Parish Ministries

Would you like to make your faith experience more personal and meaningful?  Your time and talents are most needed to help Saint Richard Parish continue to be the wonderful place that it is and continue to grow.

Please consider donating your time and talent to one of the Ministries listed below. We know you’ll be glad you did!

If you would like information about one of the following ministries, please call the parish office at 978-774-7575, and the appropriate ministry representative will be in touch. Thank you.

Altar Servers
Any parishioner, male or female, young (Grade 3 and up) or not so young, who wishes to assist in the celebration of the Mass are invited to participate. 

Book Discussion Club
Several times a year, members of the parish gather in the Chapel once a week for 5 successive weeks to read and discuss an important, relevant Christian book. Books typically can be purchased for $3.00 from the Club chair, Betty Ann Maney, or you can purchase a copy directly through Dynamic Catholic.

Please feel free to invite family, friends, and neighbors to share in our discussions, as all are most welcome. 

Church Cleaners
A volunteer group, which gathers each Saturday morning at the Church to do “housekeeping” for the Lords House. General cleaning and pickup is done to keep the Church neat and in order for the dignity of the celebration of Sunday Liturgy, Funerals, Baptisms, Weddings and any other celebration in the Church. It’s a great way to “Give Back” to the Lord. 

Commitment To Parish Life Program
The Commitment to Parish Life Program is a transformative program for Catholic parishes designed to ensure the viability and sustainability of parish life through sustained offertory and enhanced ministerial engagement based on the Stewardship model of giving of Time, Talent and Treasure.

Your time, and talent, is most valuable to us as a Parish Family.  St. Richard’s is pleased to offer over 23 different Ministries that would welcome your participation, from Offertory Counters to Eucharistic Ministers, Lectors and Sacramental educators and so many more.

With regard to giving of your Treasures, the Offertory Commitment program is designed to allow you to consider making an individual annual commitment to support the Parish to ensure the challenges and expenses we face as a Parish are met in a timely manner.  Your commitment can be fulfilled weekly, monthly, quarterly, semi-annually, or annually, whatever works best for your family budget.  The Offertory Commitment program allows the parish to project, in advance of the weekly collections, the anticipated revenue for the year and make budgetary plans according.

To request a Commitment to Parish Life information packet, please click here.

Eucharistic Ministers
We have four (3) separate Eucharistic ministries:

Church
Those who minister at the Lord’s table share in a simpletask, but one which lives at the heart of who we are as Christian people: in our love of the Eucharist, and in our appreciation of what the church asks of us as servants in the Sunday assembly.

Nursing Home
Visits are made to all local nursing homes. We spend time, pray with the sick, and bring them communion. 

Homebound
The faithful who are ill are deprived of their rightful and accustomed place in the Eucharistic community. In bringing communion to them, the minister of communion represents Christ and manifests faith and charity on behalf of the whole community toward those who cannot be present at the Eucharist. For the sick, the reception of communion is not only a privilege, but also a sigh of support and concern shown by the Christian community for its members who are ill.

Finance Committee
The Parish Finance Committee advises the Pastor with financial issues of the Parish. For more information, please see the Finance Committee page listed on the Home Page under Parish Information.

Knights of Columbus Council 1505
Dedicated to the principles of charity, fraternity, patriotism, and unity, the Order reflects a particular brand of lay Catholicism that has enriched the American Republic for more than a century. If interested in joining, please call: The Knights of Columbus office at 978-774-9574.

Lectors
Lectors proclaim the “Good News” during the Liturgy of the Word. Our role is to make the Word come alive, to Spread the Good News. Adults and High School students are invited to participate. For a free Lector Brochure, contact: John Call 978-739-9004, or email him at [email protected].  

Liturgy Committee
Following the guidelines of the Archdiocesan Office of Liturgy and Worship, the Liturgy Committee works to enhance our Parish Liturgies and Para-liturgical celebrations. This committee, along with the priest and Deacon, focuses on providing rich prayerful experiences through careful planning, overseeing, education and evaluation of the liturgical celebrations as to the rites, pastoral aspects, environment and music. New members are sought for a variety of special committees. Training is provided in workshops and classes.  

Liturgy Music Director
We are very fortunate to offer a diverse and vibrant music program through the talent of our Music Director, and all of our talented music enthusiasts. Our music team plans appropriate music, develops artistic skills, and encourages parishioners to share in the spirit of our music program. Whether it is with instrumental or choral performances, our Music Ministry reflects a diversity of spirit and interest that reflects our parish. Please visit our Music Ministry Page for more information about the Children’s Choir, and Weddings, or contact Maura Lynch - Liturgical Music Director at [email protected]

Offertory Commitment
Our Offertory Commitment program, part of the Commitment to Parish Life initiative, is designed to allow you to consider making an individual annual commitment to support the Parish to ensure the challenges and expenses we face as a Parish are met in a timely manner.  Your commitment can be fulfilled weekly, monthly, quarterly, semi-annually, or annually, whatever works best for your family budget.  The Offertory Commitment program allow the parish to project, in advance of the weekly collections, the anticipated revenue for the year and make budgetary plans according.  We appreciate your prayerful consideration of this program.

Outreach Programs
This committee is really the entire Parish community. Anyone and everyone is welcomed to join in and help carry out service projects throughout the year, with our focus on helping those most in need. Some project include our Back to School Drive, a Thanksgiving and Christmas Drive, among other, all of which bring help to those who struggle to make ends meet.

We are blessed to have a vibrant Outreach Program. Though this program, we also educate our parish on the needs of the global church though outreach efforts within our community. The lesson of outreach forms in our Religious Education program as our students embrace a variety of programs that embody the spirit of Christian service. Whether supporting Lazarus House, Haven for Hunger, Catholic Charities, or the like, our parish remains committed to offering support for others.  

People to People Food Pantry
The Danvers Food Pantry is one of our greatest and most utilized services that we offer to those in need of one life's most fundamental needs - food. The Food Pantry helps individuals and/or families with a temporary crisis food needs. We collect food at the 9:00 Mass each week, as well as special collections for Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas. Volunteers take turns each week collecting the food brought to each Mass and delivering it to the Food Pantry on Monday mornings. 

Parish Council
The Parish Council is an advisory board to help the Pastor identify and address issues of Parish Life. 

RCIA
Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults: RCIA brings people into the Catholic Faith. Ours is more of a conversion ministry and in the process, these new converts learn more about the Catholic Faith. As a growing and sought after program, we are pleased to offer the opportunity for adults and children to grow in their understanding of our faith and to enter more fully into the life of the Church. So many folks, for one reason or another, may not have experienced all of the Sacraments of Initiation, and our team of dedicated volunteers offers a program of growth and faith transition.

Religious Education
We support a very large religious education program to 200 children in grades 1-10. Each year we bring our 2nd graders to the Sacrament of First Holy Communion, and 10th graders to the Sacrament of Confirmation through 2 year programs. We value not only their presence in our church community, but also their volunteer activities within our parish community.

Ushers
First and foremost, Ushers are ministers of hospitality, greeting people who enter God’s House. They also assist with the collection, and help with emergencies that may arise at Mass, such as someone needing assistance.