The main purpose of Trinity’s Altar Guild is to prepare the church for all worship services, while maintaining the altar area of the sanctuaries in the nave and both Christ the King and Blessed Sacrament chapels. Guild members are scheduled and attend every Eucharist, wedding, baptism and funeral service ensuring that everything needed by the priests is provided. Eucharists are scheduled for 8am and 10:15 every Sunday, 5pm most of the Sundays during the school year, Wednesday evenings during the school year and monthly vestry meetings. In addition, there are Eucharistic services during Holy Week, and other feast days during the year.

 

In 2024, the 25 active members of the Altar Guild provided services for 127 Sunday and 59 weekday Eucharistic services in both the nave and Christ the King chapel, plus one wedding and three funerals held at Trinity.

Members are also responsible for behind-the-scenes duties:

• Launder the many small and large altar linens used at each service

• Coordinate the flowers and plants which decorate altar/services

• Change the banners that adore the sanctuary each season (other than lent)

• Order and replace candles for all acolyte torches, candlesticks, sanctuary candles and votives in the nave and chapels

• Order wine and communion wafers when needed

• Separate the wafers that come in large packages into more user-friendly smaller packages for our weekly use

• Fill the stoops in the nave with Holy Water each week

• Fill and clean home communion kits for LEM’s taking communion to shut-ins

 

For Christmas services, the Altar Guild places (and removes) candles, creche, wreaths, banners, trees and poinsettias in the worship areas and throughout the church. For Lent, Palm Sunday, Holy Week and Easter services, the members add veils on the reredos, provide the palms and the cross, and also “decorate” the nave for the joyous season with Easter lilies and banners. Spouses and other church members are always welcome to join the guild workers to help with these big work days. Throughout the year, as liturgical seasons change, guild members change the frontals, bible markers, banners and the vestments for both the clergy and the chalice, all reflecting the appropriate liturgical colors.

 

Several times during the year, the guild has “cleaning days” to spruce up the nave and chapels where regular routine cleaning from the sexton is typically not done. If there are items in the church that a parishioner feels needs attention, it is important that an Altar Guild person is contacted, so that it can be addressed.

 

In 2024, there are several more new members who have joined us in training, and will expand the numbers of our dedicated group who work on the sacred job that has been bestowed upon us.

 

If you are interested in learning more about how to participate in the work of the Altar Guild and be an integral part of our worship services, please contact a priest, the office administrator or me. No experience is needed, only a desire to serve the Lord.

 

Alison Lee Bauer

Directress