "extraordinary" because they are "outside: (in Latin: extra-) the ordinary. That is, they are not priests or deacons, who are considered the ordinary Catholic ministers of the Eucharist.

Prior to visiting the hospital or a person's home, volunteers receive formal training with our experienced Eucharistic ministers. As part of the training, volunteers are provided a booklet which provides the context for the role and explains the procedures. This training takes about an hour, or much less if you are already a Eucharistic minister.

One or two assignments per month is the typical time commitment for this ministry.

For hospital extraordinary Eucharistic ministers, contact Trudy Gilarde. 

For home-bound extraordinary Eucharistic ministers, contact the rectory.

The Faith in Action, FIA,  group meets each Wednewday at 10:00 a.m. to read and reflect on the next Sunday's Gospel and use its message to help us share our faith. This nurtures our faith and inspires us to live our faith in actions. It does this through its often unseen work to the very public food drives for the Ashland Food Pantry, collections of undergarments for homeless people and baby showers for needy mom’s. The FIA group especially needs help during the Food Pantry drives, collecting food bags before every mass.

Maybe you are interested in joining the group on Wed. mornings for reading the gospel, reflection and faith sharing. If action is your style you might like to be on a list to be called upon to work during our food drives. Regardless of your interest we hope you can join us weekly or on occasion. We saved a spot for you.  

Participation varies during the year but there are about 15 people involved at various times.

Contact Sarah Currie
508-881-3690

Hospitality at St. Cecilia's includes four opportunities to serve.

• Saint Cecilia Coffee Hours is a ministry that serves coffee and baked goods on  Sunday mornings after the 9:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. Masses.  The ministry includes bakers, who provide delicious goods, and servers.  The Coffee Hours Ministry typically operates during the school year only. To help as a server or baker, please contact Joyce Crocetti
• Saint Cecilia's Social Committee plans and provides parish-wide social events during the year.  These can include pot luck dinners, soup nights, parish picnics, talent nights, etc.
• There's nothing like a warm greeting when arriving for Mass.  Our Eucharistic Ministers serve as St. Cecilia's Greeting Ministry, helping visitors and newcomers feel as welcome as long-time parishioners.
• Saint Cecilia's Usher Ministry is an informal volunteer group who take up the Offertory Collection at Mass and assist people to their seats on busy feast days.

For further information on these ministries, please contact Joel Farrell

LIVE YOUR FAITH - SERVE YOUR PARISH 
BISHOP RICE COUNCIL #4822 ASHLAND - HOPKINTON

A partial list of activities that the Bishop Rice Council runs each year include: youth soccer challenge and basketball free throw competitions, annual Special Peoples Field Day, Food for Families. Coats for Kids. St. Nicholas Breakfast, charity drives to aid youth's with physical and intellectual disabilities, Easter Lilies for widows, Keep Christ in Christmas youth poster contest, VA Hospital visits to assist veterans for monthly Mass and Rosary, church and town creche's in Ashland and Hopkinton during Christmas and placement of American and K of C flags at local cemetaries on Memorial Day

The Bishop Rice Council has also supported the following organizations: Ashland Emergency Fund, Council on Aging, Project Just Because, Ashland Food Pantry, Louis Magnani Strength Competition, Ashland Hopkinton Annual Thanksgiving Day Athletes Traditions Dinner and Trophies, Ashland-Hopkinton Pop Warner Football and Cheerleading, Ashland Day Committee, Ashland Garden Club, Ashland and Hopkinton Public Schools, Salvation Army, St Cecilia and St John the Evangelist Parishes, The Chapel of Hope and St Vincent De Paul Society among others

Whether you join for the insurance program to help protect your family's future or whether you join and become active, even if it is just for one hour, for one event a year, your contribution will make a difference and it will be valued.

For more information or to join the K of C, please contact: Grand Knight, Bill Muench at 508-259-3382  or Andy Vail FS, PGK at 508-881-3317

• Main website for K of C
• Facebook page for Ashland and Hopkinton K of C

The St. Cecilia’s Lector Ministry’s mission is to proclaim the Scriptures at Mass and other services.  Lectors typically serve at one or more Masses per month, and can sign up to serve for Sunday mornings and Saturday evening vigil Masses, as well as the Masses for Holy Days. 

Lectors typically join the entrance procession. They proclaim the First Reading and the Second Reading. When not sung by a cantor, the Responsorial Psalm is led by the lector. When there is no deacon, the lector leads the Prayers of the Faithful (also known as the intercessions). Through their ministry, lectors help to strengthen our Faith Community by bringing God’s Word to life through their reading of the Scriptures.

Contact Stephen McMillan

The Liturgy Committee helps the pastor plan our liturgical celebrations and assures that well trained lay ministers are ready to assist at all Masses.  This committee is responsible for the training and scheduling of Lectors and Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist. It also coordinates with the Music Ministry to assure that all aspects of the Mass are come together. 

 Anyone can join the committee without prior experience in one of the lay roles at Mass.  If you want to be lector, or help in the distribution of communion you can contact this committee to sign up or find additional information.  The Liturgy Committee has individuals who supervise each of the ministries involved.  Please see the sections on Lectors or Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist for contacts and more information.

 Leaders: Fr. Cornell, Janet Wilkinson (Chair), Steve McMillan (Head of Lectors), Laura Kurriss (Head of Eucharistic Ministers).

 Contact Janet Wilkinson

Our 3 choirs are entirely composed of volunteer members of all ages. They provide vocal and instrumental music to 3 of the 4 masses on weekends throughout the year. As part of our ministry, we have additional performance opportunities throughout the year to share our joy of music with others. The choir often brings Christmas cheer when caroling in downtown Ashland or in a local Assisted Living facility, and also performs an annual Christmas concert at Fatima Shrine in Holliston. 

• St. Cecilia's Choir (adults) sings at the 11:00 AM Mass on Sundays, and rehearses on Wednesdays from 7:00 to 8:15 PM.
• St. Cecilia's Teen Musicians (7th grade and up) sing on Saturdays at the 4:30 PM Mass. Rehearsals take place prior to mass, starting at 3:30 PM.
• St. Cecilia's Youth Choir sings on Sundays at the 9:00 AM Mass and rehearse on Tuesdays from 4:30 to 5:30 PM.

Want to join? Please come meet with us after Mass,
or contact our Music Director, Lelia Viana

This team separates and counts the collection each week on Monday morning at 10:00 AM.  The counters are formed into two groups with each group counting the collection every other week.  The tasks they perform include taking the checks out of the envelops, recording loose checks, sorting the bills into like denominations and counting it all up. They also fill out deposit slips and other simple records. Then one or two members take the cash and checks to the bank.  Even if there is a second collection, the process is usually complete in less that an hour.

Contacts: Robert and Anne Powderly:  508-881-3118

The Finance Council is an advisory body mandated by the Code of Canon Law for all parishes of the Archdiocese of Boston, which has established Norms for the operation of parish finance councils.  Such Norms are published on www.bostoncatholic.org. In this council the Christian faithful assist the pastor in the administration of parish goods including monitoring the financial health of the parish. 

Some areas in which the council provides advice and assistance include:

• Overseeing the process of developing and recommending approval of the Annual Budget.
• Reviewing financial results and comparing such results with the established Annual Budget.
• Deliberating and recommending action or activities that will increase receipts and manage expenditures.
• Reviewing and coordinating on-going as well as future fundraising activities including needed repair, maintenance, renovation or replacement of parish property.
• Communicating the financial health and status of the parish to parishioners throughout the year or immediately in emergency situations.
• Assisting in the preparation, format and presentation of the Annual Report that is distributed to all parishioners.

Members of the Finance Council are appointed by the Pastor.  If you are interested in serving on this important ministry, please contact Father Cornell at the rectory. 

Meeting Schedule: Every two months on the second Thursday of the second month, 7:15 p.m.  The Council does not meet formally during July and August.

Members: Fr. Cornell, Holly Archer, Nick Pettinella, Katrina Poplis, Robert Powderly, and Michael Royer

Contact Nick Pettinella, Chair

The Parish Pastoral Council is a consultative body mandated for all parishes of the Archdiocese of Boston, which has established norms for its membership, organization, and goals, which are published on www.bostoncatholic.org.  The purpose of the Parish Pastoral Council is to assist the pastor in carrying out his role as pastor, in substantial part by providing practical advice on pastoral matters.

Parishioners serve on a pastoral council for the good of the parish. They are willing to investigate pastoral matters and to reflect on them thoroughly so as to make sound recommendations to the pastor. They are nominated by their fellow parishioners or appointed by the Pastor.  Members serve a three year term. which may be renewed once.  There may be up to two (2) youth members, “between ninth grade and eighteen years old.” If you are interested in serving on this important ministry, please contact Father Cornell at the rectory. 

Meeting Schedule: Every third Monday of the month, 7:30 p.m.

Fr. Cornell (Chair) is the Chair and Frank Gleason is the Vice Chair.

Contact Frank Gleason, Vice Chair

St. Cecilia Parish has a "Prayer Board" in the Church vestibule where parishioners may post requests.  For people who have a special prayer request which they do not wish to post, the Prayer Line provides a more private opportunity to request prayers.

Prayer Line requests may be made by contacting emailing our On-line Prayer Group Ministry Leader,
Lisa Murphy, or you may call the Rectory, 508-881-1107, Monday-Thursday, 8:30a.m.-3:30 p.m. and ask for Jill.

Parishioners who wish to become prayers, praying quietly for those in need, should also contact Lisa or the Church Office to join this important ministry.

St. Cecilia's parish in Ashland, Massachusetts has a team of parishioners ready to help those interested in learning more about the Catholic church. Our team helps Christian people looking to convert to Catholicism, people who have not been baptized and want to join a Christian church, and individuals who were raised Catholic, but never received confirmation.

The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults, or RCIA, is the process we follow to bring new members into the Church. The RCIA team leads a series of informal classes and other activities culminating with full entry into the Catholic Church during our Easter Vigil mass. Fr. Cornell leads our RCIA and is always available to talk to those interested in entering this enlightening and enjoyable program.  More information about our program can be found on our Adult Faith Formation page.

Anyone who is interested in RCIA, can call the rectory at 508-881-1107. Our sessions start each year in late September. Even those who have not decided if they want to become Catholic are welcome to join us to help make the decision.

Those interested in becoming instructors will begin by joining the conversations we have during class and then can take up the leadership of some topics as they feel comfortable.  

Class Schedule: Every other Monday evening at 7:00PM from late September to just after Easter.

Instructors:  Joel Farrell, Janet Farrell, Michael Joosten.

Contact Joel Farrell

Sacristans fill an important role that assures all of our liturgies are beautiful and well provisioned.  Sacristans maintain the altar, mop the floor of the sanctuary, dust the altar area and tabernacle, and check the condition of the candles and the quantities of various supplies.  They also clean and fill the holy water fonts.  They also prepare for special holidays, including putting up seasonal decorations. We try to have at least eight sacristans, so they can be assigned in groups of two once a month.  They usually work on Fridays or Saturdays, for one to two hours.

Contact Parish Secretary, Jill Morazzini 

Founded in 1948, the St. Vincent de Paul Society (SVDP) has strived to administer to the poor and needy.  The St. Cecilia Conference of St. Vincent de Paul serves the poor and needy of the town of Ashland on a non-judgmental basis.  Recipients need not be parishioners of St. Cecilia Parish.  St. Cecilia's SVDP is funded by contributions deposited in the St. Vincent de Paul boxes at the exits of the church, by special collections, and by the generosity of individuals. 

In addition to its direct service work, SVDP provides food baskets to the needy on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter.

Meeting Schedule:  SVDP meets on the first and third Thursday of the month.

Contact - SVDP Call-in line for assistance or information  (508) 665-8735

The St. Cecilia's Stewardship Committee helps our Faith Community grow stronger and more unified, and works to enable all Catholics in Ashland to recognize the value that our Faith Community can bring to our lives.  Within the parish, Stewardship works to strengthen discipleship by improving communications and fostering inclusion and a sense of hospitality toward all.  In the larger community of Ashland, Stewardship has the longer range goals of evangelization - to recover the lost and invite the larger community to learn about us and about Jesus' Way. 

OUR MISSION - BUILDING A PARISH COMMUNITY

The Mission of St. Cecilia Parish Stewardship Committee is to support the pastor, the other ministries, and the parish as we strive to be a welcoming and vibrant Catholic community of faith, worship, and service. 

We carry out our Mission through:

• Communications, such as the Parish Newsletter and Website, and feedback from various sources shared with ministries as appropriate, for example, the Newsletter survey,
• Outreach to the greater community, such as the Ashland Day booth,
• Education, such as through the annual Christmas book and small discussion groups, and
• Fostering growth in parish numbers and spirit such as by providing an easy opportunity for parishioners to get involved by organizing Ministry Signup Weekend.

We are informed in our work by the U.S. Bishops Pastoral Letter on Stewardship, “Be a Christian Steward,“ which exhorts the faithful to be stewards of the Church, of Vocation , and of Creation.

Meeting Schedule:The first Sunday of the month at 12:00 p.m. from September through June.

Members: Ben Dunn, Joel Farrell, Beth Hurley (Chair), Michael Joosten, Steve McMillan and Angela Smart

Contact Stewardship 

St. Cecilia Parish Wedding Preparation Ministry guides couples and their families through the wedding rehearsal, make suggestions, and answer questions about the most important part of the day, the wedding itself.

We conduct the wedding rehearsals at the church; find out the wedding couple’s plans; The parish secretary sends a schedule to you. We work with the couples as needed, usually a couple of hours at most.  We open and close the church for the rehearsal.

Meeting Schedule: As needed for weddings

Members: Janet Zambuto

Contact Parish Secretary, Jill Morazzini