Our Ushers
If an emergency were to occur at church, and you called “911”, do you know the church’s address?
Fortunately, the ushers know it: “6030 West Ardmore Avenue.”
It is not the address published in the Bulletin, 6020 W. Ardmore, which is the rectory/parish office.
Ushers are the face of the parish and represent the rest of the assembly in offering hospitality.
Their presence at the doors of the church is not only practical – it is spiritual.
They serve as ministers of hospitality, helping each person who enters feel welcome, safe, and at home in the house of God.
Ushers perform a wide variety of duties including holding doors for worshipers, pointing out the accessibility (wheelchair) ramp, taking up the regular and special collections, selecting people to bring up the gifts at the Offertory, handing out bulletins after Mass, and counting the number of attendees for Archdiocesan reporting.
Ushers point out the bathrooms, help with lost-and-found queries (including frantic searches for cell phones), answer questions from first-time visitors, tidy up the
pews after Mass, and generally assist as needed.
The rectory office keeps the ushers informed of church events and schedules.
Even though the duties of the ushers are typically routine as they strive to make people feel comfortable, they need to stand ready for the unexpected, unplanned, and unforeseen.
While it was a chapter that many would prefer to forget, it should be recalled that our ushers had challenging and expanded duties during the times of COVID-19 restrictions.
A patron saint of ushers is St. Julian the Hospitalier, who lived in the 4th century. He established a hospital near a treacherous river that was frequently crossed by travelers. Julian, whose feast day is February 12, helped many navigate the waterway with special attention to the infirm.
A more modern model of inspiration for ushers might be St. André Bessette, C.S.C., an unassuming lay brother who was the doorkeeper at Notre Dame College, in Montreal, Canada for 40 years. He received people with kindness and compassion.
Brother André often counseled visitors and prayed with them. He made a career of welcoming callers, answering questions and assisting as needed.
Many miracles were attributed to his intercession. Brother André died at age 91 on January 6 (now his feast day), 1937. Countless newspapers across North America reported that approximately one million people endured frigid weather to pay their last respects to this humble man.
It is a most memorable reminder of the power of one.
Going forward, our parish will be looking to enhance the ways that we – as a parish – can become as welcoming as possible to regular parishioners as well as first-time visitors.
Currently, approximately 25 men and women serve as ushers at SEOTT. Many have served for decades.
As you have the opportunity, please share a word of thanks to our ushers who quietly and steadfastly serve our parish community.
Parishioners’ Corner is a dedicated space for parishioners. All are invited to share their thoughts about the parish merger and building the new reality of SEOTT.
In addition, we invite parishioner thoughts about a journey of faith, a moment of grace, a prayer intention, or a reflection on the readings.
Send your thoughts (anonymously if you wish) to the Rectory office.
You can voice your opinions or concerns by sending them to the Parish Council (PPC) email box – parishcouncil@setparish.org.
Or simply let one of the PPC members know your suggestions when you see them around the parish.