Adult Ministries

...in Giving of Ourselves
...we Receive
Adult Community Life Ministries
Adult Faith Formation Ministries for Youth
Adult Faith Formation Ministries for Adults
Adult Liturgical Ministries
Adult Community Life Ministries
 
MINISTRIES WHAT WE DO CONTACT
Bereavement Hospitality You may not be aware of this important hospitality ministry to those who have just lost a loved one. You can help by assisting with the funeral reception by:
  • bringing a salad, hot dish, dessert or cold-cut meats to Mullen Commons the day of the funeral

  • contacting (by phone) parishioners who have signed up to provide food for the funeral receptions

  • helping to setup and serve at the reception itself

  • staying at the bereaved family home while they attend the funeral services

  • helping as one of a team of coordinators for the funeral reception arrangements

Bev Balbi
Haleen Armijo
Rhea Bennett
925-939-7911
Caring Hands Be a friendly visitor to the elderly, transport to doctor's appointments or grocery shopping, do light gardening, etc.
This enables the elderly to remain in their own homes as long as safely possible.  1-3 hours a week.  This is an interfaith collaboration with John Muir/ Mt. Diablo Health Systems and congregations of various faiths.
Joan Schommer
  925-939-7911
Concord Homeless Shelter Once a month, on the second Saturday, dinners are prepared in our Parish Kitchen and brought to about 75 residents of the North Concord Shelter. Kate Garvey
925-939-7911
Contra Costa Interfaith Coalition (CCIC Work with SJV Parishioners and members of other local churches on a variety of projects to serve the needy in Contra Costa County.

We build once a month, usually the second Saturday of the month. 
Website:  
http:/www.ccichope.org
Sarah Arena
Mimi Buenneke
Julie Petersen
925-939-7911
Grief Ministry To serve those in our community who are dealing with loss.
Helpful Sites:
Hospice of the East Bay a center for grief and loss, offers counseling and support groups.
Hope Hospice, Dublin, offers End-of-life and grief support.
Compassionate Friends, grief support after the death of a child.
Contra Costa Crisis Center provides individual and support group grief counseling.
Nora Petersen
925-939-7911
Habitat for Humanity Join your fellow parishioners in building simple, decent, and affordable houses with low-income families in need; advocating for affordable housing in Contra Costa County; and building community at SJV through ministry activities. Nancy Williams
Katie Glynn
925-939-7911
Family Shelter Meals Week St. John Vianney church hosts dinners one week of each year for homeless families living in the Mountain View House Family Shelter in Martinez.  The shelter is run by Shelter Inc. of Contra Costa County, www.shelterincofccc.org.  We are part of the Interfaith Coalition group of churches that provide daily evening meals Monday through Friday.  Donations given during our host week are used for additional food and supplies at Mountain View House.  The week we host changes from year to year.
Read more....
Linda Locke
925-935-8035
Hospitality Provide refreshments at special parish events. Julia Huberty
925-939-7911
Knights of Columbus Knights of Columbus is a fraternal organization focused on faith, family, community, youth and fellowship. It is in service to others and our call to action through faith that their Brotherhood is strengthened. Jim Hart
925-943-7851
Library Staff Parish Library after weekend liturgies once a month. Gene Moloney
925-939-7911
Loaves and Fishes Two groups participate (1st & 2nd Tuesday and 1st & 2nd Wednesday of the month) offsite in providing a hot meal for the homeless and others in need. Volunteers cook and serve the meal and/or clean up afterwards. Involvement is about 5 hours each time. Bernadette Harney
925-939-7911
Men’s Club Social organization for men. Ron Armijo
925-939-7911
Parish Bulk Mailings Prepare parish bulk mailings for delivery to the Post Office. Commitment is approximately a half day, five or six times a year. Anne Flaig
925-939-7911
Parish Pastoral Council St. John Vianney Parish Pastoral Council is a body of shared ministry, which plans and coordinates the overall policies of the Parish in order to carry out the mission of Christ in the Church. It is essential that the council perceives its purpose as coordination, encouraging and promoting every apostolic activity through which the Parish community can fulfill its common responsibility to minister. Carol Causey
925-939-7911
Pastoral Care of the Sick Visit the Sick at John Muir Hospital - Bring the Eucharist to Patients at John Muir Medical Center
Home Eucharistic Ministry - Bring the Eucharist to the sick in their own homes
Visit the Sick at Care Homes
Bring the Eucharist to those in local Care Facilities
Fr. Luke
  925-939-7911
Ext. 109
Rosary Pray for Peace. Each morning at 8:00 AM, we meet in front of Our Blessed Mother Mary’s statue to pray for peace, our priests and our personal intentions. Ron Courtney
925-939-7911
ext. 0
     
St. Elizabeth’s Ministry St. Elizabeth’s Parish in Oakland is our sister parish. Weekly collections of food are made to donate to the St. Elizabeth pantry. Our holiday “Adopt a Family” collection provides a toy and clothing to families in need. Sharon Barone
925-939-7911
St. Vincent De Paul Society Interview and provide assistance to residents of the Concord/Walnut Creek communities in need. Commitment is a couple of hours a month, weeknights or Saturday morning. Terry Fleming
925-939-7911
Web Site Committee Develop and maintain parish Web site on the Internet. Monthly meetings. Commitment is flexible. Joan Saumur
925-939-7911
Supper Club An opportunity for all adults in the parish to host small dinner parties once a year, make new friends and enjoy good food. Pat Scott
925-939-7911
ext. 0
Welcome Ministry Welcomes newly registered parishioners. Sponsors hospitality at “Welcome Socials”. Volunteers needed throughout the year with a willingness to call new parishioners and welcome them to our Parish community. Jerry Kosel
925-939-7911
Winter Nights Shelter For one week in December, as part of the Contra Costa Interfaith Coalition Winter Nights Shelter program, St. John Vianney hosts homeless families; mothers, fathers, little children and teens. We provide three meals each day for the families and our tutors offer homework help and educational activities each evening for the children. On the weekend we provide fun activities. Our volunteers unload the truck on Monday and re-load all the family belongings and bedding the following Monday. A few volunteers stay overnight, to be on site in case of emergencies. Other helpers clean each day and some wash loads of sheets and towels at week’s end. The response from parishioners eager to help is almost overwhelming and makes the work of organizing this effort a joy.

Winter Nights Shelter - Walnut Creek website
Nora Peterson
925-939-7911
ext. 107
Women’s Group Social organization for women. Ann Thompson
925-979-0977
Yoga & Mediation Monday mornings from 9:30 – 11:30 for guided meditations, gently yoga, sitting meditations and other spiritual practices designed to deepen your experience of God. Sharon Lawrence
925-939-7911
Youth Ministry College age students or older to share faith, pray and grapple with issues that concern high school students. Youth Group meets Wednesday nights during the school year. Alicia Lang
925-939-7911
Ext. 108
Adult Faith Formation Ministries for Youth
 
MINISTRIES WHAT WE DO CONTACT
Christian Initiation for Children
(6 - 18)
Share your faith by becoming a catechist to prepare children, age 6 and older, to receive the Sacraments of Baptism, Eucharist and/or Reconciliation. Marie Walton
925-939-7911
Ext. 106
Confirmation Share your faith by leading group discussions among candidates. Meetings are on Sundays from 10:00 A.M.. to Noon, twice a month, October through May. Marie Walton
925-939-7911
Ext. 106
Catechists
K- 8th grade
Share your faith by becoming a catechist. Educational training is not required. Catechist Formation is provided.
Elementary     Middle School
Glenna Benton
  925-939-9544
Ext. 125
Pre-School
(Ages 3-5)
Share your faith by becoming a catechist during the 9:00 A.M.. Liturgy from the last weekend of September to the first weekend of May. Julie Henderson
925-939-9544
Adult Faith Formation Ministries for Adults
 
MINISTRIES WHAT WE DO CONTACT
Baptism Preparation Prepare parents for the baptism of their child from infancy to age 5. Marie Walton
925-939-7911
Ext. 106
Confirmation Share your faith by leading group discussions among candidates. Meetings are on Sundays from 10:00 A.M.. to Noon, twice a month, October through May. Marie Walton
925-939-7911
Ext. 106
Marriage Preparation Committed married couples to share their beliefs and experiences with engaged couples about to be married in the parish. Parish Office
925-939-7911
Returning Catholics We minister to people who have been away from the Church for any length of time and to people who  have questions about some of the changes that have taken place in the last 30 years. You've changed...and so have we! Nora Petersen
925-939-7911
Ext. 107
RCIA
(Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults)
Sponsor and journey with an adult in the process of becoming a Catholic. Time commitment varies (concentrated heaviest during Lent). A training workshop is provided. Nora Petersen
925-939-7911
Ext. 107
SCC 
Small Christian Communities
Facilitates small gatherings of parishioners in private homes to explore the Sunday Scripture Readings in light of faith and life experience. Sessions are every other week (six gatherings) three times a year. Joe Noga
925-939-7911
Adult Liturgical Ministries
 
MINISTRIES WHAT WE DO CONTACT
Adult Altar Servers Men and women are needed as altar servers for funerals and other special liturgies. Training is provided. Must be available during the day, Monday through Friday (occasional Saturday). Joaann Dawe
925-939-7911
  Ext. 0
Altar Society Men and women are needed to dust the church, polish liturgical vessel and clean door windows. Members serve in groups of four. Time: occasional Friday mornings. Tina Tonelli
925-939-7911
Art and Environment Preparing a prayerful environment for liturgical seasons. All manner of talents are needed, but especially sewing, carpentry and green thumbs. Joanna Mechler
925-939-7911
Extraordinary
Ministers of  the
Eucharist
To assist the celebrant with the distribution of the consecrated bread and wine at each Eucharistic celebration. Eucharistic Ministers also help clean the vessels after the liturgy and reset for the next Mass. Training is provided.

You may also volunteer to serve as a Lead Eucharistic Minister. Lead Eucharistic Ministers arrive about 15 minutes before the liturgy to ensure that enough ministers have “signed in” to serve at the particular Mass and to coordinate the clean-up and resetting for the next mass. Again, training is provided.
Maureen O'Keefe
925-939-7911
Greeters - for Adult and Families Greeters welcome all to the celebration of Mass. Individual adults and families with children may serve as greeters. Duties involve giving each person a copy of the bulletin and possibly answering a few simple questions for visitors. Training is provided. Betsy Noga
925-939-7911
Handbell Choir - for Youth and Adults The bell ensemble will rehearse once a week and will enrich a weekend liturgy each month. The Handbell Choir will also be part of our special liturgies such as Christmas, Easter and Pentecost. Reading music is helpful, but not necessary. Membership is open to anyone middle school age or older. Lynn Finegan
925-939-7911
 
Lectors Proclaim the Word of God at liturgy. If you have a desire to learn more about the Scriptures, you may wish to join the Lectors Ministry. The Lectors gather on Wednesday evenings to discuss and prepare the Scripture readings for the upcoming weekend Masses. Training is provided. Joan Alber
925-939-7911

Ministers of Music Help make each liturgy an experience of real faith, real joy and devotion. Saturday 5:00 PM Choir rehearses at 4:00 PM on Saturday. Sunday 9:00 and 11:00 AM Choirs rehearse Wednesday evenings, 7:30 – 9:00 PM. Cantors and ensembles rehearse extra time, TBA. Instrumentalists are welcome, too!

Note: 9:00 AM choir “warms up” at 8:30 AM on Sundays; the 11:00 choir “warms up” at 10:20 on Sundays.

Lynn Finegan
925-939-7911
ext. 110

Musical Offering Ensemble A small ensemble for experienced singers who wish to prepare more complex choral music for various special liturgies, including Christmas Eve. Singers involved in preparing small ensemble literature come Wednesday at 7:00 and stay 9:00-9:30 P.M. (Time commitment is more extended.) Participation in the Musical Offering Ensemble is arranged per piece on an individual basis.

Lynn Finegan
925-939-7911
ext. 110

Song Leaders (Cantors) Open to singers interested in spending additional time preparing Psalms and other liturgical leadership pieces. Song leaders are coached individually by appointment in addition to attending Wednesday evening rehearsals.

Lynn Finegan
925-939-7911
ext. 110

Ushers Men and women needed to assist in seating the congregation and taking up the collection at each weekend Mass.

Some adult ushers are also needed to serve as Lead Ushers. The Lead usher coordinates the other ushers during the Mass and will be trained in some basic emergency procedures--for example, what to do if a person becomes ill at Mass.

Chuck Scanlan
925-938-3841
 
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 Updated 05/05/2010

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  Phone: 925-939-7911      Fax: 925-939-0450      Email: staff@sjvianney.org      Website: www.sjvianney.org
Copyright St. John Vianney Roman Catholic Church - All Rights Reserved.