Liturgical Ministries

If you are interested in serving on any of our Liturgical Ministries,
 please contact the parish center at 887-7821.

Altar Servers
To make our liturgies coordinated acts of worship, many ministries are needed.
Altar servers certainly are key to that end.  
Starting in 4th grade, parishioners can serve as altar servers. The only true requirements are having made one's First Communion and having a sincere love of God. Altar servers get a behind-the-scenes look of the liturgy, learning about and leading the congregation in the actions of Mass.

Altar Society
The Altar Society prepares the Sanctuary for the celebration of the Mass, adorning the Sanctuary to reflect the various Liturgical seasons throughout the year. St. Clement of Rome’s Altar Society ministry was formed in 1965 when St. Clement of Rome became a parish.  Our members launder the altar linens, which are used in serving Our Lord’s Precious Blood in Holy Communion at all masses, prepare the floral arrangements for the altar and do special sewing projects, such as making altar cloths, purificators, banners, etc. Another very important responsibility of the Altar Society is to decorate the sanctuary and prepare for special liturgical celebrations such as Advent, Christmas, Lent, Palm Sunday, Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Easter, special feasts honoring our Blessed Mother, Thanksgiving, etc. They also prepare the sanctuary for our school’s celebration of the Sacraments of First Communion, Confirmation and the May Crowning ceremonies. The Altar Society is a very important ministry to our parish throughout the entire year.  

Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion
Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion assist in the distribution of the Eucharist to the faithful at Mass and those who are homebound, due to health or age. To be an Extraordinary Minister a parishioner of St. Clement must be fully initiated into the Church, having received the Sacraments of Baptism, Eucharist, and Confirmation. A love for the Eucharist is also an obvious prerequisite. Special training and certification is provided for this ministry by the Office of Worship of the Archdiocese of New Orleans.

If you are interested becoming an Extraordinary Minister please fill out the form and send to Katie Fabian, [email protected]. 

Lectors
The Lectors Ministry services St. Clement of Rome by assisting with the celebration of Mass by reading God’s Word. At St. Clement of Rome, we believe the ministry of lecturing, or proclaiming the scriptures at Mass, is rooted in a love for, knowledge of, and belief in the Word of God. These qualities combined with the desire to share God’s Word with the assembly gathered at Mass, is what sets the high standards for our parish lectors. Besides possessing the qualities listed above, the person who desires to be a lector must also:

• Have a clear, audible speaking voice
• Study and practice the particular scripture for the Mass assigned
• Be willing to serve as scheduled for Mass
• Participate in training sessions offered by the parish
• Be a practicing Catholic in good standing with the Church
• The Ministry of Lector is open to both teens and adults of the parish.

Ushers
The Usher Ministry assists with facilitating the celebration of the Mass by greeting and seating Mass attendees, taking attendance counts, assisting with collections, coordinating the proper receiving of Holy Communion, and distributing any necessary literature at the conclusion of Mass. You can spot them in their maroon blazers!  We are always in need of fresh smiling faces to usher at our Masses.

Sacristans
In our liturgical worship, certain ministers are in the forefront. Behind every priest or server, cantor or lector, however, there is a group of committed parishioners who faithfully and quietly prepare the church for what takes place. Sacristans are indispensable in their role of setting out the vessels, coordinating with ministries, and setting everything in place. The ministry of sacristan is a true ministry of service, allowing parishioners thoughtfully and prayerfully help prepare for the liturgy.

St. Clement of Rome Prayer Groups

Women of Faith
The Women of Faith is a group that offers a chance for women to focus and grow in these three areas: spirituality, community outreach, and social planning. All women are welcomed in this group regardless of your age and whether you are single, married, divorced, widowed, etc.! This is a new women's group that just started in June of 2021! Women of Faith plans to continue to grow based on the needs and the desires of the group. Women of Faith will offer volunteer opportunities, scripture readings, prayer reflections, speakers, social dinners, and more! The Women of Faith meets two thursdays of the month at 7:00 PM. The meetings are posted on the website calendar, the church bulletin, as well as the weekly e-mailed newsletter. There is no sign up, no strings attached, just a come when you can group of women who are all interested in growing spiritually together!

Men's Prayer Group
The Men's Prayer Group meets each Tuesday morning in Parish Center Seton Room at 7:00 a.m. to discuss assigned scriptural passages. Group members serve to strengthen one another, moving from a reflection on scripture and into their own joys and struggles of life. Consider finding out more about this group by attending one Tuesday morning.

Monday Night Disciples
On a Monday night in May of 1985, Danny Abramowicz, a former New Orleans Saints player, invited eleven men to his Metairie home. Danny believed he was being called by God to start a Catholic men's prayer group. All eleven came and started what has become the Monday Night Disciples. His group has continuously met for the last thirty-nine years. St. Clement of Rome has graciously allowed us to meet here since the 1990's. We meet every Monday night in the Seton Room of the Parish Center. We not only pray and worship the Lord, but also have teachings and testimonies. There are also outside speakers to build up and support the spiritual life of each man and to assist in the efforts to reach out to others. While the Monday night meetings remain the main focus of the group, we have expanded our service to others with auxiliary programs such as All God's Babies, which provides free caskets for babies who die under two years of age. We also provide support to the archdiocese for Men's spirituality events and prayer vigils in support of pro-life. We welcome any new members and would be honored to have you come and experience the brotherhood we have had over the years. For more information, check out our website at mondaynightdisciples.org.

Holy Name Society
The aim of the Holy Name Society is to honor the names of God and of Jesus Christ by the examples of a sensible religious life, to spread and increase love for the sacred name of Jesus Christ, to suppress blasphemy, profane and indecent language, to impart to Christians courage in the profession of their faith. The Holy Name Society owes its origin to Pope Gregory X in the year 1274, which commanded the newly-founded Dominican Order to inculcate greater devotion to the holy names of God and Jesus Christ. Members abstain from every form of profane and unbecoming speech, safeguard the proper observance of Sundays and holidays of obligation, and receive Holy Communion with the members of the Society on the second Sunday of each month. On the second Sunday of each month, we celebrate the 10:00 a.m. Mass together and meet briefly after Mass in the Parish Center for a coffee and donut reception. 

Rosary Devotions
The Rosary Devotions ministry responds to Our Lady’s requests to pray the rosary daily for world peace, the conversion of sinners and to wear the brown scapular. There are three meetings a year to plan activities, primarily the annual Living Rosary night that is always the last Tuesday in October and the Rosary Commitment Weekend. The Rosary Devotion committee members are responsible for the distribution of sacramentals, primarily the rosaries, scapulars, and St. Clement of Rome CD’s, which contain the Joyful, Luminous, Sorrowful and Glorious Mysteries, all at no charge.

Legion of Mary
The Legion of Mary sanctifies its members through spiritual works of mercy and is a powerful means of helping our priests to evangelize those committed to their care. The Legion of Mary has been commended by popes, cardinals, and bishops.  Established at St. Clement of Rome in 1988 and in existence in the New Orleans area since 1945, the Legion of Mary is the largest Catholic lay organization in the world.  The Legion of Mary was founded in Dublin, Ireland in 1921 by Frank Duff, who is being considered for canonization. Members become instruments of the Holy Spirit through a balanced program of prayer and service.  Works include door to door evangelization and census taking, parishioner visitation, visitation of the aged, religious education, arranging for the Sacrament of the Sick, arranging Sacrament of Reconciliation, crowd contact, and other spiritual needs of the parish community.  The Legion is, in essence, an extension of the heart and hands of the pastor. Legionaries’ duties require from each Legionary an attendance at a weekly meeting, daily recitation of the Legion Prayer, and two hours of spiritual works a week and absolute respect for the confidential nature of matters discussed.  Each member is committed to at least one closed retreat yearly, and any spiritual work that our pastor requests.  The group is committed to a bi-annual adoration day held at Notre Dame Seminary to pray for vocations.  Also, the rosary before each Mass on the weekend is led by our ministry. 

Music Ministry

St. Augustine once said that "He who sings prays twice."  Certainly, the scriptures are full with examples of holy men and women throughout salvation history giving praise to God through song.  Who can forget Hannah's song of thanksgiving or Mary's Magnificat. The Bible even contains its own hymnal for use in worship, the Book of Psalms.  Indeed mankind has always given praise to God through music and that is still true today.  Here at St. Clement we are happy to have a very vibrant music ministry with excellent musicians assisting our parish community with the use of their voices and a variety of other musical instruments.  We certainly give thanks to all who share their musical gifts with our parish community!

The Music Ministry provides music for our Sunday liturgies as well as Holy Days of Obligation and at special activities throughout the year.  The Music Ministry includes an Adult Choir, Handbell Choir, Brass Ensemble, Children's Ensemble, and a Spanish Choir to assist with our weekly Spanish Mass.

If you sing or play any musical instruments and would like to volunteer those talents to give glory to God in the liturgy or if you have any questions, please contact our Director of Music, Louis Hackett, [email protected].

Family Life Ministry

The Family Life Ministry is designed to help bring the parish together by holding events that promote fellowship, spirituality, and Christian family values. The Family Life Ministry organizes Supper and Substance, speakers, Family Mass receptions, and many other events. The group meets several times annually.

Respect Life Ministry

The Respect Life Ministry serves the parish as advocates for the respect of all human life, regardless of age, health, talent, limitations, or condition. They assist the parish in  awareness of the most current laws and social policies that can help protect all human beings, from conception to natural death. The respect life committee finds a variety of ways to educate the parish as well as opportunities for parishioners to assist in the fight for life.
 

St. Anthony Ministry

The St. Anthony Ministry provides assitance to the needy who reside in St. Clement of Rome's Parish. The St. Anthony Ministry, as a 2nd Harvest Food Bank provider, services the needy by preparing food boxes, coordinating and preparing Thanksgiving baskets, coordinating Hotel Hope Advent Mission, and assisting in other ways. There are many opportunities for adult and teenage volunteers to assist. Translators from Spanish to English are needed. 

Young Adult Ministry

The Young Adult Ministry  is open to the men and women of St. Clement of Rome between the ages of 18-39. This ministry gives an opportunity to share in the Gospel message of Jesus Christ, build community, and nurture the faith lives among young adults. The Young Adult Ministry meets a few times a month and also hosts an hour of adoration open to the parish on the first Monday of the month at 7:30 PM in the church. 

The Women of Faith is a group of women offering a chance for women to focus and grow in these three areas: spirituality, community outreach, and social planning. All women are welcomed and encouraged to come see what this group is all about regardless of your age and whether you are single, married, divorced, widowed, etc.! This is a new women's group that just started in June of 2021! Women of Faith plans to continue to grow based on the needs and the desires of the group. Women of Faith will offer volunteer opportunities, scripture readings, prayer reflections, speakers, social dinners, and more! The Women of Faith meets two thursdays of the month at 7:00 PM. The meetings are posted on the website calendar, the church bulletin, as well as the weekly e-mailed newsletter. There is no sign up, no strings attached, just a come when you can group of women who are all interested in growing spiritually together!

St. Clement of Rome's Men's Club

The St. Clement of Rome Men's Club is an organization open to all adult males of the parish community. The Men's Club has a three-pronged mission: to inform, give back, and to entertain.

Inform- The Men's Club seeks to inform its members of the happenings in the community through the scheduling of guest speakers to touch on the variety of topics of interest to our community. 
Give Back- The Men's Club is heavily involved in the advancement of the St. Clement of Rome Parish and school, viewing service to others as a core Christian value. These projects seek to address the physical and spiritual needs of the parish and its parishioners. Some of the ways that they give back throughout the year are through the involvement in our organization of the following events: Back to School Bash, Oyster Festival, Lenten Fish Fries, Father-Daughter Dance, and Crawfish Cook Off.
Entertain- The Men's Club seeks to entertain its members and their spouses, aiming to bring members together and foster a sense of camaraderie that extends outside the Parish and School and into the community in which we live and pray. 

The Men's Club meets the second Tuesday of each month in Vosbein Hall.

Hospitality Committee

For most gatherings at St. Clement of Rome Parish, whether big or small, elaborate or simple, the Hospitality Ministry organizes, orders, shops, sets up, serves, and cleans up.  And, most importantly, smiles!

The Hospitality Ministry handles the receptions for events such as: First Communion, Confirmation, Easter Vigil, World Marriage Day, Shared Thanksgiving, the comings and goings of priests, deacons, and seminarians, visits from the archbishop, and whatever other events may come along.
 

Blessed Michael Joseph McGivney was an American Catholic priest based in New Haven, Connecticut. He founded the Knights of Columbus at a local parish to serve as a mutual aid and fraternal insurance organization, particularly for immigrants and their families.

Founded in 1882 by the Blessed Michael J. McGivney, the Knights of Columbus is the largest Catholic fraternal service organization in the world with nearly 2 million members. Membership is open to all practicing Catholic men ages 18 and older. If you are interested in helping those in need, serving your parish and community while growing in your faith, the Knights of Columbus is the organization for you.

Meetings are held on the first Thursday of every month. A meal is served starting at 6:30PM, followed by the praying of the Rosary at 7PM, followed by the formal meeting starting at approximately 7:30PM, ending no later than 8:30PM. Meetings are held in Vosbein Hall on the campus of St. Clement of Rome Catholic Church, 4317 Richland Avenue, Metairie, LA 70002. For more information you may email our Grand Knight,  Kelan Madore, at [email protected]. or visit  www.kofc3246.org 

Useful Links:

• Council website with contacts, updated information, coming events, etc.

• More information on the Knights of Columbus

• Join the Knights of Columbus online

• Knights of Columbus Inspirational videos

• Blessed McGivney’s biography

   

  

Young Elders

The Young Elders is an organization that strives for the betterment of its senior members by encouraging service-related activities, providing information regarding benefits and obligations affecting senior adults, and promoting social contact. St. Clement of Rome's Young Elders organization is open to parishioners and their friends that are at least fifty years of age. They meet once a month in the Parish Office. 

The St. Clement of Rome Gala Committee hosts the annual benefit dinner and auction that supports the ministry of our school and parish. It is  held in the spring. If you are interested in joining this committee or would like to donate towards this fundraiser, please contact the parish center at 887-7821.

Fair Committee

The St. Clement of Rome Fair Committee assists in the planning and hosting of the annual Oyster Festival that benefits the school and parish. The Oyster Festival takes place in the second full weekend in November. If you are interested in joining our fair committee or would like to offer any donations or sponsorships, please contact the parish office at 887-7821.

Children's Church

St. Clement of Rome's Children's Church takes place every Sunday at the 10:00 AM Mass during the readings and homily for those children ages 4 to 7. Your child will participate in engaging activities to help them relate to the liturgy in a small setting with other children their age. If you have any questions, please contact Caroline Huber by email at [email protected] or call the parish center at 887-7821. 

That Man Is You

St. Clement of Rome has started a new Men’s Apostolate called, That Man is You. That Man is You is about Becoming a Man After God’s Own Heart. It is an interactive men’s program that combines the latest findings of modern science with the teachings of the Church and the wisdom of the saints to develop authentic male leaders capable of transforming themselves, their families and greater society. Join us for fellowship and faith on Thursday mornings at 5:45 AM in the Parish Center. 
 

All men are welcome!

 
Questions: Contact Steven Arthur at 504-259-1128 or [email protected]
 
 
 

We are launching a new ministry called B.E.L.O.V.E.D.* that supports the families of and individuals with special needs including intellectual disabilities, cognitive delays, Autism, 

Down Syndrome, Williams Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, and Muscular Dystrophy. This ministry aims to help these individuals and their families grow in their faith and our faith community by offering supportive opportunities to deepen their faith through service, community, and outreach. If you know a family or individual who could benefit from this ministry or you would like to support this ministry as a volunteer, please call the Parish Office.  Volunteer opportunities may include: developing activities, offering hospitality at gatherings, peer buddy, prayer, assisting with rides, supporting Sacrament preparation/adaptive catechesis 

Building Encouragement, Love, Outreach, and Valuing Every Diverse Person