Ministries
Liturgy/Worship
Altar Servers
The Altar servers assist the priest and deacons, ensuring that the Mass flows smoothly and that the sacred rites are conducted with grace and dignity. Their role is integral to the celebration to Mass and their duties include: lighting the candles, carrying the Cross, holding the Roman Missal, assisting with the preparation of the Gifts, handling the Censer and ringing the bells. Training is provided.
Commitment: When scheduled for weekend Masses, arrive 15 minutes before Mass plus one hour.
Contact: Matt Pietsch
Extraordinary Ministers of the Holy Communion
The Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion is a lay member of the community who helps distribute Holy Communion to the faithful. He/She is called upon, after the clergy, to witness to faith in the real presence of Christ by his/her actions and by the dignity and reverence with which he/she treats the Body and Blood of our Lord.
Commitment: When scheduled for weekend Masses.
Contact: Kaky Bowden
Ladies of the Altar
The Ladies of the Altar clean the altar area for the celebration of the Mass. We clean and maintain the altar linens, including the purificators, corporals, handtowels, etc., used during the Mass. We polish the brass candlesticks and ensure the wicks are inside for lighting. We polish the peripheral wainscoting, treat the marble, and dust all flat surfaces. The Commons area and Bell Tower are dusted, and the votive candles are maintained.
Commitment: Every other Monday morning for one hour.
Contact: Cathy Wills
Lectors at Mass
The Lector proclaims God's Word to the Congregation during Mass. His/her clear and understandable delivery used in proclaiming Sacred Scripture, aid the people to more fully hear God's voice speaking to them. Training is available and lectors receive a lector's book with Sunday readings for preparation.
Commitment: When scheduled for a weekend Mass.
Contact: Kaky Bowden
Livestreaming at Mass
LIvestreaming provides a valuable service to our homebound and shut-in parishioners. Each Sunday, we livestream the 11am and 2pm Masses so that those mentioned above may participate in the liturgy while at home. Parishioners are able to stay and feel connected to our parish community while able to connect with Holy Cross.
Commitment: Weekend assigned. Arrive early to setup to stream.
Contact: Larry Wetzel
St Anne Baptismal Garment Sewers
Garmet Sewers provide a visual recognition of the total annulment of original sin a child is born with and the emergence of a totally innocent person once baptized. Beautiful white bibs are created for children being baptized to wear on their special day. These garments signify that the child is now a member of the Church and is incorporated into the Body of Christ. The families take these precious garments home to keep.
Commitment: Flexible, most sewers work from home and sew at their convenience.
Contact: Marge Denham
St Cecilia Music Ministry
We provide liturgical music for the Mass to enhance the worship experience for all the faithful. The music chosen is reflective of the readings and inspires and invites the congregation to grow closer to God and shine as the light of Christ through their participation. Members of the choir may be singers, musicians and/or both.
Commitment: Weekly practice for the 11am Mass at 10am before Mass. For the 4pm and 8am Masses, practice time varies.
Contact: Paddy Dougherty Braunstein
St Julian Welcoming/Greeters
The welcomers/greeters are the first people that parishioners and visitors encounter when coming to celebrate Mass. They represent "the Face of Christ" to those they greet and offer a rare opportunity to make a wonderful first impression of our parish. A cheerful disposition, attentiveness to all who enter our doors, and a helpful attitude to provide information is all one needs for this ministry!
Commitment: When scheduled for weekend Masses, usually once a month. Arrive 20 minutes prior to Mass. Attend parish safety meetings as well.
Contact: Cathy Wills
St Lawrence Sacristans
Sacristans prepare for weekday liturgies by setting the Altar with liturgical linens, having the proper vessels available at the Credence table, and placing the Lectionary at the Ambo with the appropriate readings. Sacristans also clean the vessels after Mass.
Commitment: Arrive 30 minutes before Mass and stay 15 minutes after Mass.
Contact: Mary Weatherdon
St Martha After Mass Hospitality
After Mass hospitality offers and opportunity for parishioners to gather, socialize, and spend time with one another extending community togetherness after Mass by providing refreshments. Part of St. Martha Fellowship, occasional larger celebrations after Mass and are supported by this ministry.
Commitment: Weekly/monthly after chosen Mass. Setup and cleanup after social time is needed.
Contact: Gloria Madayag
St Therese of Lisieux Arts and Environment
The Arts and Environment ministry creates an atmosphere throughout the Church that heightens the sacredness and worship experience of the community throughout the liturgical year. Through artistic attention to design, we oversee the overall physical flow of the Church including furniture placement, color choices, fabric selections, flower arrangements, plants and seasonal decorating.
Commitment: When needed; Advent, Christmas, Lent and Easter.
Contact: Julie Pierce
Ushers for Mass
The usher provides support and assistance to parishioners at all the Masses. Ushers offer a welcome to all he/she encounter. Duties include: helping with seating, heading the collection efforts and gifts, assisting with the Communion procession of the faithful, helping with safety and emergencies, ensuring order and that the Church is tidy and ready for the next liturgy.
Commitment: When scheduled for a weekend Mass. Arrive early to welcome and seat parishioners.
Contact: Brian Clifford
Pastoral Care
Funeral Mass/Receptions
A Catholic funeral Mass acts as the principal, sacred celebration of the deceased’s life. Receptions provide a space for grieving loved ones to share memories, offer support, and celebrate the deceased's legacy in a more relaxed, communal setting. Help will be needed to bring food, set up, and take down for the funeral liturgy and reception. Also, we assist sacristans with any other details such as flowers, casket placement, etc.
Commitment: As funerals are planned and happen at the church
Meeting schedule: Quarterly through the Pastoral Care Team
Contact: Marge Chamberlin
Our Lady of Solace Grief Support Group
This group offers solace, fellowship, and spiritual sustenance during a period of grief, loss, and other life transitions. We meet monthly to pray, experience a support activity, grief and then share life's happenings in a way to help each other cope with loss while relying on our faith to help us through each day.
Commitment: Third Monday of each month, gathering in the library from 1-2:30pm.
Contact: Gwen Naples
St Anne Childcare
To support families by providing a safe, welcoming environment for young children during parish programs such as OCIA (Becoming Catholic) for adult education. It enables parents to focus on fostering their own spiritual growth while children are cared for in a nurturing setting. Volunteers must be VIRTUS trained with a background-check.
Commitment: When the Becoming Catholic Group meet on Monday evenings and when other needs arise
Meeting Schedule: None
Contact: Casie Harrington
St Catherine Laboure Eucharistic Ministers to Homebound
Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion bring the Eucharist to those unable to come to Mass to receive our Lord while providing spiritual support and concern on behalf of the entire church community. These parishioners include homebound, those in nursing homes, assisted living and rehabilitation facilities.
Requests are made through the church office and a commissioned Eucharistic Minister will go to see the parishioner in need.
Commitment: Flexible schedule with up to 2-4 hours per month.
Contact: Mary and Marc Zoccola
St Clare Prayer Shawl
The prayer shawl ministry is a healing ministry that offers parishioners lovely hand knitted shawls made by volunteers with love. These shawls, that have been prayed over, are given to parishioners as a literal "hug" from our Lord as he wraps his loving arms around them when in need of healing, support and encouragement.
Those in the ministry knit together in camaraderie and develop lasting friendships.
Commitment: Monthly
Contact: Elizabeth Richardson
St Elizabeth Ann Seaton Nurses
The nurses of Holy Cross promote the physical, mental, and spiritual health and wellness of its parishioners. We support monthly blood pressure screenings after all Masses, the annual American blood drive and collection, and connecting with our parishioners using our pastoral care resources, such as medical equipment or Care Notes.
Commitment: Monthly blood pressure screenings and other needs.
Contact: Kim Wertz
St Francis of Rome Rides to Mass
The Rides to Mass ministry enables any person(s) who are temorarily or permanently unable to attend Mass due to a lack of transportation to be picked up, brought to Mass, and returned home. This ministry is for the Saturday Vigil Mass at 4pm. Drivers use the Holy Cross van or bus.
Commitment: Once every 5 weeks. Schedule is flexible based on driver availability.
Contact: Rob Deddens
St Louise de Marillac Prepare a Meal
The Prepare-a-Meal ministry provides a meal for parishioners who find themselves in difficult circumstances, such as recovering from an illness or procedure. During these times, making meals may be difficult or impractical: our ministry will bring several dinners in disposable containers per week for a limited time period during recovery.
Commitment: Varies but on average one may provide meals every 4 months.
Contact: Joe Schill
St Mother Teresa Pastoral Care
The pastoral care ministry is present to our fellow parishioners either physically, spiritually, or emotionally using the example of St Mother Teresa as our model. We are the pastoral heartbeat of the parish and comfort many though our various ministries.
In addition to the ministries outlined individually, we offer comfort to families in times of sorrow when their loved ones have died. We assist in funeral planning, arrange the funeral liturgies/receptions and offer Masses each year for the dead and those in need of healing.
Commitment: Flexible and when needs of the parishioners arise.
Contact: Marge Chamberlin
St Monica Prayer Warriors
The Prayer Warriors pray for those who request prayers, and we also pray for others who do not, but we know of their needs. We pray for peace in the world and during events of conflict and disasters. We also give glory and praise to God and give him thanks.
Commitment: when asked
Contact: Irma Campbell
St Teresa of Avila Medical Equipment
Holy Cross keeps a medical equipment closet stocked with walking aids, bathroom equipment and wheelchairs available to parishioners in need. Also served is our surrounding community. We donate unused equipment to the FREE Foundation of Central Virginia. Duties include cleaning and maintaining the equipment as we receive it, connecting parishioner needs with our resources, and be a part of the umbrella Pastoral Care Ministry, St Mother Teresa.
Commitment: Varies dependent upon the needs of parishioners.
Contact: Paula Warwick
Sts Tarcisius and Camillus Eucharistic Ministers to Hospital
Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion bring the Eucharist to those unable to come to Mass to receive our Lord while providing spiritual support and concern on behalf of the entire church community. These parishioners are those in the hospital.
Eucharistic Ministers visit on Thursday, Friday, and Sunday.
Commitment: Names are given by the Holy Cross office and Eucharistic Ministers serve potentially three times over a six month schedule if there is a need.
Contact: Joe Seiffert
Parish Life
San Juan Diego Hispanic Mass
The 2pm Mass on Sunday is a Spanish-language Mass. Many volunteers are needed to have a sacred celebration. Duties include organizing the readers for Mass, writing the Prayers of the Faithful, welcoming the community, distributing hymnals, being a lector or choir member, helping with after-Mass hospitality, and assisting in planning and organizing special feasts such as Our Lady of Guadalupe.
Commitment: Weekly Sunday Mass
Contact: Teresa Enriquez, Claudia Hamel
San Lorenzo Fil-Am Community
The Fil-Am community hopes to unite Filipino-Americans in faith, culture, and community. One key activity is holding our annual Simbang Gabi Mass and reception. We also promote devotion to Filipino saints, organize prayer opportunities such as the Lenten Soup and Stations, and celebrate special parishioner birthdays and anniversaries with a monthly dinner and Mass. Our goal is to preserve Filipino traditions within the broader parish community while fostering camaraderie in celebrating our faith. All are welcome.
Commitment: Monthly for fellowship and as need arises in preparing for Masses.
Contact: Ryan and Kristine Vasquez
St Jerome Library
The library ministry is here to entrust all aspects of Catholicism by offering a wide range of Catholic-focused literature and Catholic/Bible studies to our parish community. The library is a place for discovery, reflection and growth. There are sections representing apologetics, Marian works, life of Christ, Old and New Testaments, meditative resources, Church history, the Saints, biographies of Church Fathers and Doctors, Church documents and encyclicals and more. Come visit. Volunteers will help keep track of inventory, catalogue new works and highlight books to the parish.
Commitment: Weekly on Wednesdays for up to 2 hours, 9:30-11:30am.
Contact: Kevin McLaren
St John Paul II Young Adults
The Young Adults ministry is a social group for young adults, including young professionals, recent college graduates, graduate students, married couples, and couples with children. Our weekly gatherings include praying the rosary, sharing a potluck dinner, and engaging in discussions about our faith. Our goal is to create a community where young professionals can grow in faith and serve God in different ministries at the parish and in our daily lives.
Commitment: No requirement but welcome weekly on Wednesday evenings 5:30 - 7:15pm in the Commons.
Contact: Casie Harrington
St Joseph of Arimathea Cemetery
The ministry coordinates and executes the maintenance of the grounds of the cemetery. It is a privilege to keep the sacred burial sites clean and the landscaping beautiful to reflect the importance of this special place for our loved ones who rest there.
Commitment: When the need arises.
Contact: Jim Naples
St Martha Fellowship
The fellowship ministry provides hospitality, food, and coordinates the social activities and events of the parish. The ministry is crucial in building community and establishing a place of welcome to all who participate. The events include the annual Feast of Holy Cross picnic, pancake suppers, Lenten Soup and Station meals, and assisting with other events as requested.
Commitment: Flexible and when the need arises.
Contact: Gloria Madayag
St Michael the Archangel Safety
The safety ministry at Holy Cross ensures that safety is a top priority for our parish community. Members are knowledgeable regarding safety regulations and how to keep our Holy Cross faithful safe. Members are concerned with the physical building, training parish staff/volunteers to implement and uphold safety plans, safety inspections, and what is happening in our surrounding neighborhood that pose a potential threat.
Commitment: Varies dependent upon the needs of the parish.
Contact: Nick Nebraski
St Patrick Building
The building ministry advises the administration (pastor, business manager, and facilities manager) in matters of large-scale building maintenance, upgrades, and renovations. This includes the buildings on Clay Street and the rectory. We have a 5-year plan prepared annually that prioritizes all the projects to be done. Members are professionals familiar with building systems, construction, and property management. All major projects are reviewed, approved, coordinated and prioritized by the ministry.
Commitment: Flexible and when needs arise.
Contact: Tony Lexa
Faith Formation
Adult Bible Study
Catholic Bible study is a prayerful, scholarly engagement with Scripture rooted in Church tradition, designed to transform lives by fostering a deeper, personal relationship with Jesus.
Scripture isn’t just a book—it’s God’s living Word, a way to encounter Jesus, grow in holiness, and let God speak directly into our lives. Studying the Bible helps us to know Jesus more intimately, understand our faith more deeply and live more boldly as missionary disciples.
Commitment: Ongoing weekly Tuesdays at 10am or 6:30pm
Meeting Schedule: Weekly
Contact: Tom Pratuch
Adult Formation
Adult Formation offers parishioners opportunities to grow in their relationship with the Lord and in their understanding of Scripture, our Catholic faith and how to live as disciples. We invite and enable all to ongoing conversion to Jesus in living holy lives. We promote and support active membership in our community at the church by attending Bible studies, programs of faith, retreats, fellowship opportunities, for service and in witnessing to their children and others.
Commitment: Weekly studies available.
Contact: Kaky Bowden
OCIA/Becoming Catholic
OCIA/Becoming Catholicis a process for adults who desire to join the Catholic faith and for those seeking more information on the Catholic Church. Our team meets inquirers where they are in their faith journey and walks with them as they learn God's call in their lives, share the teachings of the Catholic faith, and look at Scripture, Tradition, and the Magisterium as the Sacred Deposit of Truth for us.
Commitment: Ongoing, weekly Monday at 7pm.
Contact: Kaky Bowden
Catechists of Religious Education
Catechists share the Catholic faith with our children, helping them grow in faith, spirituality, and their relationship with God. Their roles include teaching about Roman Catholic doctrine and the traditions of the Church. They share the faith through word, experience, prayer and liturgy. They are role models. They prepare children for the sacraments, help them to have a servant heart and communicate with parents and the pastor and the Director of Religious Education.
Commitment: Weekly during the academic year (Sept - May).
Contact: Kaky Bowden
Men of the Cross
We are a group of men who journey together, encountering Jesus through worship, growing in our faith through spiritual development and education. We are active in ministries and as volunteers for parish events. We study Scripture, read Catholic literature and Church documents, and reflect and discuss all. Through these studies, we have fellowship, conversations deepening our faith and share in confidential life journeys.
Commitment: Twice a month on the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays from 4-5:15pm.
Contact: Kimball Payne
St Catherine of Siena Women's Faith Group
The St Catherine of Siena Women’s Faith Group (WFG) welcomes all women to join us in a safe atmosphere for sharing and a path for spiritual growth. Through prayer, Scripture, and faith-related programs, we come to know and experience God’s love and develop an intimate relationship with Jesus while learning much about our Catholic Faith and how to live as women of virtue. We also plan and take mini pilgrimages to heighten our faith experiences as Catholic women.
Commitment: Ongoing weekly Thursday at 10am
Meeting Schedule: Weekly
Contact: Kaky Bowden
St Faustina Divine Mercy Cenacle
The Divine Mercy Cenacle is an opportunity for people to gather and become more familiar with Jesus as Divine Mercy. The group studies the Diary of St Maria Faustina Kowalska. The diary writings include years of personal conversations with Jesus. Through these writings, each reader has the opportunity to come to know Jesus as an ocean of Mercy for all of humanity and to trust in Him. Our focus on the message of Divine Mercy and we study Sacred Scripture, the Catechism of the Catholic Church and the Diary of St. Faustina, with a special emphasis on the Eucharist.
Commitment: Twice per month, 1.5 hours
Meeting Schedule: Every other Monday at 9:45am
Contact: Joe Schill
Community Outreach
St Gianna Pro-Life
Our ministry promotes, supports, and educates on the sanctity of life according to the teaching of the Catholic Church. We are called to be aware of all the ways life is to be defended, to pray for greater respect for the holiness of life, to be people of compassion and mercy, and to represent the parish in the community, such as the March for Life, Blue Ridge Pregnancy Center, etc. We support women, men and their children in choosing life and help them before and after the birth of their children.
Commitment: Monthly with special times for engagement in community.
Contact: Theresa O'Kane
St Nicholas Jesse Tree
The Jesse Tree ministry is inspired by the need for physical and spiritual support for others during the Christmas season who might have a bleak Christmas otherwise. The Jesse Tree offers support, kindness, and hope during the Advent/Christmas season. Gifts and stocking stuffers are collected parish-wide, sorted, and distributed to deserving parishioners and in need.
Commitment: Flexible, most meetings are August & September.
Contact: Kathy Malloy
St Paschal Food Pantry
The Food Pantry serves the parishioners and Lynchburg community who need assistance in providing food for themselves and their families. Holy Cross parishioners generously donate money and non-perishable food items regularly to stock the pantry. Volunteers pack grocery bags for weekly distribution. We staff the door to greet those needing food bags. We collaborate with other Holy Cross ministries during the holiday seasons to provide food for large groups of families.
Commitment: Flexible, distribution of bags on Tuesdays, 1-3pm.
Contact: Mimi Amate
Ladies of Charity
Our main mission is to serve those in need in our parish and in the larger community. We attend Mass together twice a year and hold a bake sale. We collect items for the Blue Ridge Pregnancy Center and Miriam's House. We also take a meal to the visually impaired several times a year. We support various needs of the parish such as gift bags for the homebound, the sale of Advent candles, our food pantry, the JOY Fund and the Jesse Tree.
Commitment: Flexible
Contact: Linda Van Scooter & Kathy Wesley
Knights of Columbus
The Knights of Columbus, Council 595, is a Catholic fraternal organization for men. We support the Catholic Church by providing financial protection, engaging in charity, promoting the Catholic social and political causes, and Catholic education. We have many social events held at our local Knights of Columbus Hall in Forest, VA, to foster community and camaraderie.
Commitment: Varies depending on the needs of the community/parish. Monthly roundtable is the 2nd Thursday of the month.
Contact: Bryan Fletcher
