Volunteer Opportunities at Prince of Peace

School of Religion

The Religious Education Department of Prince of Peace Catholic community accepts the mission of being Christ to others. We seek to foster the faith lives of our children and youth by involving them in the threefold mission of the Church: Worship - to celebrate liturgies of praise and thanksgiving. Education - to proclaim the teachings of the Catholic Church to all people through Scripture and tradition under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Service - to see Christ in all people and to serve the community in His name.

The School of Religion Office is in search of Catechists for the upcoming school year. Our program will have over 1400 students this year. Last year, 192 Catechists taught in our SOR program and we will need even more this year. If you have been looking for an opportunity to serve the church, this is an excellent time to do so. We welcome you to share your knowledge and the love of your faith with the children of our parish. If you would like to teach but have never taught before, we provide religious training and support courses throughout the year. Team teaching is recommended so that you will not be required to teach every week. There are several evening times and Sunday morning to choose from.

If helping God's children interests you please contact one of the following at 829-1147.

• Elementary DRE Mark Schuetz
• Junior High DRE Polly Holmes
• Sr. High DRE Phyllis Mills

RCIA Sponsors and Team Members Needed

How can I serve as an RCIA Team Member?

No experience is necessary just a willingness to share your time and faith with others. As a team member of RCIA you must be a confirmed, practicing Catholic adult and who would like to continue your own faith journey by supporting those adults interested in joining the Catholic Church. The RCIA classes are held on Thursday evenings from 7-9 pm . These classes run from approximately August through May. Each week a new subject of the Catholic Doctrine is taught by various presenters and team members.

Though your commitment of becoming a part of this team, you will help provide a comfortable and welcoming environment as well as building community for those entering the Church. Please contact Martha Tady of the Christian Formation Office at 829-1147.

How can I serve as an RCIA Sponsor?

Have you ever been to a meeting or social function where you didn't know anyone? You know what a relief it is when someone takes you under their wing and shows you around. This is what it means to be a sponsor. The experience of becoming a Catholic is exciting and bewildering all at the same time. Sponsors get to be in on this process of conversion by their willingness to listen to the candidates and catechumens and to share their experience of being a Catholic Christian.

A sponsor is a spiritual helpmate, someone who accompanies the candidate to liturgies and witnesses to their progress towards being a Catholic of heart, mind, soul, and body. With the sponsors help, the candidate begins to feel like an insider. Our new people have seen something in us that they want, but they need some assistance in getting it. They want to know how it's works. What are the tools for living a meaningful Catholic Christian life?

The ministry of sponsor is not new in the Church. In Acts, Luke tells us about the relationship between Barnabas and St. Paul:

"When Saul arrived in Jerusalem he tried to join the disciples, but they were afraid of him and did not believe he was a disciple. Then Barnabas took charge of him and escorted him to the apostles, reporting to them how Saul had seen the Lord…and spoken out boldly in the name of Jesus."
- Acts 9 : 26-27

Barnabas is our clearest example of a sponsor. He bore witness to Paul's worthiness as a disciple and introduced him to the apostles. He was with Paul through good times and difficulties. This is the work of a sponsor, the ministry of Christian friendship.

Sponsors in the RCIA process do these three things. They witness to the candidates readiness for entrance into the Church. They introduce them to their Catholic friends and some of the ministries at Prince of Peace, and they are companions on the journey through the ups and downs of the process of becoming a Catholic Christian.

There are two common concerns voiced by people interested or who have been asked to be a sponsor. One is knowledge and the other is time. Few Catholics have degrees in theology, but everyone is an expert in their own Catholic experience. The key is a willingness to share that experience, strength and hope with someone who is searching while being open to personal growth in the process. Concerning time, a sponsor is asked to be present for all meetings and to find time to meet to discuss any concerns or questions that the sponsor has outside of class time. You don't have to have all the answers; the most important part of this is that they know you are there and active in their journey.

Qualities of a Sponsor

You are not expected to be all-knowing or all-perfect. But as a sponsor, here are a few qualities that your candidate can expect from you

1. Hospitality. A sponsor must be a welcoming and inclusive person, a host. The sponsor needs to be open to accepting and discovering the person and the gifts, sometimes hidden, in his or her candidate. Your personal welcome helps the candidate discover both the comfort and the challenge offered by our community of faith. You can help establish a sense of belonging in your candidate.

2. Prayerfulness. By being a person of prayer, willing to pray and trying to pray, you will be a person responsive to the needs of your candidate and to the messages of the Holy Spirit.

3. Respectfulness. As a sponsor, you need to remain open and considerate. You need to value and esteem the opinions, ideas, gifts, talents, hopes, fears, and feelings of your candidate. You also need to show that respect by treating the sharing you and your candidate do with confidentiality.

4. Generosity. In the hustle and bustle of today, just to be a sponsor takes a certain generosity. You will be called upon to be generous with many precious commodities - time, talent, patience, and prayer. Likewise, you cannot be penny pinching with your feelings. Your candidate needs to see and experience what you feel strongly about.

5. Faithfulness. Faithfulness does not mean perfection. As a sponsor, your faith does not have to be perfect, solid, or totally secure. Rather, it must be steadfast, seeking, open and growing. The community is made up of people on the way, people who have not yet arrived! It is all right to let your candidate see that your faith, like his or hers-is still seeking. That makes it abundantly clear that your faith is alive.

For more information, please contact Martha Tady of the Christian Formation Office at 829-1147.

Knights of Columbus

Unity, Charity, Fraternity... three good reasons to join the Knights of Columbus. We would like to extend an invitation to all of the men in out parish to join in our service to God, our faith, and our community.

Women's Organization

Mission Statement: To promote fellowship for the women of the parish, provide for their spiritual and physical needs, and to work together with the priests and the Parish Council for the good of the parish community. Meetings are held the 2nd Monday of each month at 7:00 pm in the St. Mark's/St. Luke's room. We conduct business for the first 30 minutes and then follow that with a social, spiritual or current topic of interest to the group. We frequently have guest speakers. Several committees within the Women's Organization provide services to parishioners and families: serving donuts after Sunday Masses, S.O.S. Committee (Support Our Sick), and College Care Packages, to name a few. We also host the annual Fall Craft Marketplace in October and the Annual Parish Dance in January. Watch for news and updates through the weekly church bulletin. All women of the parish are members of the Women's Organization and are invited to join us. For more information contact the Women's Organization President.

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