Cluster 29 Pastoral Planning Committee
Bucks County Vicariate
. Our Lady of the Sacred Heart (Hilltown) . St. Agnes (Sellersville) .
. St. Isidore (Quakertown) . St. John the Baptist (Ottsville (Ottsville) .
. St. Jude (Chalfont) . St. Lawrence (Riegelsville) .
Liturgy Workshop Draws Standing-Room-Only Crowd
More than 280 members of the six parishes comprising Cluster 29 attended a series of five presentations
during a liturgy workshop on Saturday, March 25. The overwhelming participation and the enthusiasm expressed by
those attending surpassed the highest expectations of the workshop planning committee.
The early sessions of the day were standing-room-only, but all were given the opportunity as the day progressed to participate in each of the five worships. The success of the day was ensured by the recruitment of top-quality presenters from throughout the Archdiocese. They included Rev. Louis Bellopede, parochial vicar of Holy Saviour Church, Norristown; Rev. Gerald Carey, parochial vicar, Corpus Christi Church, Upper Gwynedd; Rev. Martin Cioppi, president of Lansdale Catholic High School; Mrs. Eleanor Griffin, parish music minister, Holy Savior Church, Norristown; and Rev. Joseph Maloney, school minister, Cardinal O'Hara High School.
The first sign that the liturgy workshop was to be something special in the life of the cluster and member parishes came as participants arrived at St. Jude School , host for the event. Volunteers from St. Jude's helped direct parking and prepared the classrooms and auditorium space where morning prayer, afternoon Liturgy of the Word and refreshments were served. St. Jude students, dressed in school uniform, arrived well before the 8:45 p.m. registration time and stayed until after the 3 p.m. dismissal to make all feel welcome. "Tapestry" from St. John the Baptist Parish provided music for the opening and closing sessions.
The Cluster 39 Liturgy Workshop was the first major event sponsored by the Cluster's implementation committee. The workshop was designed to enhance the understanding and formation of the lay person in liturgical ministry.
In his keynote remarks at the beginning of the day, Father Bellopede stressed that all ministries must be as one seamless garment to enrich the spiritual life of the parish. He encouraged all participants to attend all the workshops and not merely focus on their special ministry. They took his advice. "I am astounded at the number of people here today," he said. "You will see how the liturgy works together like a seamless garment for God's glory."
Workshop topics for the day included, "Extraordinary Minister of the Eucharist: Ministry to the Homebound, Hospitalized and Sunday Assembly"; "Liturgical Music in the Sacred Liturgy"; "the Role of the Parish Liturgy Committee"; "The Role of the Lector as Proclaimer of the Word", and "The Parish Community: A Warm and Welcoming Community of Believers."