Every baptized person is uniquely gifted by the Holy Spirit with charisms, spiritual gifts meant to be used for the good of others and the building up of the Church. Accompany is our response to the Great Commission, Jesus’ call to “go and make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19). This step on our Clear Path is a response to His call, preparing us to boldly witness the Gospel and accompany others on their journey of discipleship. Whether it’s leading a small group, running a program, or simply walking with one, anyone can answer this call.
Discerning your charisms can help you understand how God is calling you to serve in a way that is joyful, life-giving, and fruitful. This is how we build His Kingdom; each of us using our gifts to love and serve as the Body of Christ. We invite you to connect with our lead for the Charisms Discernment Ministry to take the Charism Discernment Assessment and discover where your gifts can make the greatest impact.
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Quite often one of the first people you encounter when you arrive for Mass is one of our Ushers or Greeters! Greeters arrive prior to the Mass to ensure that all who walk through our doors feel welcomed; they may also answer any questions people may have or point them in the right direction. Anyone who is part of our parish family can be a greeter regardless of gender or age.
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Ushers are needed to make others feel welcome, assist in seating, collect the offering, and distribute bulletins after Mass. There is a need for volunteers at all Masses. Ushers are scheduled on a periodic basis for a Mass time of their choice. Assistance at occasional Holy Day Masses is welcomed.
The requirements are:
Schedule accommodations are made for families with members in other ministries, for instance, Lectors, EMHC, and Altar Servers. For a more detailed description, please review the Usher Duties. This ministry is open to men, women, teens, and families.
Visit Altar Servers.
Visit Music Ministry.
Join in proclaiming the Word of the Lord! Readers proclaim the Old and New Testament readings (other than the Gospel) and serve as commentators for weekend Mass, Holy Days, and special liturgies. You must be willing not only to be assigned to any weekend Mass, but also to volunteer for Holy Days and special liturgies.
Previous experience not required (training and lector preparation book provided), but there is an annual, mandatory meeting in October. Readers are normally scheduled to read/commentate approximately every other week/third week depending on the total number of readers. Schedule accommodations are made for families with members in other ministries, for instance, EMHC, Ushers, and Altar Servers.
The Sacristan, under the general direction of the Pastor, undertakes the overall preparation of liturgical celebrations, including all that is needed for special days such as Ash Wednesday and Palm Sunday.
He/She arranges the books needed for the celebration, lays out the vestments and anything else needed for the celebration, such as cruets, chalices, ciboria, linens, oils, processional crosses, candles and torches. He/She also ensures a ready supply of fresh hosts, duly authorized wine, sufficient purificators, corporals, hand towels, incense and coals necessary for worship. The pastor may also entrust other responsibilities which include coordinating with others who help with the general decor of the church and who arrange the flowers.
In order to carry out these duties, the sacristan needs to have a fairly good idea of the content and norms of the principal liturgical books and an understanding of the intricacies of the liturgical calendar.
Contact:
Rev. Brian Bashista | Pastor | Send Fr. Bashista an Email
Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion assist the celebrant with the distribution of the Body and Blood of Christ during Sunday Liturgy. Some of the requirements include a willingness to rotate your service at all Masses, a commitment to arrive at least 15 minutes prior to the start of Mass, and a commitment to attend training as the need arises.
Schedule accommodations are made for families with members in other ministries, for instance, Lectors, Ushers, and Altar Servers.
Holy Communion to the Home Bound
EMHC for the Homebound is in Great Need of Volunteers.
Our current Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion for the Home Bound is facing a greater need in our community for individual homes and care facilities. We need you! You will not believe the experiences you will have by serving our Lord! Also, many hands make lighter work! Ministers serve by bringing the Holy Eucharist to those in Assisted Living facilities, the sick, and the homebound of our parish. Holy Communion is usually taken after the 9:00 am Sunday Mass on a rotating basis.
Connect with our EMH Ministry
Note: You may serve in one or both of these ministries
Empowering Disciples to Share the Gospel
Reach More by Evangelical Catholic, is a transformative series that equips you to confidently and effectively share your faith in everyday life. Rooted in the Church’s mission to evangelize, this training will help you grow as a disciple and become a missionary in your own community.
Reach More Training provides practical tools, spiritual formation, and ongoing support to help you live out your calling as a disciple of Christ. Over the course of this training, you’ll learn how to:
Connect with our Director of Mission Outreach.
Discover the Extraordinary Love of God
The Rescue Project is a powerful and inspiring series created by Fr. John Riccardo, designed to help you rediscover the profound story of salvation and God’s incredible plan for your life.
In this series, Fr. Riccardo dives deep into the “why” behind Christianity and together, we’ll walk through the core questions: Why is there something rather than nothing? What is our purpose? What went wrong in the world? And most importantly, what has God done about it?
Connect with our Director of Mission Outreach.
Visit Family Faith Formation.
A sponsor accompanies the catechumen/candidate in his/her spiritual journey. The sponsor is a witness to the faith and must fulfill all the eligibility requirements of a godparent (fully initiated Catholic, etc.). Beyond the basics, being a good listener is the most essential requirement, but a sponsor also commits to attending sessions and rites with the inquirers. Most often, sponsors are blessed with a rejuvenation of their own faith as they offer the gift of time and support to an inquirer.
A parish mentor (for adults) fulfills the same basic role as a sponsor, except they are not the official sponsor for the rites. This is for adults who have a friend or family member from outside the parish who will be their sponsor for the rites.
For more, please email our OCIA Director here.
Visit Seton Lake Ridge’s Respect Life.
The Mother Seton Food Pantry was established in February 2019 to support parishioners who were struggling financially as a result of the partial government shutdown. A few months later, services were expanded to include families experiencing food insufficiency in the surrounding community and remain in operation today. The pantry stocks nourishing non-perishable foods. Elderly parishioners or those who are ill and in need of groceries may call to inquire about having groceries delivered to their homes.
Please Remember: We are a small pantry so we only have room for items on our list. You may place your donations in the labeled bins in the Fellowship Hall anytime the church building is open. Kindly check the dates and don’t leave expired food. Thank you so very much for helping our neighbors in need! See Full List of Acceptable Items Here
Hours of Operation: Thursdays, 12:00pm – 2:00pm
Connect with Food Pantry
When we face challenges in life, sometimes the overwhelmingness of our situations can cause us to lose our way. Here at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, our parishioners have teamed up to create Seton Lake Ridge Help Network. This network allows us to connect with and help each other, especially in times of need. No request is too little or too big.
When a parishioner with a genuine need is identified, an email containing relevant details is sent to the network members and whoever is available to help, will be given an opportunity to do so. Examples of this could look like: an elderly parishioner needing a ride to Mass, a parishioner in the hospital needing meals cooked for their family, etc.
There are many different ways our help network can provide assistance to those in need, so if you are interested in joining the Seton Lake Ridge Help Network, please contact our Director of Human Concerns Outreach.
Our Human Concerns ministry volunteers are willing to assist in shopping for groceries and pharmacy items for those who can’t go because they are in a high-risk category. For those who are in financial hardship and are in need of non-perishable food items and/or toiletries, our Mother Seton Food Pantry is well stocked and is open to parishioners and non-parishioners.
Contact:
Coordinators of Human Concerns
Visit Catholic Charities.
Bánica, a major town in the central-western Dominican Republic near the Haitian border, and the nearby town of Pedro Santana are part of a region that is 95% Catholic but has very few priests to meet the spiritual needs of its people. In response to this need and to Pope John XXIII’s call for dioceses with abundant clergy to assist those with fewer, Bishop John Keating established the Arlington Dominican Mission in 1991.
The mission provides vital spiritual and material support to impoverished communities while giving the Diocese of Arlington a deeper connection with the universal Church, enriching both parishioners and clergy. Since its founding, it has served more than 70 communities in the Diocese of San Juan de la Maguana.
Learn about the Mission’s History, Programs, Projects, and more here: https://arlingtonmissions.org/banica-mission/
Diocesan Resource: https://www.arlingtondiocese.org/missions/
In late 2004, Virginia’s Catholic bishops founded the Virginia Catholic Conference (VCC) to represent them and their dioceses of Arlington and Richmond by advocating for public policy that reflects natural law, advances human dignity and serves the common good.
The Conference primarily addresses policy issues considered by the Virginia General Assembly and state agencies. In addition, the Conference supports the efforts of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, which addresses federal policy issues considered by the U.S. Congress and executive branch in Washington, D.C. Led by Diocese of Arlington Bishop Michael F. Burbidge and Diocese of Richmond Bishop Barry C. Knestout, the Conference advocates for Respect Life, Social Justice, and Family Life and Education initiatives.
Contact: Claudia Brown, Seton Lake Ridge VCC Liaison ([email protected])
Sign-up to receive VCC email alerts HERE.
Visit Community Assistance.
Kris Fischer
Director of Mission Outreach
703-494-4008 ext. 137
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