As couples or friends, we find that our hearts expand as we step out of ourselves and embrace others.
-Pope Francis
Join us! Volunteer with activities, fellowship, community service, and the practice of our Catholic faith. Have fun and get involved in a parish ministry.
Join Our Volunteers
SERVE
Serve the Liturgy
Ushers extend hospitality to parishioners at Mass. They greet newcomers, take up in-pew collections, and are atttenive to safety. Thanks to all users! Want to join the team?
"Faith come by hearing"(Romans 10:1). Lectors proclaim the Sacred Scripture during Mass. Do you have good reading voice? Join us in proclaiming the Good News.
The Altar Guild serves God by beautifying the church. They maintain the sanctuary and sacristy, care for sacred vessels, linens, candles, liturgical decorations used at the altar and tabernacle, priests' garments, and respond to special requests of our priests. They arrange flowers weekly at the altar and tabernacle, and care for the green plants and flowers in the grotto. The Altar Guild works in teams each weekend to prepare for Saturday and Sunday Masses. It is a beautiful way to serve Our Lord and meet other parishioners.
Boys and girls who have received First Communion: Serving at the Altar is an ancient ministry, dating back as far as the second century. Altar servers assist the priest at Mass with reverence and dependability.
Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion bring the Eucharist to homebound parishioners and those in nursing homes. Some Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion serve at weekend Mass.
Choral singing provides beauty, joy, comfort, inspiration, and musical prayer for our communal liturgies and parish celebrations. This is possible due to the generous sharing of time and talent of diverse and committed members. If you can carry a tune and want to learn, come sing with us! Our Lady of Lourdes Choir sings at one of the Masses every Sunday and rehearses on Sunday morning. Contact the parish office to be put in touch with the Choir Director: OLOL@ololcc.net
Serve in the Parish Community
Our Religious Education program is powered by volunteers giving time and talent on the weekends, forming youth in the Catholoc Faith. They prepare youth for the Sacraments of Reconciliation, Communion, and Confirmation. Join this dynamic and creative team!
The Legion of Mary is the largest apostolic organization of lay people in the Catholic Church. Its members serve the Church as voluntareers. The Legion was founded in 1921 in Dublin, Ireland, by the Catholic layman Frank Duff, and has today over three million active members in almost every country of the world. There are 10 million auxiliary members estimated worldwide.
Membership
The Legion of Mary is open to all Catholics who: Faithfully practice their religion; Are animated by the desire to participate in the Church's apostolate through membership in the Legion; Are prepared to fulfill each and every duty which active membership in the Legion involves.
Activities
The Legion is an extension of the heart and hands of the pastor.
Members become instruments of the Holy Spirit through a balanced program of prayer and service. They meet once a week for prayer, planning, and discussion in a family setting. Then they do two hours of definite work each week in pairs. Works include door-to-door evangelization, parishioner visitation, prison ministry, visitation of the sick or aged, religious education, visiting the newly baptized, Pilgrim Virgin Statue rotations, and serving the spiritual needs of the parish community. Legionaries are under the guidance of a spiritual director named by the pastor.
How to Start
The first step is to be a guest at a meeting of the Legion of Mary. Guests are always welcome and can go on work assignments with an experienced member if they choose.
Our Lady of Lourdes' Legion of Mary Mother of Divine Grace Praesidium
Wednesdays 7:30 pm - 9:00 pm
For more information, ask any member of the Legion of Mary or contact the Rectory Office.
The Knights of Columbus is the largest Catholic men's fraternal service organization in the world, dedicated to charity and service. The Knights seek to help men, their families and their parishes grow closer to Christ by providing opportunities to live and spread the Catholic faith in the local community.
At Our Lady of Lourdes, the St. Joseph the Worker Knights of Columbus Council #14516 serves the parish - and the larger community - by sponsoring parish activities. The Knights run the First Sunday Breakfasts, Spaghetti Dinners and Parish Picnics at Our Lady of Lourdes. The Knights also fundraise to support their charitable works and Catholic activities.
Coming soon!
The Pro-Life Group offers a weekly Rosary on Tuesdays at 7 PM, organizes a Christmas Giving Tree for Project Rachel/Project Gabriel and provides a visible witness of the pro-life message at the annual March for Life.
Serve in the Larger Community
Visit residents at our local Regency Care rehabilitation and nursing facility. Join Father Edlefsen for Mass and visitations with residents. Interested? Contact Fr. Edlefsen at pastor@ololcc.net.
BE SERVED
Spiritual Care Ministries
Visit the homebound or residents of our local Regency Care who would like Holy Communion or just a visit. Contact us at olol@ololcc.net.
The Catholic Diocese of Arlington provides comprehensive assistance to anyone who was sexually assaulted as a minor by a priest, deacon, teacher, employee, or representative of the diocese. Parents, guardians, children, and survivors of sexual abuse are invited and encouraged to contact the diocesan Victim Assistance Coordinator, who will provide support, consultation, and referrals. The Catholic Diocese of Arlington is committed to assisting victims/survivors throughout the healing process. For further information, visit www.arlingtondiocese.org/Child-Protection.
RELIGIOUS EDUCATION
Religious Education For Students (K12) and Preschool Children
Please see the "Religious Education" Page
Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults: Adult Baptism, Communion, and Confirmation
If you or someone you know would like to join the Catholic Church, be confirmed, or just learn more about the faith, the "Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults" (RCIA) meets on Monday nights at 7:00 PM.
Candidates receive the Sacraments of Initiation at the Easter Vigil in 2023. If interested, please submit the registration form on our website or contact the parish office.
Invited are...
Those who have never been baptized but who are now being led by God to receive the Sacraments of Initiation (Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist) in His Holy Catholic Church
Those who were baptized in another faith tradition but who are now being led by God to the fullness of truth and life in His Holy Catholic Church
Those who were baptized in the Catholic Church, but not raised in it, and who are now being led by God to learn their faith and to complete their initiation in His Holy Catholic Church; or,
Those who were fully initiated in the faith of the Catholic Church but who, for one reason or another, abandoned the practice of their Catholic Faith and who are now being led by God to return to His Holy Catholic Church and the reception of the Sacraments.
To register for RCIA, please visit our Explore Catholicism page.
Also invited, practicing Catholics who...
Wish to deepen their own faith;
Wish to support by prayer, penance, and presence those who will enter or return to the Church; and/or
Wish to be available to act as a sponsor for someone entering or returning to the Church.
Please contact the DRE with any suggestions for prayerful, enriching, or encouraging content you'd like to see at Our Lady of Lourdes!