Parish Ministries

At St. Michael’s Parish, we have numerous active ministries in which many people are regularly involved. Below are several of our most important ministries which we encourage you to review and consider joining. There is a full signup sheet here listing all of the other parish ministries as well. Please feel free to complete a ministry signup sheet online and submit to the Rectory office. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the Rectory (518) 792-5859 or email smichael@nycap.rr.com if you are interested in more information about or would like to join any of the following ministries in place at St. Michael’s ( or you can sign up online here):

Pastoral Care

A newly formed Pastoral Care Ministry Team, along with Father Tony, regularly visits area hospitals and nursing homes as well as making visits to shut-ins, the elderly and the sick. We bring the Eucharist, our prayers, and support as well as the opportunity for counseling and the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick when requested. Please call Father Tony at 518-792-5859 to arrange a pastoral visit.   Be sure also to advise the Parish Office when someone is in the hospital, so that we may visit and offer pastoral care from the parish.   Federal Laws doe not permit the hospital to notify or inform the parish that a patient is there.   Thank you!

Bereavement Ministry

The many members of this ministry offer consolation and hospitality to those who have lost a loved one. We at St. Michael’s wish to express our sincere sympathy to our families on the loss of loved ones. We want to remind our parishioners that there is a space available to them to gather in after the funeral of their loved one. St. Michael’s Bereavement Committee is privileged to offer coffee, juice and pastries, or a light luncheon to parishioners and their guests following burial of their loved one. This service is a parish gift, there is no charge. For more information or to speak to someone about volunteering time in this Ministry, please contact Loretta Salazar, (518) 793-1693.

Christian Service Committee

Ministers to the varied needs of our people. Some of these needs include Communion delivered to those who are homebound; hospital visitation; follow-up to hospital stays and consistent contact with our people who are in nursing homes and adult residences. If you know of anyone who is in one of these situations, please call the Rectory Office, (518) 792-5859.

Music Ministry

Is an integral element of your pre-Cana plans. If you are planning for the Sacrament of Marriage in the future, please contact Sally Scuderi, Music Minister, (518) 623-4030, to help you plan this important event. The Choir sings at the 10:00 AM Sunday Mass and at other church activities as announced.

Adult Choir

The Adult choir is open to all adults of the parish. If you love to sing, please consider joining. Rehearsals are on Tuesday Nights at 6:30 September to June; and singing from the Sunday after Labor Day thru the Feast of Corpus Christi. The adult choir sings at the 10 am Liturgy and for all of the Major Holy Days and Holidays in the church calendar. We are a blend of tradition and contemporary music accompanied by the organ and the piano. If you are interested in this very fulfilling ministry, and even would like to join, and cannot read music, Sally Scuderi will gladly give you a few lessons and you will be on your way.

Contemporary Group

The Contemporary group is open to all parishioners from approximately Junior High and up. We sing a very upbeat, contemporary style with guitars, flutes, violins, piano, and soon, drums. This group was formed a year ago and has grown in both personel and ability, and new music. All instruments are welcome, and an instumental part will be arranged for you. Rehearsals are on Tuesday nights at 7:15 during the school year, and at 4:30 pm, before the biweekly 5:30 Liturgy. For any former Children’s Choir members, this is a perfect group for you!

Resurrection Choir

The Resurrection Choir offers their ministry whenever a funeral liturgy is celebrated.   Formed in 2013, this music ensemble assists at the Mass of Resurrection, and aids in the liturgical celebration of the Mass with their gifts of singing and music.   Any person who would like to be a part of this very special parish music ministry is invited and welcome!  Please contact Sally Scuderi for more information.

Cantors

Cantors are needed for every liturgy. Everyone who is interested in cantoring should please contact Sally. A cantor does not have to be a member of the choirs. Rehearsal is usually once a month on Tuesdays at 6 pm during the school year, and before each individual Liturgy. Also, Sally Scuderi will make special arrangements, if needed for rehearsals.

Children’s Choir

The Children’s choir sings for the 4 pm Christmas Eve Liturgy and for the First Holy Communion Celebrations in May.
Rehearsals are four weeks before each event at 5:30 on Tuesday nights. Any child from K- 6 is welcomed and encouraged to join this group.The music is learned rotely, so the little ones do not have to be experienced readers. From this group, come the future musical leaders of our Parish.

MAPLE CAMP: Music At Pyramid Lake Experience

Since 1990 Students from the eighth grade and up are encouraged to apply for scholarships to this wonderful camp run by our Diocese. It is a comprehensive music leadership camp held at the Pyramid Life Center on the beautiful Pyramid Lake, in Paradox, NY. Since 1990, 15 young people have attended the camp. Many of them, even after college, still help with our Music Ministry during the holidays. Students have been chosen from the Children’s and Contemporary Choir, but anyone is able to attend this camp, also. I have seen almost to the person, each student who has attended, changed in a wonderful way, and their ability and faith are also strengthened. See this page for information (Scroll down to see dates, description and cost).

St. Brigid’s Knitting Ministry

St. Brigid’s knitters began in 2004. Patterned after the Prayer Shawl Ministry founded by two female pastors in Massachusetts, this ministry knits prayers shawls for people in our congregation who are facing life threatening illnesses, or traumatic death of a love one. The yarn is of the same type that is light yet warm and easy to wash. The knitters have a special prayer they say when they begin a shawl, and one at the end. During the knitting each knitter prays for healing and peace. We have now given out over 600 shawls since this ministry began. The knitters knit in the comfort of their own homes, and are a great gift to St. Michael’s. In 2008 we added ‘Mourning Mufflers’ a simple, but beautiful scarf knitter for each member who has lost a loved one in the previous year. This scarves are placed in special bags on the chairs in the chair section to symbolize those loved one who are no longer with us at the yearly Mass of Remembrance on All Souls Day. We can always use new knitters, and gladly will provide knitting lessons. The stitch is just the knit stitch, nothing fancy at all. Please join us! Also, if you know of a person in need of a shawl, please contact Sally to let us know.

Ushers

This ministry offers important help during Masses and other liturgical services and is open to both women and men generally individuals serve once or twice per month at the Mass they regularly attend and help to seat people in the pews, provide assistance and information, receive the offerings, and help by bringing up the gifts. To sign up, please call the Rectory or use the ministry signup form.

Eucharistic Ministers

Open to all confirmed women and men, this ministry provides necessary help by assisting with the distribution of Holy Communion at Mass and also by bringing Communion to the sick or shut-ins in hospitals or nursing homes or to the homebound. Generally, Eucharistic ministers are scheduled once or twice per month at the Mass they regularly attend. To sign up, please call the Rectory or use the ministry signup form.

Lectors

This ministry assists by having individual proclaim the Word of God at Masses and other liturgical or prayer services and is open to all women and men. Training is provided beforehand and lectors are generally scheduled once or twice per month at the Mass they regularly attend. To sign up, please call the Rectory or use the ministry signup form.

Altar Servers

This ministry is open to men and women, children and adults. Altar servers assist the priest during the celebration of Mass with several different important responsibilities. Training is offered throughout the year on a regular basis. We encourage all our children, in particular, to become altar servers. Altar servers are generally scheduled once or twice per month at the Mass they regularly attend. To sign up, please call the Rectory or use the Altar Server signup form.

Hospitality Committee

This ministry offers a service of providing refreshments, including receptions after certain parish events and during the Faith Formation Program season. To sign up, please call the Rectory or use the ministry signup form.