Stewardship

Sacred Scripture teaches us that we should be good stewards of those things, which God has entrusted to us. In today’s world, fulfilling this responsibility can take many forms. Its scope can also vary from a narrowly focused view to one that is global in its outlook.

For our part, the Holy Name Society at Holy Trinity (German) Church is thankful for all that God has given us, and is particularly grateful for the Traditional Latin Mass and for all of the Church's other liturgical traditions. Driven by this strong sense of gratitude, we enthusiastically strive to respond to God's call to be good stewards by helping to preserve Holy Mother Church’s liturgical traditions as well the beautiful 123 year old church that our gracious Lord has provided in which the Mass of the Ages is celebrated.

One of the tasks that uniquely combines stewardship and the liturgy is the job of the church sacristan. Working behind the scenes before and after Mass, the parish’s Holy Name sacristans strive to ensure that the sanctuary is prepared for Holy Mass; they maintain the church’s vestments and sacred vessels; and they strive to meet the ad hoc needs of each Mass’ celebrant.

Volunteering one Sunday per month, the sacristans work four-hour shifts, which begin at 9:30 AM with the set-up of the sanctuary for the 10:00 AM English/German Novus Ordo Mass. At the conclusion of the liturgy, the sacristans join members of the German sodalities for prayers after Mass, and then prepare the sanctuary for the Traditional Latin Mass. Their shift ends when they have rearranged the sanctuary once more for Mass according to the 1970 Missal.

Alternating every other weekend, two Holy Name men volunteer their services as the parish’s custodians. In this capacity, they arrive early to open the church for prayer and close the doors after everyone has left. Sweeping, shoveling snow, and taking care of simple maintenance jobs are among their varied responsibilities.

While many may view ushers as merely the “guys who take up the collection,” they can serve an even more vital function. Because they are often the first individuals whom new parishioners meet, they can play a vital role in answering general questions and in helping to explain the customs and rubrics of the Traditional Latin Mass to new-comers. How fitting, therefore, that men of the Holy Name Society should serve in this key role.

Lastly, regularly scheduled maintenance and ad-hoc projects need to be performed and the Holy Name Society is there to help. Twice a year, for instance, a church cleaning crew is organized by the Society in which its members combine their numbers with those of the Ladies’ Society of Sts. Martha and Mary and with a handful of other parishioners to scrub the church clean. At Christmas, the Society’s men volunteer to do the heavy work that is required in order to decorate the church for Christmas. Finally, Society members put themselves at the disposal of the parish’s Administrator for as-needed projects.